an: Loved the reviews! Some of you perceptive readers uncovered my little plot setup. Sorry for the slight delay. But it's up now. I'll try to get the next chapter up asap but it depends on my workload this week. For now, you'll just have to make do with this. Reviews are much appreciated!

EPOV

Alice is a fucking saint. Thank God for her. I'm so glad she agreed to help me. And frankly, I'm completely shocked. I was a dick. I'm glad she doesn't hold a grudge. After we got over the initial weirdness, though, I discovered she was a really good person to talk to, and I was pretty sure she was growing to enjoy my company. It was just really nice to confess these things especially since I didn't know who else to talk to it about. I'm pretty sure Jasper knew. I could tell by the way he looked at me in certain situations. Also, Alice and Jasper had become pretty close, so I'm guessing she probably told him. I just wasn't ready to quite come out and see if my conjecture was correct.

We were at the Starbucks afterschool. It had become a daily thing to meet afterschool for the past week. In exchange for her advice, she was making me help her in bio. Though we were talking about protein conformation, my mind was still on Bella.

"So disulfide bridges are the interactions between the functional groups with sulfur?"

"What if she doesn't feel the same way about me?" I blurted out.

Alice took a sip of her iced chai latte.

"Then she doesn't feel the same way about you."

"But then, I'll just make it awkward between us and be really embarrassed."

"Edward, suck it up. Not all feelings are reciprocated. It's life. Shit happens."

"Maybe I just shouldn't tell her."

"Jesus, Edward. Please, just get over yourself."

I winced at her brutality. Sometimes she was reminiscent of Rose.

"Do you want to go on knowing you NEVER did anything about this. It will eat you from the inside out. Regret is worse than embarrassment, Edward."

She was right.

"Plus, who isn't in love with Edward Cullen?"

She flashed me a devious smile.

"Apparently you no longer."

She laughed, her voice as clear as bells.

"Kay, can we please get back to bio now? I don't want to fail my first big test. My mom will confiscate my sewing machine if I do. And I really want my Saks credit card back that she took from me when I got a D on my math quiz."

"Alright, alright."

I proceeded to quiz her about primary structure, secondary structure, tertiary structure, and quaternary structure.

"See, hemoglobin is an example of a quaternary structure. Know what else it is an example of?"

"Uhhh, a protein?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious. But hemoglobin is also an example of cooperatism."

"I have no idea what that is."

"Alice, that chapter is also on the test. Enzymes, active sites, and all that shit."

"Well, it's a good thing you are here to teach me it."

I groaned.

"Okay, when oxygen binds to the active site of hemoglobin, it makes it easier for other oxygens to bind to hemoglobin also. How many oxygen molecules can hemoglobin carry?"

"Oh! I actually know that. Four."

"Correct."

"So, that's just what cooperatism is? When one thing binds onto, it changes the conformation so other shit can bind onto it better."

"Essentially."

"Great. Well, that's enough bio for me today."

"Alice…" I began.

"Oh c'mon! I know all about the levels of protein structure. And I learned what cooperatism. And if this doesn't convince you, I don't know what will: allosteric inhibition is when something binds to an area of the enzyme other than the active sit and changes the conformation so the substrate can't bind to active site."

"Okay, okay, you've persuaded me that you've learned enough."

She smiled and skipped out of her chair.

"Now for your dealio. You need to look particular dashing, swoon-worthy."

"I thought I was always swoon-worthy?"

"Psh. Off your high horse, Edward!"

"Fine. And how might I accomplish this?"

"This is where my expertise plays in. We're going shopping."

I groaned and began to protest.

"Hey, do you want to impress Bella or not?"

"Fineee," I relented. "But I thought your mom confiscated your credit card."

"Silly Edward, she only confiscated my Saks credit card. I still have my AmEx."

"Jesus, what is American Express anyway? Jasper loves his, too."

"As he should. It's a Centurion Card. I'm not quite that fortunate. Only platinum for me. American Express are the best cards. Anyway, you're paying for your own shit."

"What's the difference with the credit cards anyway?"

"There's a difference. Trust me."

I laughed. Alice dragged me to Neiman Marcus. After forcing me to try on nearly a dozen different shirts and jeans, she finally settled on a few Robert Graham and Etro button-downs, a couple Lacoste t-shirts, and a pair of dark Sevens. I handed the salesgirl my credit card at the check out.

"Sir, we don't accept Visa."

I just stared at her.

"We only take American Express, Neiman charges, cash, and checks."

I glanced over at Alice. She wore a smirk on her face.

"Told you so," she sing-songed.

I glared at her and mumbled a few curse words.

I pulled out my wallet and put the credit card back.

"Do you have enough cash? If not, I can spot you and you can pay me back."

"No, I'm okay."

I pulled out another card and handed it to the girl. Alice looked at me with wide eyes. After I paid and we left, Alice tugged on my arm.

"So, Mister-What's-So-Great-About-American-Express, what the hell was that?"

I laughed and shrugged.

