A/N: A little bit of a delay, I hope you're still out there and reading. Thank you for supporting my story, and special thanks to those who reviews!

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Disclaimer: SM owns everything Twilight, I only borrow. It's my characters who steal.

Chapter 19

Omnia Vanitas

BPOV

"Bella, baby, are you up?"

At six o'clock in the morning? No.

"Mom, it's really early," I complained, mumbling into the phone pressed between my head and the pillow. I had no energy to move a muscle, let alone hold my hand up to my ear. I had stayed up until midnight, pouring my soul out writing and then laying in bed staring at the bright moon that gleamed into my room through the window. I kept replaying my conversation with Jessica, the picture of her slumped frame and the disappointment in her pale blue eyes was stuck behind my lids every time I closed my eyes. I felt enormous guilt and her words, "It's always one-sided with you, isn't it?" haunted me.

Needless to say, I dreaded going to school in the morning.

"Baby, I'm sorry, it's already nine here in Florida, and I'll be stuck in this class I'm taking all day, but I needed to tell you something," Renee started explaining.

I groaned. "Mom, you could have just emailed me."

"You've been ignoring my emails, Bella. We need to talk about that too, but not now. I have something very exciting to share."

Ugh. Please don't tell me you're pregnant. I'd take that news much better over email.

I knew that I'd be happy for my mom; it wasn't like I was jealous. Well, okay, I would be a little jealous about a baby —the only child spoke in me irrationally—but Renee didn't need to know that. I was a big girl and my mother had her own life and deserved happiness.

I braced myself.

"Just don't fight with me on this one, Bella, promise me," Renee begged.

"What is it about?"

"Okay. So, your father and I were talking…"

That was not a good preface.

"Since when do Charlie and you talk?"

"Since you're our daughter, Bella. We've always talked. Except now we do it more often. And, trust me, your father needs occasional parenting advice."

Renee giving Charlie parenting tips. Hilarious. I'd love to hear that conversation.

"Umm, what is it, mom?" I reminded her as politely as I could.

But apparently, I couldn't win with her. "Yes, yes, don't interrupt your mother, Bella," she scolded me before continuing, "It's about prom. You already know that your father and I both think you should go, and here's why. Now, you promised to listen and not interrupt me, remember?"

"No, I didn't," I objected, rolling my eyes. It was going to be a long conversation, and I was unfortunately fully awake now.

"Mom, please." I sighed, because I knew it was futile. She had already told me before that unless I was suffering from a concussion, had broken legs or stitches on my face, there would be no excuse to miss such a great experience as Junior prom. Maybe I needed to change my phone number and not share it with her until this week was over? I seriously considered that option.

"Bella, my dear girl, please don't argue. I may not usually have the most common sense in the world." Um, ya think? "But I do know the importance of living your life to the fullest. Proms are important."

"Give me one good reason, mom. One," I demanded. "I promise to consider it, if it's a really good one."

"I have two. It will make me very happy if you go, and I will not annoy you with another request for the next six months."

Seriously?

"This is not all about you, not this time, Renee." Frustration was loud in my voice. It was rare that I called my mother by her name to her face, happening only when I was extremely irritated. "Me. Prom. Don't want to go. You're welcome to take my place if you're so eager."

Jessica obviously hated me at this point, and unless Mike miraculously decided to be her date, she would probably say nasty things about me. I could just imagine the hostile stares from her and Lauren, and the gossip behind my back. Why on Earth would I want to subject myself to such torture?

"This is just silly, Bella!" The metal of the bracelets on Renee's wrist jingled loudly in my ear; I pictured Renee bouncing on her toes and shaking her finger at the phone. "Every girl is looking forward to this evening, thinking about dresses, makeup and shoes, and here you are fighting me like a child."

Not surprisingly, that comment made me fume as I saw the situation quite differently.

"Thank you, mom, for reminding me how much I'm not like everyone else. But just because I don't enjoy awkward dancing and drinking in the parking lot afterwards, it doesn't make me a child!" I refuted. "Maybe the truth is that I feel older than most kids my age. I know I don't fit in pretty much anywhere," I added dejectedly, admitting the obvious.

"Oh honey," Renee cooed. "I'm sorry you feel that way, I have no doubt that you're the smartest and wisest of them all."

"Flattery?" I asked with indignation. "You use flattery now to get what you want?"

