Author's Note: Dun-dun-dun! You'll see why. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

Chapter 11

"Bella!"

I paused on my way to my car, then turned. I smiled in greeting at Alice and Rosalie. "Hey, guys."

"Where's Edward?" Alice demanded.

I blinked. Why was she in such a foul mood? The last time I'd seen her at lunch, she'd been as cheerful as always.

"Where is he?" she growled. I could've sworn that I'd literally seen her spiky black hair sparkling with electricity. "I'm going to kill him. I swear I will."

I looked at Rose. "What'd I miss?"

"I'm sure you didn't miss anything," Rosalie answered, rolling her eyes at Alice's dramatic words and attitude. "She's angry because Edward is taking Tanya to the dance."

"Oh." I turned again and began walking away.

"How can you be so freaking calm about this?" Alice asked, her tone an octave higher than usual from anger. She trailed me like a puppy, looking frustrated. "He's your best friend!"

Rosalie followed us, her expression bored and somewhat resigned. "Look, Alice. If Edward wants to go with Tanya, there's nothing we can do about it. Why don't you give up?"

"He doesn't want to!" Alice shot at her. "I just know it. Right, Bella? I'm sure he told you!"

I shrugged.

Alice looked ready to explode from our indifference. "You guys! You can't just let this go! We have to save him from himself!"

"Please, Alice," I said as we reached my car. "Let's cut the drama, eh?"

"You cannot possibly be fine with this!" Alice said, shutting the car door that I'd just opened. She was glaring at me so ferociously that I almost flinched. "Edward should be going to Homecoming with you, not that slut!"

My eyes widened as I pointed at myself, mouthing silently, Me?

"Yes, you," Alice emphasized. "You blind girl. How can you not know Edward's feelings for you? He's loved you ever since you were young-"

"Alice," Rosalie warned.

"What's the point?" Emmett interjected, his head popping out from behind my car. "It's pretty obvious, babe. Might as well tell her now."

Jasper appeared behind him, his hands in his pocket. "True."

Rosalie sighed, relenting. "Alright, fine. Alice, go ahead. Rave."

I stared at the four of them, open-mouthed. "Are you serious?"

"Do you need to have everything spelled out for you?" Alice nearly snarled. "Edward has been waiting for you to realize his feelings for you for years now. He's loved you ever since he first laid his eyes on you. And even now, you're so blind! How do you think he feels whenever you dismiss his way of showing affection as a mere 'friend thing'?"

I frowned. "That doesn't make sense at all, Alice. If Edward really likes me in that way, then why hasn't he told me?"

"HE DID!" Alice yelled so abruptly that I flinched violently. "SO MANY TIMES! YOU WERE THE DENSE ONE!"

"What's going on?" Edward's voice rang out. He arrived behind Emmett and Jasper's frozen, suddenly nervous forms. He peeked over their shoulders and found Alice glaring at me while I stared at her, wide-eyed.

"Alice?" he asked. "Bella? What's going on?"

Alice turned to glare at him. "You! How dare you show your face here?"

Edward blinked. "What?"

"I thought you wanted to see him so that you could kill him?" Rosalie asked dryly.

"What'd I do now?" Edward asked.

I was still staring at Alice, disbelieving. What she had just said… Could it be true?

"How could you say yes to her?" Alice snapped. "To Tanya Denali?"

Edward's confusion cleared from his eyes. "Oh." He dismissed Alice's anger like it wasn't anything. "Bella, you're coming over, right?"

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen!" Alice burst out. "Will you pay attention to me, please?"

"Bella?" Edward was staring at me expectantly, his eyes full of hope and longing.

Slowly and with difficulty, I turned my shocked eyes onto him. He frowned in confusion. "What…is going on?"

Suddenly, everything made sense. His way of speaking toward me…his affectionate actions…his protectiveness against other boys…

I couldn't believe it. Alice was right. It had been right in front of my nose this whole entire time. I just hadn't been paying attention.

I'd even introduced him to my friend, totally oblivious to his obvious feelings towards me. That girl he'd claimed to have a crush on…

Me.

I was such an idiot.

"Bella?" Edward repeated, slowly this time. "What…? Bella!"

I'd whirled around abruptly and gotten into my car. I shut the doors immediately, and started the ignition. Then, leaving my stunned friends, I backed out of the parking space and zoomed out of that parking lot.

I didn't want to see Edward right now.

#$%^&()

As soon as I arrived home, I opened the door with the key under the mat. I took the key with me inside instead of placing it back under like I usually did. I shut the door and locked it.

