Dear anonymous reviewer. You are anonymous and I can't send you a message, but I appreciate that you're reviewing individual chapters. A lot of people either don't review, or review the story as a whole - people like you make me happy :D

I seriously take all your feedback into consideration as I write!

I think you'll like this chapter.


"You're generally supposed to stay in the boat." Edward said as we walked onto the doc, dripping wet.

I looked over at Alice. "Apparently somebody has a knack for disregarding rules."

"Hey, you started it!" She defended.

We made our way to the house in a fit of giggles, and you'd wonder if we were really in our twenties.

I gave Alice a towel, and found it very amusing that despite the cloth used for drying, she chose to shake out her hair like a dog. Her weirdness was compatible with mine.

I shuffled through my luggage, trying to find something decent for her to wear. I owned nothing designer, and she was just going to have to deal with that. Pondering the passing day as I picked out some warm pants, I wondered how I'd found it so easy to be with her. Wasn't it only this morning that I'd tried to get on a boat and escape from this girl, let alone have a water fight with her? I guessed it was because Jasper wasn't here. For some reason, him being around was the equivalent of him being a brick wall between Alice and I. I could make an educated guess as to what was on the other side, but I neither made the effort to climb the wall nor find out for myself, exactly what was behind it.

With Jasper out of the picture, even if only temporarily; it didn't feel like there was some huge blockade in the path of a 'forbidden' area. I didn't feel so bad just being myself, for once. Maybe I'm a terrible friend, but I'll admit that liked it this way.

"What's with you and plaid?" Alice asked, as I handed her the clothes.

Well, I can't say I didn't see that comment coming. "Take the clothes, or run around naked." I warned, indicating that she wasn't going to get to choose her outfit.

"Somebody's a little defensive." She said, taking the clothes from my hands and giving a slight bow before closing the door to the bathroom.

She was really cute, all swallowed up in my big shirt and baggy sweat pants. I definitely like that shirt better on her, than on myself.

After trying help out Edward and Jacob, and nearly wrecking everything they'd been working on; the boys assured us that they could finish their project on their own. They also assured us that they had nothing against girls, but the two of us were completely incapable with a hammer. I didn't mind one bit, seeing as we'd resolved on putting in a scary movie, and I was now curled up on a couch with the girl of my dreams. Literally - don't think I've never dreamed of this girl before.

"That's bullshit," She said, extending her hand towards the television. "If you know somebody's died in there, they who in their right mind would go after them?"

I grinned. "Well, he was in love."

"Oh yes, let's walk into the creepy, dark tunnel because my love is in there." She mimicked.

I smiled at her. "I would."

Alice looked at me thoughtfully. "Really?"

If it were her, yes. Would I trip over my feet before I even entered the tunnel? Probably; but I'd still go in. "I think so."

"Keep in mind, there's an axe murderer hiding in the shadows."

I chuckled. "Well, seeing as today we've found out that I'm unbeatable, yes I would. I'd show that crazy lumberjack who's boss."

"You know what's funny?" She asked me.

"What?"

"That you think you won that water fight."

I grinned at her. "I did win it."

"Maybe in your mind. But you know what else is funny?"

"What?"

"That Jacob's about to get his revenge."

"Huh?" I looked up in time to see Edward and Jacob holding a pail of ice water over my head.

Looks like I'd be changing twice today.

...

What had previously been dubbed a 'tragedy' was quickly becoming the best coincidence ever. Who knew that running into Edward would reward me with two days and two nights of Alice Cullen, Jasper-free? Scrap the whole detox idea, I was sucking up her presence like osmosis.

After Jacob had so graciously given me a living-room shower, he realized that now his cushions and couch were all wet. The four of us carried the couch outside to dry, and laid down a blanket in its stead. Putting it to use, Edward's fabbity-fab dinner of mushrooms, radish, and cabbage rolls filled with cabbage, was eaten on the blanket in picnic-style. Turns out we were too cool for the dinner table anyways.

Sorry, I said fabbity-fab dinner, didn't I? I meant terrible, shame for the rest of your life, dinner. Due to my protests towards the shitty meal, a food fight soon broke out and we were pretty much all in grade school again. Jacob and I teamed up against Alice and Edward, and the territory wars began. Needless to say, my throwing skills were worse than a toddlers, and I was soon taken as a prisoner of war. They were terrible to me, really. Didn't they know mushrooms just don't come out of hair easily? Jacob rescued me in exchange for his own freedom, but in the end team Alice and Edward had completely annihilated us. Maybe that's why I was always last to be picked for sports teams.

Because Jacob lived alone, and because he only had one shower, we were all forced to take turns. Edward had already finished his, and Jacob was currently washing away what was supposed to be his dinner. I was sitting in my room, with Alice musing over the ridiculous amount of cabbage that managed to embed itself into my hair.

"Stop moving," She commanded me, and immediately I complied. "There's so much food, your hair is like a fridge."

"Because I'm so cool, right?" I said, smiling at my own joke.

"Right. So cool, Bella. How do you manage your coolness?"

"I hang around hot girls."

Immediate regret for unmonitored words ensues.

Oh my God, I actually just said that. Mental face palm, mental face palm! The easily-heard comment earned a smirk from Alice, as nimble fingers pulled cabbage out of my bangs.