"No, I'm letting you know that I hear you, Bella. I never said that it's easy to be a teenager. But can you blame me for wanting you to be one? Awkward dancing may become a precious memory. Well, the drinking in the parking lot… Eh. I agree; you can skip that one."

She hadn't won, my mother, but I was running out of ideas on how to derail her.

"Mom, I don't even have a dress," I moaned, using my last resort argument. "There is no way I can find one in Forks, especially on such short notice." I wasn't going to confess to Renee that due to my latest shenanigans, I wasn't allowed to leave Forks until the school year was over. She could find out from Charlie, if he decided to sell me out.

"See, my child, that's why you have a mom who rocks. The dress, the shoes, and few other little things you might not think are necessary until you put them on and discover how cute they are—all if it is in the mail. You should get the package by tomorrow. I wanted to give you a heads up, I know you hate surprises."

"Oh," I made a stunned sound. I guess she did win.

Renee giggled.

"Tell me, was Charlie in on this too?" I inquired when I found my voice again. Of course I was asking more out curiosity now. It was clear that they had conspired against me.

"Are you kidding?" she laughed. "Your father probably lost me at 'Hello, your daughter needs a dress for the prom'. He did contribute and promised to take pictures though."

I kicked the blanket down with my feet and sat up, pressing my fingers into my eyes with a grimace.

Seeing that I wasn't responding, she tried yet something else. "Honey, you will regret forever if you don't go. Not now, but I promise you, years later you will. Would you please think about it?

She was trying every trick in her bag to make me go, even though I had no date, hated the idea of dancing, and had no desire to have my looks scrutinized by other students.

I had a strong suspicion that as of late yesterday, I had lost any chance of having Charlie as my ally, so I'd have very little luck convincing him to let me off the hook. He'd do anything Renee asked as it was, and I bet she already made him promise her something else, like to be my personal chauffeur to the prom so I didn't skip town for the evening or something. It was going to be the most miserable night of my life. My happy-go-lucky mother could pretend all she wanted, but she knew nothing about a teenager's life, otherwise she'd never make me go through this agonizing experience.

"I'll think about it," I sighed into the phone, capitulating. "Thank you for the dress." Even miffed, I didn't want to come off as ungrateful, my mother always had good intentions, even if at the end of the paved road I was in a getup consisting of boots the color of baby poop or a dress circa Madonna 1986.

"Don't thank me until you see it. Oh, Bella, you're going to love it! It's kind of retro and has pizzazz," she gushed.

Uh oh. I did not like that promise. "Mom, how much pizzazz?" I pushed myself from the bed and got up.

"It's spectacular!"

Right, according to Renee's standards. I palmed my face; this prom was going to be a disaster.

"I have to run," she prompted without letting me object further. "Call me as soon as you get the dress. And it's not too late yet, who knows, maybe you'll get invited to prom. You still have a few days left."

"How did you know..?" I frowned.

"I'm your mother, I know these things," she said warmly. "We'd be having a completely different conversation today if you had a date. But you're my girl—strong and independent. Chin up! We don't need boys to feel good about ourselves."

What about friends?

But I didn't ask that out loud.

xxx

The day at school was exactly what I feared—miserable and lonely. It seemed that Jessica was hiding from me, though I wouldn't exactly say that I was roaming the halls looking for her either. I expected accusing looks and whispering behind my back, but even in my sleep-deprived, paranoid state I managed to relax a little after recess when I realized that Jessica hadn't told half of the school what a failure of a friend I was. And to be clear, I did feel like I failed her.

Angela seemed unsuspecting of my fallout with Jessica as well. She chatted with me as we walked into Bio and asked me if I wanted to go to see a movie with her and Ben. "You can invite someone to come with us, if you want to." She winked.

I stopped in my tracks. What does she know?

"What? I don't have anyone," I denied, feeling my tongue grow at least twice in size in my mouth. Angela was yet another person I was forced to lie to; it did not feel good.

"It was just a suggestion, Bella," she assured me. "You seem different lately. Dreamy. So I thought there might be someone… you know…" She smiled and nudged my shoulder.

"Oh," I laughed awkwardly, "no, I'm just tired. Been really busy with school."

The excuse I gave was so lame, no wonder Angela looked like she didn't believe me. I felt my cheeks flush, heated by my embarrassment, and I rushed to my desk without saying another word. I was smooth, real smooth.

xxx

When I arrived home in the late afternoon after finishing my job at the pet store, Charlie was already there, waiting for me.

