A/N: Sorry, I had to re-publish chapter 10. I was looking over it and I saw a mistake that was bugging the crap out of me. This is a new chapter. This chapter starts with the events of Eclipse.

Please enjoy!

Chapter 11:

Making Decisions

"This is the tenth person gone missing this week in Seattle. The police don't have any suspects and why these people are missing," the news person said on the radio.

"That's weird," Ashley said in the passenger's seat of Edward's car.

Edward reached over and turned it off.

"Not if you know what's going on," Jacob said from his seat in the back.

"I'm glad mom decided to move here. My luck I would be one of the people missing," she said.

"Well, you don't have to worry about it," Edward said looking in the review mirror.

"Thanks, for driving me. I really need to invest in a car," she said to Edward once they were in front of her house.

"No problem, any time."

She turned to look at Jacob, "You know you didn't have to come. How are you going to get home?"

"I can run," he said.

"I just need a few days to think everything over. I can give you a call," they traded numbers, "Jacob, please don't be mad at me," she reached for his hand.

"I'm not. I could never be mad at you," he said.

Edward made a sound like he couldn't believe how the two of them were acting.

Ashley turned to look at him again, "Now, you know how the rest of the world thinks of you and Bella when you are together," she said sarcastically.

Jacob leaned over toward her to give her a kiss on the cheek, "See you in a few days," he said.

She got out of the car and went inside her house. She looked out the window and saw that Edward was still parked in her driveway. Jacob had moved to the front seat, and it looked like they were talking about something.

XXX

Ashley still hasn't called Jacob, like she said she would. It was tearing her apart. She had secrets she didn't want people finding. Jacob and the Cullens shared theirs with her, why was she afraid to see him.

She thought a lot over the long weekend. She stayed in her room except for meals. At night over the weekend she heard a wolf howl and she couldn't stop herself from looking out the window. She couldn't stop the beating of her heart at the thought of him just showing up and taking her into his arms and…

There were also a lot of cold showers that weekend.

She made her choice.

She needed him.

XXX

Monday morning came and Bella was waiting for her out in the truck. Once Ashley was in the truck, "So…Edward told me what happened Friday at dinner. How are you holding up?"

"Good. I freaked a lot Friday. But now it seems like it's not a big deal, I guess. Does that sound weird? I should be still freaking out and begging my mom to move somewhere else. How did you take it?"

"It was more like, you're a vampire let's date," Bella joked, "No seriously, I was scared too, but I think I was already in love with Edward. It didn't matter to me what he was."

"You haven't seen Jacob this weekend by any change, have you?" Ashley asked.

"No…I don't see much of Jacob anymore. He refuses to see me when I made my choice."

"Choice?" Ashley asked.

"It's a long story. We can talk later. We are going to be late," Bella said while starting up the truck again.

"Why does it look like you rolled around in the grass?" Ashley asked while pulling out some pieces of grass out of her hair.

"That's also a long story," she said.

"So vampires can do it for a while? Lucky you."

Bella blushed.

XXX

They got to school to see Edward, Alice and Jasper waiting for them.

"Do you think it'll be weird if I make a run for it?" Ashley asked getting out of the truck.

"Relax, they don't bite," Bella said.

Ashley looked horrified, "That didn't help anything."

"Bella," Edward said getting a kiss, "Ashley, everything go okay this weekend?"

She paused, "Yeah. Slow weekend. Got a lot of stuff done…So, I just wanted to let you guys know…you're vampires. Big deal. You can't help who you are, right?"

Alice looked so happy she could explode, "I'm so glad. I couldn't see you all weekend because of your mute," she said.

"Jacob? I haven't seen him since you dropped me off," Ashley said confused.

"That doesn't mean he didn't see you," Jasper said as the bell rang.

XXX

At lunch that day; Ashley, Bella, and Edward decided to sit with Bella's other friends.

"Just in time. Check this out," Mike said before reading from a piece of paper, "My fellow students…Right?"

"Cute," Jessica said getting annoyed.

Mike continued, "We are the future. Anything is possible, if you just believe."

"Nice," Ashley said rolling her eyes. She still didn't like him.

"No, this'll be my speech when I want everyone to throw diplomas at my head. So, thank you," Jessica said crumbling the paper and throwing it back at him.

"You have to embrace the clichés, Jess," he said.

"Not really. The graduation speech has to be epic and have some humor. Anything to keep the parents' attention cause all they are thinking about is when is this over, let my kids walk across the stage for I can go home," Ashley said.

"You're right," Jessica said.

"Duh, why are you worrying about this now? Graduation isn't for like two more months," she said.

"I want it to be awesome."

