The rain stunned me with its passion. It hit the ground as if it were angry with the world, and it drenched the patches of canopy overhead with vicious force. In the distance, the howling wind kicked up a mass of leaves and swirled them towards me as I fought my way towards Damen Hall after class.

But despite the nasty weather, all I could feel was hope. New and shy, it still burned brightly within me. After all, the image of Edward's smiling face and sweaty body during our basketball game followed me around all day. He'd been so happy, almost childishly carefree, and I couldn't wait to see him again. I hoped he was still in as good of a mood as he was this afternoon.

He missed many classes today, but I dropped by his teachers' offices and picked up his homework to cheer him up. Oddly enough, completing homework made Edward more upbeat.

All day long, though, I avoided Alice. I knew I was doing it. And it was clear she knew it too.

My insight into Edward's mind was too new, too raw in a way, to allow me to think straight. I wasn't sure how to approach Alice about her behavior towards her brother, and for the first time, I didn't have a clue about how she would react to any of my questions.

So I ignored her texts and sat in the fifth row instead of the first during the class we shared. The hurt look on her little face stabbed me with guilt, but I planned on speaking with her tomorrow evening in private. We watched a movie together each Tuesday night, and I could deal with everything between us then without worrying about being overheard or upsetting Alice in public. I knew she would be torn up inside about what she'd forced Edward to endure, but she had to know the truth. And she had to fix it.

Now, as I walked up the winding stairs to my dorm room, I heard pop music blasting too loud from above. Arriving on my floor, I was treated to a gratuitous view of Emmet's naked backside and his ass crack as he danced in the hallway wearing only his low-hanging swim trunks.

"That's my baby mama, baby mama, baby mama," he sang. "Yeah that's right, I got it in! Got it in, got it in…Suck it!"

"No, shut it," I said. "Edward is sick. He's probably sleeping, you maniac."

He turned around, brown eyes flashing with mirth and strands of hair swinging across his roundish face. "No, your roommate just left for the gym," he informed me. "Looked like hell, but he's Edward, so you know he has to train for the next meet anyway."

Disappointment suddenly washed through me, but I smiled. "Alright, Stinky, you go back to your dancing then."

He nodded and I turned to fish my keys from my pockets.

"I'm not a boy! Not yet a woman," Emmet sang suddenly. "All I need is time. A moment that is mine, while I'm in between his sheets . . ."

Suffice it to say, I jumped the Britney-Spears-singing bastard.

Edward returned around midnight, just as most of my worries were heading to that dark and spooky place no one's imagination likes visiting. He entered the bedroom silently, shook off his shoes and avoided eye contact.

But after a minute of intensely awkward silence, he rose and climbed my ladder, headed towards where I had perched on my bed.

Just as silently as before, he sat next to me and leaned his back against the wall. His green eyes shone dangerously bright, but his expression otherwise lacked emotion.

He looked me in the eye for a long moment until I either had to break the silence or combust.

"You look better, but—er—worse. What's happened?" I asked.

Edward cocked his head slightly, his eyes narrowing. "Nothing," he said softly. "Nothing new anyway."

"Then what's changed?" I asked equally softly.

He chuckled and reached towards my hair. Confused and slightly terrified of his odd behavior, I flinched. His hand fell onto the mattress, but he leaned forward. "Did you know that Alice has a tiny mole on her upper lip?"

"Yeah."

He smiled. Like a cat. "I don't have one."

My breathing seemed heavy and painfully sluggish as I said, "You're fraternal. You have to look different."

"That's right," he said slowly. "We're fraternal. Not identical. Identical." He seemed to be tasting the word, fitting it around his tongue as he repeated it.

Then he smiled again. Sunnily this time. His demeanor just changed that quickly.

"It would be impossible to look exactly alike anyway," he announced breezily, lifting his weight off the mattress and jumping lithely to the floor. I looked down at him in bemusement, wondering how he had recovered from his illness and shed that air of depression so quickly.

"Right," I said slowly, but I think it came out as a question.

To: IsabellaS21

From: CullenH20

Hello Isabella,

Let's meet for lunch this week! The team is going off-campus on Wednesday to Mio's Pizzeria. Can you come?

Regards,

Edward

To: CullenH20

From: IsabellaS21

Edward,

I have an exam the next day. Could we go to dinner instead?

To: Isabella S21

From: CullenH20

Bella,

Yes, that sounds great. Although Emmett and Damen might tag along too, if that's okay with you. I owe them an expensive meal since I lost a bet. Apparently, Emmett can literally outeat a horse.

To: CullenH20

From: IsabellaS21

Edward,

Can we see a movie instead? I'd really like to watch that new one with John Krasinski.

To: Isabella S21

From: CullenH20

Sure, Damen is willing to let half the bet go that way.

To: CullenH20

From: IsabellaS21

Actually, I should just study more. I don't want to let my grades slip. But you guys go ahead and see a movie.

BPOV

I couldn't go out as Bella with all of them there to personally watch me! What the hell was Edward thinking? What the hell was I thinking?

I pushed the whole thing out of my mind for the moment.

Holding my cell tightly against my ear, I bounced on the balls of my feet while waiting for Jasper to pick up his phone.

"Hello?" His far-away voice sounded like heaven's bells pealing in the sky. I might have teared up a bit.

"Jasper!" I said excitedly, "The ant is in the locker."

"And It is eating the purple lipstick," he returned.

"AH! It's really you, bro," I said, grinning like an idiot. I turned to lean my back against the ladder of my bed.

"Yeah, sorry we haven't talked more. They're kicking my ass here, Bee," he said, pausing. "Hey, did you know that the art of crying on cue is an actual course?"

I sat down on the carpet and smiled, "Are you failing it?"

"No, Nancy, I am the only person guaranteed an A. I spent half of the first class crying to the professor about the death of my parents until she realized their names are listed as my next of kin for emergencies."

My head snapped up.

"Why did you list them? Do you want to get busted?" I whispered, somehow expecting someone to pop up behind me in my own room and declare me an imposter.

"Uh, no, but I don't want to die alone either. If something happens, they should know. And pay for any medical necessities." Jasper snickered. "Speaking of which, have they not come to visit your apartment?"

My parents were nice enough to rent an apartment for me during the year. Cheap but comfortable, it was probably the only thing they actually spent money on for my sake. Otherwise the commute to my "high school" would take over an hour, and they certainly did not want to buy me a car and keep me around. The tiny apartment was cheaper—in the short term at least, which is all they thought about.

I sighed. "Nah, you know how they are. They're happy to keep me out of their lives as much as possible. Mom calls once in a while, but the landlady said no one has come around the place."

I heard Jasper walk into something. "Dang it!"

"Uh, Jas? Should we call your next of kin now?"

"No, I'm fine."

He didn't say anything for a while, and I grew suspicious until he cleared his throat to say, "Alice says you've been ignoring her."

I didn't miss the accusing tone of his voice.

"Yeah, I have my reasons, Jas. It's only been a few days, and I'm going over to her room tonight."

He knew not to probe further. Jasper possessed that empathetic quality most guys would never understand.

"Okay, sis, now tell me about everything else. Are you kicking ass in class?"

2 hours later

I stood outside Alice's dorm room.

And I stood there.

And stood there.

The door slammed open, and now Alice stood there.

And we stood there.

"Can I come in?" I asked.

A/N: Summer's here! I do most of my writing at this time, so I plan to update more frequently. I know this chapter is short, but I wanted you guys to have something to read sooner rather than later. Keep your eyes peeled for the next update. It will be pretty steamy ;)