"You're early," I observed, walking into the kitchen where he was sitting with his usual can of beer.

"I'm off today after the extra shift last night," he responded, scanning my face and my hands clasped together–I wasn't a picture of happiness and not masking it all that well. "You hungry?" he asked, shifting his eyes away from me and getting up.

"You cooking?"

"Might as well make myself useful while you change." He shrugged and opened the fridge.

"Don't go fancy just for me," I joked, making him snort.

We ate reheated lasagna in absolute silence. Though this probably was my last chance to bring up prom and try to argue my way out of attending it, somehow I didn't think it would produce the desired results. The town was too damn small, and my father probably didn't want people to talk about such blasphemy as his daughter skipping the event of the year for no apparent reason. My parents didn't want me to be a black sheep, so I became their white little lamb.

I didn't hate them, but I wasn't exactly fond of either of them at the moment. Before I festered that feeling into something more, I excused myself from the table and left for my room.

I had made some progress on the paper research. At least that was what I told myself after spending two hours clicking through different sites and skimming over the information without writing any of it down. Real progress. Charlie came to check up on me with an extremely guilty expression on his face.

"Dad, do you want me to bring my work downstairs and sit with you?" I asked after he knocked and walked into my room for the second time. "Clearly, you prefer to know what I'm doing," I grumbled, not even trying to hide my annoyance.

"I'm sorry, Bells, I just want to make sure you're okay." His face turned even more sour.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I asked, feigning surprise. "Do I not look like I'm okay?"

"You look like you could eat, sleep and possibly get out more. You're way too pale, kid."

"You're contradicting yourself," I argued, shaking my head. "You're the one who forbade me to leave the house or make calls."

"Don't exaggerate," Charlie protested weakly. "I asked you to finish the paper and not make long calls."

"And you haven't told me to stay put inside until I'm done?"

"Are you done?"

"Argh!" I practically growled in frustration. "As soon as you stop interrupting my research!"

"I'll be going then…"

I nodded and turned back to the computer screen. A few seconds later, when I realized that he was still at the door, I shot him a 'why are you still here?' look. He awkwardly shifted from one foot to another, but didn't leave. Picking an invisible chip of paint off the door frame, he said, "I just wanted to know if you need a lift to prom."

So, I was right. Renee did talk Charlie into escorting me.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Subtle, dad. Very subtle."

"I didn't know if anyone was taking you."

"Do you really care about this stuff or did mom put you up to it?"

"Give me a break, Bella, I'm trying here." Charlie huffed, looking irate and embarrassed all at the same time.

"If you want to know about my prom plans, you could just ask me, and I could tell you that I haven't made up my mind about it yet. For the record, I don't want to go, and no one is taking me. But if I end up going, I can drive myself."

I folded my arms across my chest, indicating that I was done with this discussion, when my phone vibrated on the table, moving closer to me. My heart lurched when I saw Edward's name on the screen.

"May I take this call?" I requested, barely holding off on acid in my tone, yet scared that my father would say no. I shifted my glance from the phone back to Charlie, trying really hard not to show how much I was afraid to miss this call. "Or am I not allowed? The paper is not done," I challenged him and jutted my chin up choosing offense as my tactic.

The answer was a click of the closed door.

"Hello!" I said a little too loudly into the phone. I should be taking my temper down a notch; it wasn't Edward's fault that I felt like I was trapped in this house, trapped in a life I had no interest in.

"Bella," Edward said after a pause. "Are you okay? Did I call at a bad time?"

"No, no." I shook my head as if he could see me. "I'm fine." He didn't need to know about my high-school drama both at school and at home.

"Are you sure? The text yesterday—" He clearly didn't want to pry if I wasn't up to talking about it today, and I thoroughly appreciated it. But I had no one else to talk to, since I had failed to make any real friends in Forks.

"Jessica came by, said some unpleasant things," I shared, feeling infinitesimally better already. "Most of it is just gossip, not even worth repeating, but she believed it and it hurts, you know? I want to be above this crap, just let it roll off my shoulders, but at what cost? She was my friend, Edward. Forks is a small town, everyone is in everyone's business, and my prom is on Friday." I rambled, sniffing.

"Hang on, baby girl, try to calm down. Fuck. Do you want me to come over? It won't take me too long," Edward offered, and I had to bite my lip so I didn't start crying. The tears were really close.

"That's the thing. I can't even see you. My dad got mad yesterday, and I have this paper to finish. So he told me that I can't see you until I'm done with school. Basically not until after prom."