"Hey, just because I don't know what the perks about it is doesn't mean I don't have one. My dad insists I carry it around along with my Visa."

She giggled.

"So are these clothes really going to help?"

"Who knows? But I love being a personal shopper."

"Alice!"

"No, I'm kidding. Kinda. It will definitely get you more attention. We have to work on the other stuff to seal the deal. Like that whole emotional confession part. I'm hoping the clothes will give you a confidence boost to watch her drool over you. Maybe you'll grow a pair then."

I laughed dryly before glaring at her. She laughed at my response. After our little comic moment subsided, I pushed our conversation to a more serious tone.

"Why are you helping me?"

"Don't push your luck."

"No, seriously. You're brother likes her, too. Why are you going against him and helping me?"

"Well, let's hope Emmett doesn't find out about this."

"He won't."

"Yeah, I know. Okay, well, I'm helping you because you love her. Emmett doesn't. He barely knows her. He thinks she's hot and nice. He'll get over it. I'm not letting her miss out on something potentially amazing 'cause my brother has a teeny tiny crush."

"Well I really appreciate it."

"You're going to make me rethink my decision if you get all sappy on me, Cullen."

"Okay, sorry. I'll quit it."

"Good. Are we done for the day? I have things to do."

"Yes, yes. We're done. Same time tomorrow?"

"Alright. I'll be at your house at 3:30."

She sprinted off and hopped into her bright yellow Porsche.

JPOV

I ran a towel casually through my hair to collect whatever water was left in my hair from the shower I took after practice. I heard the doorbell ringing distinctly in the background. The cool marble tile of the foyer tickled my bare feet as I padded to the front door. I threw open the door and was greeted with a bright smile contagious enough for force one on my face.

Alice stood beaming in my doorway. For the past week or so, she'd been coming over to my house after soccer practice to hang out. We talked. We did homework. We watched TV. It was nice. I learned about her. She learned about me. I told her things I only revealed to Bella, Rose, and Edward. I was becoming severely attached to her.

Every time I saw her, I got a giddy feeling in my stomach like I was eleven years old again staring at my hot high school student math tutor's ample cleavage. This never happened to me anymore. Girls were putty to me. It wasn't the other way around. But there was something about her—her exuberance, her sincerity, her cuteness—that just sucked me in.

"Hi!"

She smiled brightly at me.

"Hi back."

"So…I was thinking…"

"Oh, thinking. This is new."

"Shut up!"

She playfully shoved me.

Damn, this girl was just too adorable.

"If you didn't have a lot of homework."

"Do I ever?"

"Nope, not really."

"Want to go out to the Lake?"

"Sure. That sounds great. Let me go grab some shoes and my car keys."

"Hello-o? You're not the only with a car. We can take mine. It's right out front anyway."

"Well, if you insist. It will just be a moment."

I slipped on a pair of sandals and went back out to meet her. She was leaning against her bright yellow Porsche Carrera.

"So, come on, let's go. Get in your car."

She smiled and skipped over to the driver's side. We slipped into the car.

"This is a magnificent car," I appraised.

"I know."

"What year?"

"Well, let's see, I was ten when my dad bought it, so around 2000?"

"Beautiful."

"Yeah, I loved it when I was a kid. I picked out the color, and on weekends, we used to take it out to our place in the Hamptons. When he died, no one drove it. We left it in the Hamptons. He left it to me in his will, but my mom wouldn't let me get my license till we decided to move."

She smiled sadly at the memory.

"Well, I'm sure he'd be thrilled to see it how much you adore it now."

"Yeah, he definitely would."

We drove in silence listening to Jack Johnson lull quietly on the sound system in the background. Once we arrived to the lake, Alice pulled a blanket out of her trunk and we lay it down on the sand. She lay down on the blanket and gestured for me to lay down next to her.

"Alice?" I asked tentatively once I was flat on my back.

"Hm?"

"You've opted to tolerantly put up with me for the past week."

"Oh, you say that like you're a misanthrope and awful to be around."

"Yes, but still."

"Come on, Jas. You were like the first friend I made when I came here. You stuck with me. You toted around the new kid when you had no obligation to."

"Well, I suppose that's true. You can write me a thank you note for my goodwill."

She laughed.

"I'll make sure to put that in my Filofax."

"You actually have one of those? My mom used to use that before they invented PDAs."

"No, silly. I'm way too spontaneous to have one."

"And that you are."

There was a moment of quiet as a cool breeze passed by.

"Do you like it here?"

"Instead of New York?"

"Yeah."

"I definitely miss it."

"But…?" I was hoping for a continuation.

She rolled over, so her chin rest on my chest. Her black hair sparkled in the afternoon sun, and her grey eyes danced playfully as she bore into my eyes.

God, she was beautiful.

"There are definitely some things that I really love about here."

That was it. That was what I needed to hear. With that, I swooped down and found her lips with mine. I felt her draw in a quick air of surprise, but after the initial shock, she kissed me back. I wrapped my arms around her tiny body, and we just lay there, on that beach embraced, until the sun set.