Virgin daiquiris met in mid-air with a clink. I'd never tried a daiquiri of any variety before and to be perfectly honest, I couldn't see why I'd paid $8 for a glass of slush. But the faces around me were glowing and happy and sitting here at this exact moment was priceless.

"So Taylor came over to my house with a pack of condoms his brother bought him from the drug store," Jessica declared.

Okay, maybe not priceless. But worth $8 at least.

"Like, they're still in the little bag. He was just carrying it round in plain sight and my parents were right there."

Angela and Jess were sitting to my right, Alice was on my left. Magic 8ight was a hybrid dance club/restaurant and one of the few places in Port Angeles that permitted entry to minors. It had been recently renovated and fired its resident DJ, and so was considered "cool again." Music I had heard briefly on the radio and quickly skipped over provided the background noise for our Girl Talk. I kept my straw in my mouth and observed.

"Bella?"

I snapped back to reality, not realizing I'd left in the first place. "Huh?"

"We were asking what major you're thinking of going for," Angela explained.

"Oh. Journalism."

Angela dropped her gaze with a sudden sadness clouding her expression. Jess pursed her lips in anticipation.

"What?"

Ang looked up and shook her head simultaneously. Ever ready to deflect attention from herself and her problems.

"It's nothing."

"Eric's going to Boston for journalism," Jess interjected.

The two exchanged heated looks while I sat here missing the point.

"Is that bad?"

Angela, still hesitant to take center stage, took control of the conversation. At least that way, Jessica couldn't do it.

"We planned on going to Berkeley together. Now he's changed his mind it's like, relationship terminated."

"That's not necessarily true," Alice chimed in.

My human companions jumped ever so slightly and I admit, even I was a touch startled. Vampires have a way of sitting so perfectly still and silent for so long, you can forget they're there. I shuddered. There was something sinister about that.

"Love transcends physical space; you don't need to be near each other to feel the connection. When I finally found Jasper, it was like I'd known him for years."

Neither Angela or Jess seemed sure how to respond.

"Okay... But you guys have only been together, what? Two years?"

I offered Alice a nervous side glance. I don't know why I was so nervous about exposure when Alice obviously knew better and it wasn't my secret to expose.

"It feels like longer," Alice said coolly. "And at the same time, it feels like just yesterday. All I mean to say is, if you and Eric are meant to be, this won't change that."

"Thanks," Angela sounds sincere. I don't know if she was.

A long, awkward pause followed then. I knew going in this might happen. In all the time I'd spent with the Cullens, I'd never really integrated my human friends. I had belonged to two distinct groups. Immortal and mortal. Locked in pertetual battle for survival with me, the chew toy, caught in the middle. It was growing exceedingly tiresome, being caught between two-

"So you guys are friends again?" Jessica filled the silence, pointing between me and Alice.

"Jess," Angela tried to restrain her.

"No, I'm just saying. It's great!" the thoughts of Jessica Stanley would not be contained. "You two used to be so close and then you came back and it was like nothing. I wasn't sure you guys even talked anymore."

"We just haven't had a chance to reconnect properly with everything that's been going on," Alice alluded. "Graduating and all that."

"Oh, totally!" Jess agreed and gestured to our table of drinks. "Like, I feel like we haven't done this in years."

I mimicked her hand movements. "We've literally never done this."

Jess sighed. "You know what I mean. Girls' night."

I knew what she meant. Despite the certainty that all our topics for the evening would revolve around one drama or another, being here felt truly healthy. Maybe this was where I belonged, as a human. I wasn't built for endless chaos and imminent death. It wasn't my calling like the wolves or my design like the vampires. And to be perfectly honest, it was nice right now just being an ordinary girl. I felt a new wave of guilt for dismissing Angela and Jess so often. And I felt even worse for losing touch with Alice so much. Even if, by design, we were not of the same world and never could be.

"All I'm saying is, I think it's wonderful and super empowered that you two are hanging out again even after your whole weird phase with her brother. Sisters before misters," and with that, Jess raised her almost-empty glass for a toast.

Ang cringed a little while Alice's composure never cracked, and they both lifted their drinks. I would join the toast, I just... Weird phase? Is that what we're calling it now? I raised my glass to theirs and as we drank the last of our watery, overpriced fruit smoothies, I couldn't keep my mind off Edward.

I hated thinking that he knew about "imprinting" before I did. He must have sat through that whole dinner laughing at me in his head because he knew the clock was ticking on a relationship I thought was going somewhere.