"Wait, he told you that you can't see me?" Edward sounded confused, if not terrified.

"Not you," I tried to sober up, because I wasn't making any sense and Edward was probably questioning what he was doing calling here and listening to me babble like a baby. "No going out in general."

I became silent, taking deep breaths to calm myself down.

"So, I won't see you for almost a week?" Edward seemed to be processing what I just said.

"Yeah, just about," I rasped. It was going to be hard.

"Well, maybe it's for the best," he muttered under his breath, but I was pretty sure that I heard him correctly.

"Edward?" I asked, afraid that this conversation was about to end.

"I'm here."

"Please just talk to me. Don't go."

"I won't," he assured me. "This is gonna be hard, Bella. Not to see you when you're so close."

"I'm not exactly close, am I?" I frowned, confused. "Where do you live, by the way?" Finally, a good opportunity to ask!

"Maple Grove. About thirty miles from you."

"Oh." I had never even heard of Maple Grove and was so going to look it up. "Is it a small town?"

"Yeah, real small, our house is kind of on the outskirts."

"You live with your siblings?" I couldn't suppress my curiosity.

"Yes, me, Alice and her boyfriend, and my brother Emmett with his family."

"Wow, you must have a lot of fun together." In a way I envied him; he had a big family living under one roof.

"Something like that," he muttered, not exactly agreeing with me.

"I understand, it probably gets loud sometimes," I guessed. "It's too quiet in our house. Will you tell me more about your family someday?" I asked him, hoping that I didn't sound too pushy.

"Someday," Edward murmured. "This Jessica, what did she say to you exactly?" He was deflecting, again. As expected.

"She was harsh and caught me off guard. I didn't know how to react," I told him glumly, my mood plummeting again. The details were embarrassing.

"She is a moron," Edward said with conviction.

"No, no, don't say that," I objected quickly. "I haven't been very kind to her. I actually think I deserved it."

"Bella, I have never met a more naïve, sweeter person in my life. Don't blame yourself."

"I can't help it," I said quietly, thinking that Edward, just like Jessica, would learn quickly how lonely, desperate, and boring I was; he had already met my snarky side.

"What did she want?" he insisted.

"She wanted me to quit my job." I cringed, remembering our painful argument.

"The one you haven't started yet?"

"Yeah."

"The hell? Why would she ask you to do something like that?" Edward's voice was hard, his tone almost interrogating.

"Um, she's afraid. There is someone she likes. She thinks…" I couldn't finish the sentence, feeling sick at the idea of ever being associated with Mike Newton in a romantic way.

"Bella," Edward said slowly, as if hearing my thoughts. "Is there a boy involved?"

"Yeah," I admitted in a whisper, although if it was possible, I wanted to never ever think about or face Mike again.

"Do you like him?" he asked, the words coming out strained.

"No, never," I answered firmly. "I think it's pretty clear by now that I'm not interested in boys."

"Excuse me?" Edward gasped. "What does that mean? Are you interested in girls?"

I laughed wholeheartedly, for first time today. "Wouldn't that be shocking?" I teased him. "A man, Edward, there is one man who basically turned my world upside down." He surely knew by now who I was talking about.

"Not intentionally," Edward confided carefully. "And it's not too late."

As if there was a way back for me. Back where? I was sitting on the floor of my room, in the dark and completely alone. If I didn't have Edward and his calls, I had nothing else to look forward to.

"Not too late for what?" I asked him, afraid of the answer.

"For fixing the problem and turning your world back the way it was. It's quite simple, actually."

We both knew what that suggestion meant, and it wasn't acceptable, at least not for me. The feeling of hopelessness broke through my voice when I asked, "You could do that? Just pretend that we never knew each other and move on?"

"Not me. I'm too far gone." His dry laugh was haunting and soothing at the same time.

If it wasn't for the curfew enforced by my father, I would probably be already Googling 'Maple Grove' and quite possibly be on my way to look for Edward, because I was far too gone as well.

"Did you say something about prom?" he asked reminding me about yet another frustrating issue I had been dealing with.

"I'm kind of forced to go," I complained bleakly. "I tried, but it looks like there's no way to avoid it. My parents think it's a part of my growing-up experience."

"They kind of have a point."

"Et tu, Brute?" I asked in mocked exasperation, prompting Edward to chuckle.

"Easy there, girl. It's not like you've been handed a death sentence. It's supposed to be fun."