"Is that a general statement, or are you referring to someone in particular?"

My mind was screaming profanities at itself. Stupid self, that couldn't catch a break if humanity depended on it.

"Uhh- would you believe me if I told you I meant to say hot boys?"

Alice laughed, probably because I was getting flustered and probably because my 'save' was pretty much confirmation of my idiocy. "Hot dogs, maybe. Hot boys? No."

"But Jacob has a six-pack." I said.

"What's your point?"

"Uhh-" Right. There was absolutely no point to that.

Hey everybody, my name's Bella and I'm a moron!

I think that was a pretty accurate slogan.

...

If anybody out there needs proof of a God, it would be the fact that I was lying in bed with Alice Cullen. Why Jacob's spare room had a double bed, I will never know - but I was eternally grateful for it. Jacob and Edward were bunking together, as were Alice and I. Can we take a moment to think about how gay that must seem? Or maybe Jacob planned the sleeping arrangements this way, for my benefit. Alas! As long as I was sharing a blanket with Alice, I didn't care for an explanation. Things were working out pretty conveniently.

Well, except for the fact that Alice kept kicking me in her sleep. I'm not talking about the groggy little sway of the legs, I'm talking about knee-jerking, bruise-causing kicks. Hence the reason I was awake at 3am. 3:02am, to be exact.

I evaded a swat from my feisty bed mate, only to receive a knee to the groin. I was so happy I didn't have balls.

As much as I hated to do it, I placed a pillow between Alice and I, creating a wall of fluffy goodness. Then I shifted around, trying to get comfortable without anything to rest my head on.

A sleepy groan came from the other side of the bed. I propped myself up to see if she was awake.

"Stop moving," She mumbled. "I can't sleep."

I chuckled quietly. She was blaming me for waking her up? She should try two hours of being beaten by a should-be lover.

I watched her silently, absolutely registering the creepiness of watching her sleep, but not caring at all. The moonlight filtered in through the window, giving her skin a milky glow; and even through my fatigue, I could appreciate her beauty. I wondered, how in the world - even if she wasn't mine, did I get lucky enough to have her in my life? Through strange, unlikely events, this incredible girl was now running through my life, not to mention my mind, at full speed. I knew I was digging myself in a hole, and I swear I would dig myself to China at this rate - but I was falling so hard for this girl and it felt like nothing was going to stop me. What had originally been a royal pain in the ass, was turning into something I had yet to understand. Nothing could come close to this feeling, to this moment; a moment that was going to be etched into my brain like hands in wet cement.

Tossing away caution, and probably my good sense, I let impulses lead my hand towards her face. I was going for a stray hair that had fallen over her forehead; but as I hovered over her skin, I decided to let it be. Somehow, the minuscule piece of disarray seemed befitting to the picture. I liked her just the way she was.

Seeing her eyes start to flutter, I quickly retrieved my hand and placed it in a less creepy position by my neck. Alice opened her eyes slowly, and blinked a few times.

"Hi," I said quietly. I felt a bit sheepish; even though I hadn't been caught touching her, I had definitely been caught watching her.

She smiled, sleepily. "Hi."

"Dream well?" I whispered.

"I think so." She whispered back. "Something about soccer."

That would probably explain the kicking.

"Perhaps boxing too?" I asked, chuckling to myself in the darkness.

"Hmm?"

"Nothing." I smiled, and even though she had no idea what I was talking about, she smiled too. In that moment, I was certain that I'd never get over this. I was sure that log cabins, whispered words, and the 3am moonlight would never be the same for me. Or maybe I was just over thinking it. "Hey, can I ask you something?" I said softly, pushing the pillow down slightly so that I could see her face better.

Alice nodded, and I could see her starting to drift off again. I wanted to ask her this before she fell asleep. I just needed to.

It was something between a whisper and just a movement of my lips, but I think she heard it. "Do you remember me?" I asked quietly.

By now her eyes were closed, but she was still with me, because she answered. "Mmhmm, sure."

I was positive she wasn't thinking on the same page as I was, but I continued anyways.

"Because I remember you."

There was a long pause, and the silence stretched right into my realization that she was sleeping. Her chest moved up and down evenly, and her hand lay outstretch on the pillow between us. I reached out slowly, as not to wake her, and carefully touched her palm with my pinky. I was perfectly content with drawing meaningless shapes into her skin, but I still had a few things to say to her. Maybe I felt more open, knowing that she was no longer listening.

"Did you know that you made New York stop moving? Even the birds were still." My voice was a feathery whisper, as if I was talking to myself. "They must've thought you were lovely, too."

The corner of Alice's lip moved, ever so slightly. I froze for a few seconds, and then relaxed when she didn't wake.

"Did you know that you changed me?" I said, and that time I was certain that I had spoken too low for anybody but myself to hear.

Her voice broke through the silence, like a hand dipping into still water. "Bella?" She asked, seeming to break through her fatigue momentarily.

"Yeah?"

Alice pulled the blankets up closer to chin. "What are you talking about?"

I might've laughed to myself, but instead I settled on a toothless smile.

"Nothing."


Well? Thoughts please, it was really hard for me to write that last scene!

I still don't feel like I got the mood down correctly. I'm not too good with words haha.