I leaned against it, breathing heavily, then sank down to the floor.

How could I have not seen it? Now that Alice had pointed it out, it was too obvious. I was such an idiotic person.

Would they tell him? Would they tell him that I knew now?

I flinched when my ringtone suddenly filled the silent house. I took my phone out shakily, and saw that Edward was calling.

I declined his call. I wasn't ready to face him, or even talk to him yet. I was so confused. How was I supposed to react when I'd just found out that my childhood friend had had loved me in a very different way ever since we were young? It was impossible to be near him anymore. I wouldn't know how to act.

It couldn't possibly be true, could it? Even though there were so many evidences in our time together, I couldn't help but hope that maybe Alice had been wrong.

It must have been her hopefulness. Her fervent wish that Edward and I would end up together must have controlled her today because she was angry with Edward for taking Tanya to the dance… Yes, that must have been it.

Even so…

I shook my head vigorously, trying to keep my other self, the suspicious one, from expressing its opinion.

No. Edward and I were friends. Nothing more. We'd always been, and we'd always will be.

Right?

I shook my head again. Stop it, Bella! I scolded myself. Don't doubt anything. Nothing is going to change. Nothing.

My phone rang again. Without thinking, I shoved it away from me. I stared at the device in disgust. Why was it that, even though I'd convinced myself that it couldn't be true, I couldn't help but doubt everything?

Edward's Point of View

"You what?" I yelled.

"Well, someone had to do it!" Alice defended herself stubbornly. "You were getting so incredibly frustrating that I decided to do it for you. The stage is set now, isn't it? Now, it's your turn to go and play your own role."

"Alice Cullen," I growled. "How dare you? She won't talk to me anymore! Are you going to take responsibility if she refuses to even see me now?"

"It's simple, Edward!" Alice said. "If she refuses to talk to you, it may be a sign that she likes you back! If she doesn't believe what I just told her, then it'll be your job to tell her personally how you feel about her! If she refuses you, then you have your answer. If she hesitates at all, then you have a chance. Then, you can go after her freely!"

I sighed angrily. "You just wrecked my seventeen-year old friendship with Isabella Swan. Do you realize that?"

"Friendship!" Alice sneered. "A boy and a girl that are friends can never remain as friends! It's just not possible!"

"It could've been, for us!" I shot back. "I told you that I was giving up, didn't I?"

"Please," she said. "You couldn't get over her in a million years. Don't try to fool anyone."

Still glaring at my sister, I took out my phone and pressed speed dial one. The call went through, but Bella didn't pick up. After three rings, the operator came on.

"She's declining my call," I snarled. "Already."

"She must be confused," Rosalie reasoned. "Give her some space."

I glared at all of them before turning to leave in my own car. "I'm not taking you home today."

"Good luck, man!" Emmett called as I drove away.

I tried calling again as I drove to her house. Still no answer. I pounded on the steering wheel, frustrated with both my sister and Bella. Did she really believe that this would change our friendship? I wasn't planning on losing her.

Ever.

I parked next to Bella's car and rushed to the front door. I checked the doormat. Of course. The key was gone. She must have taken it inside with her.

I rang the doorbell, then pounded on the door. "Bella!"

The house was absolutely quiet. Not a peep.

"Bella!" I called, pounding on the door again. I was getting angry. "Open the door!"

Still no response.

"Bella, please!"

Nothing.

I closed my eyes briefly before reopening them. "If you're going to be silly, just listen, okay?"

I paused, then went on. "What Alice said. Don't let any of what she said bother you. You know how she's always wanting us to be more than friends. Just pretend like it's one of her plans to get us together. Don't listen to her! I'm not going to lose you because my sister suddenly decided to be stupid and say those things to you.

"I'll leave today, but I don't want you to refuse my calls anymore. And I'll be expecting you to be yourself and not avoid me tomorrow. Do you understand, Isabella?"

I paused, then turned to leave. I sighed, frustrated, as I got back inside my car. I just hoped she would listen to me.

Bella's Point of View

I listened as he shouted what he had to say through the door. And I waited until the sound of his car faded away.

The fact that he hadn't denied what Alice had said hadn't gone unnoticed by me. I noticed everything. And I wished that I didn't.

Just pretend… He hadn't denied ever having feelings for me. He'd only told me to pretend. That was a good enough confirmation.

What was I supposed to do now?

AN: You see now? She knows. Uh-oh. Uh-oh. Uh-oh. Heh. Reviews, please!