I put down my empty glass and tried to focus on the conversation at hand. (It was something about Mike chasing after Lauren. Or vice versa.) It hurt too much to think about Jacob. The horrid irony was that I only now realized how much I'd grown into being with him. I'd started making plans on the foundation of him. Suddenly there were cracks, waiting to crumble, ready to bring down the house. What had he been waiting for? Would he have ever told me or would he have risked it for our whole lives? Until he met someone else? A sharp pain went through my chest and my blood began to boil. It hurt too much, pissed me off too much, to think about Jacob.

Alice excused herself then to go to the restroom, a perfectly timed action to make it look like she actually needed to use a restroom, ever. In her absence, Jessica was quick to jump in.

"What is her deal?"

"What do you mean?"

"That stuff about Jasper and true love. It's like, dude, calm down. You're a teenager. We all think it's true love."

"I don't know, I thought it was sweet. And maybe Eric and I could do long-distance."

"Oh, Ang. Please. You're gonna spend four years in different cities. You're gonna grow as people. It's better to just give yourself a clean break."

Angela tensed and seemed poised to stand her ground. It was good to see. I guess I really had lost touch with Ang, she was so much stronger and confident than when I'd first met her. And if being with Eric was part of what helped her find her strength, then I was all for them sticking it out.

"I'm not being a dick! I just don't want you setting yourself up to get hurt even worse later."

Speaking of hurt, I looked over to spot Leah Clearwater walking in at just that moment.

"I'll be right back," before I realized what I was doing, I was rising from my seat.

I walked straight up to Leah, pulse racing the whole way. I'd always been intimidated by her and wasn't exactly feeling safe right now, but something in me felt an affinity with Leah. A newfound respect that drove toward her to offer her what I could. I used to think Emily was my counterpart but now maybe Leah was the better comparison. The abandoned lover, the girl thrown into a world where she wasn't expected or wanted. By the time my feet reached her and she locked steely eyes with me, I felt almost like a kindred spirit. I probably shouldn't have talked myself into that so much.

"Hey, Leah," I greeted her cheerfully. She was stone cold. "Um... It's good seeing you. I'm just here with some friends, wonder, I, would you, I was gonna ask if you wanted to join us."

Well, that went smoothly.

Leah's stare pierced right into my brain like a lobotomy. Under her scrunity I could barely form a sentence. She didn't give away any feelings toward my offer. Until...

"You invited a bloodsucker to hang out with your human friends," she pointed out with an unconcealed hint of disgust. "No, thanks."

With that, Leah stormed off toward her own waiting group. I guess that was the best response I could've expected. But in a petty way, I felt kind of offended that she hadn't acknowledged the charity in my intention. Seeing her embrace her own friends, though, I realized maybe she had no need for my charity.

Defeated, I returned to our table. Alice was already back and sitting in my seat. She was leaned in excitedly. All three of them appeared engrossed in some fantastic plot.

"Bella!" Jess called when she noticed my approach. She was grinning from ear to ear.

"I've missed something," I deduced.

"We're having a graduation party at Alice's house," Jess revealed.

Fighting to keep composure, I shifted my gaze to Alice who was already looking at me pointedly.

"It's gonna be amazing. You're gonna come, right?"

By an infinitesimal inch, Alice's eyebrow raised. I swear it. I absolutely, without question, beyond any shadow of a doubt, did not want to go to a party at the Cullen house. Not with Edward there. Not ever. But I couldn't exactly say no with Ang and Jess sitting right there practically trembling with glee. Not after that whole speech about me moving past my "weird phase." And of course, Alice knew that. She knew exactly what she was doing.

"Sure. Sounds great."

The pair were almost bouncing in their seats. Why this excited them so much, I couldn't say. Maybe the reality of graduation was finally sinking in. We really might - probably wouldn't - never see each other again. Alice and I didn't break our stare.

"Okay, I'm gonna need a new outfit."

"There's this really cute vintage outlet that just opened down the road from here. We could come back on Saturday."

"Bella, we're going shopping. Deal with it."

Just great.


I got home later than expected and Charlie was halfway to a panic attack when I finally walked through the door. I was pretty sure he'd opted to work from home tonight so he could be here to make sure I got home safe. I saw the bags under his eyes and felt awful. I didn't want to add to the stress he was already under.

I jumped into talking about what a good night we had because I knew the distraction was good for him. Having had more than a few brushes with death, I was really growing to appreciate idle chatter and gossip. It had its uses.

It wasn't long before we both went to bed. In my room, I got changed and ready to settle in for the night. Then I heard it.

Tapping at the window.