"Clichés are the bread and butter of all valedictorians," Eric said.

"And that is why you are not valedictorian," Angela said causing everyone to laugh.

"Jess doesn't need clichés. The speech is going to be epic," Bella put in.

"Epic? I'll change lives," Jessica said.

"Or put them to sleep," Ashley said.

Alice and Jasper walked over to join them at the table, "I've decided to throw a party," Alice announced.

"Decide or saw?" Ashley whispered.

Jasper laughed a little before saying, "After all, how many times are we going to graduate high school?"

Edward gave him a knowing look.

"Too many," she whispered to Bella, "That sucks."

"A party? At your place?" Angela asked.

"I've never seen your house," Jessica said stunned.

"No has ever seen their house," Eric whispered to Jessica.

"Another party, Alice?" Edward asked.

"It'll be fun," she said.

"Yeah, that's what you said last time," Bella said.

"Last time? What happened last time?" Ashley asked.

"I'll tell you later," Bella whispered.

Alice had a dazed look in her eyes.

"Is she?" Ashley asked.

Bella got everyone's attention while Alice was having a vision.

Ashley was too busy looking at Alice to listen to what Bella was saying. Once she was done, she grabbed Jasper's hand and looked at Ashley and gave her a small smile.

XXX

After school Bella went over to Ashley's house to talk.

"Edward not with you?" Ashley asked.

"No. He thought we should talk alone. I talked to him too much this morning," Bella said.

"I don't think that's possible."

"I didn't like the subject matter," she looked down as the two of them sat in Ashley's room.

"What's wrong?" Ashley asked.

"Last year, when I turned 18…"

Bella told her how Edward and the Cullens left, how she and Jacob became good friends to the point she had developed feelings for him. Ashley didn't like that one bit, but kept her mouth shut.

Bella told her everything from Victoria to what happened in Italy a few months ago.

"They want you to become a vampire. Why?"

"Aro's power didn't work on me like Edward's doesn't. Edward says Aro wants to know if I become a vampire, would I have a powerful gift," Bella said.

"You told him to stick it, right?"

"If I said that, I wouldn't be talking to you right now. Edward told him it was going to be done soon," Bella said.

"He was just telling him that for Aro to spare your lives, right?" she asked.

"Yes and no. It's going to happen after graduation. Edward wants to get married first. Kind of like a compromise. That's what we were talking about this morning in our secret place," Bella said like it was no big deal.

Ashley looked stunned, "You're kidding, right?"

"How else are we supposed to be together forever?"

"That's why Jacob doesn't want to see you anymore. He hates your decision. Bella think about what you are doing," Ashley started.

Bella interrupted her, "I have. It's what I want more than anything."

"Is this Edward's idea?"

"No, he hates the idea as much as Jacob," Bella said.

"Well, maybe they have a point," she said.

"Not you too," Bella said getting up from her spot on the bed.

"You see that right there, is why I don't think you are ready to make this big decision. A rational person would hear from all sides," Ashley said.

"It's not your decision. It's mine. You haven't been here that long so you don't understand."

"You're right. I don't understand…It's you're life. I don't care that much about you for only being here less than a month," Ashley said getting mad.

"That's not what I mean…I made my decision, can't you respect that?"

"Look, I'm tired. I'll see you tomorrow," Ashley said dropping the subject.

"Okay," she walked over to give Ashley a hug. She hugged Bella back.

Once Bella left, Ashley had more time to think about what she just learned.

She had to do something.

She heard some tapping on her window, she turns to see Jacob.

Her heart starts beating hard. Some of her fantasies are coming to the surface with just on long look at him. She pushes it to the side.

For now.

She opens the window and Jacob slips in the house.

She smiles at him.

He smiles back.

"Good thing I'm on the first floor," she says.

"It wouldn't have mattered."

"Have a seat," she offers him.

The only place for him to sit down is her bed.

And the fantasies pop back up again.

"I'm sorry I didn't call you. I was going to but I was distracted," she said while sitting on at the head board of the bed.

"I didn't want to push…I have a confession to make," he moved to sit directly in front of her, "I've been keeping an eye on you for a while," he looked down ashamed.

She thought he looked cute, "I know."

"You do?"

"Alice told me today that she couldn't see me all weekend because of you…And I heard you howling at night."

He smiled, "How did you know it was me?" he asked.

"I had a feeling," she said as she looked down.

"What's wrong?" he asked while grabbing one of her hands.

"Bella was here before you. She told me something that upset me."

He grabbed her cheek into his palm with his free hand, "What?"

"I don't know if I should tell you," she whispered, "It's going to upset you."