"Did you have fun at your prom?"

"Uh huh." Edward's non-committal answer piqued my interest.

"How was your date?" Like Charlie earlier, I didn't have guts to ask him directly if he had a date at his prom and what she was like.

"Who's yours, Bella?" Edward implored instead, and it was my turn to smile.

"I don't have one," I explained, trying to sound sad, yet having a feeling that this information didn't exactly upset Edward. "There is only one person I would accept as my date."

"Tell me," Edward demanded coarsely.

"Silly man," I breathed, smiling, as I remembered his words back at my truck yesterday. "Haven't you figured it out yet?"

Edward groaned. "Bella, please. I can't… This is insane. Why can't I see you?" His gruff voice reached deep inside me, stirring my need for him, making my breath shallow.

I gasped quietly several times, struggling to regain control of my instantly jumbled thoughts and trying to remind myself that being in my father's good graces for just a few days would go a long way. Just a little patience, and then I'd have the entire summer to myself and a lot of free time.

"You know why," I answered morosely, lowering my head to the table and placing my warm cheek on the cool, smooth surface.

"I know how selfish it sounds, but a week?" Listening to Edward's forlorn sighs I closed my eyes and drank in every sound coming from the other side of the phone. "I can't stand it."

"It's not selfish," I objected softly. "I'm not sure how to survive this time without seeing you either."

"If I start driving right now, and if I hurry, I can make it to Forks in less than twenty minutes," he suggested in a quick whisper. "Can you come up with an excuse to leave your house? Five minutes, Bella, please. I just want…" he didn't finish, I heard him moving around and breathing unevenly. He was probably smoking.

"Want what?" Anxious to hear his words, I raised my head and turned to the window. My shapeless, faceless reflection against the dark-blue space behind it stared back at me; somehow the evening shifted into night and I didn't even notice. The only light in the room was coming from the glowing monitor that was barely reaching beyond my notepad on the table.

"Just to see you, baby," Edward asked me in longing, low voice. "I miss your smell and your sweet face. Please, let me come see you."

I gasped again. My feet brought me up, across the room, and to the door. I was gripping the handle when I stopped myself, coming to my senses.

"Edward, please, don't torture me," I begged, forcing my steps back to my desk. "It's just a few days." That one was more for me.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry for pushing you," he backed off with a deep sigh. "You're right. I'll just have to endure."

"Just a few days," I repeated. Edward didn't answer.

"I better go." I glanced back at the door. Charlie could come up to check on me again any minute. "Can we please talk again tomorrow? Around this time?"

"Yes, I'd like that. I will call you, sweetheart." I could hear Edward smiling and it made my day. I had something to look forward to tomorrow.

xxx

Tuesday wasn't any better. School was abuzz about prom on Friday night, so to escape it, I spent my lunch alone at the library, taking more notes for my paper and emailing them to myself at the end of the hour. Maybe, if I finished working on that stupid paper earlier, Charlie would let me out of the house sooner.

In Trig, Jessica sat one table behind me, and it felt like she was breathing down my neck, reminding me every minute of that hour how much I hurt her. By her too loud laugh and deliberate attempts to ignore me I could tell that even though she kept pretending that I no longer mattered to her, she was as miserable as I was. But unless I was ready to tell her who was really on my mind, I didn't see how I could make Jessica believe me. Stupid Mike Newton, didn't he see how good my friend was for him? Maybe I could convince him to take her out when I started working at the store. I decided it was worth a try, even though it meant I would need to spend more time around him than I ever wanted to.

A large box waited for me on the steps of the house when I made it home that afternoon. The address with my name was written in round, childlike letters unmistakably belonging to Renee. I lifted it up, weighing it on my palms, as if the weight could tell me how far Renee had gone in her mission to dress me up. Sighing heavily, I brought the box inside.

Placing it on the coffee table in the living room, I sat in front of it without touching it. I wasn't sure what I was waiting for, the contents of the box wouldn't change or disappear—I just needed to face it.

I ate a sandwich, read a little, and watched some news on TV, occasionally eyeing the still unopened package. It was ridiculous how much I didn't want to open it.

Several hours later, when Charlie arrived home and dropped his shoes in the foyer, the phone rang.

"Bella, are you going to pick that up?"

Nope. I knew who was calling, and I was too busy watching the lady on the TV screen who wildly gesticulated while telling us about the weather forecast in Clallam County for the next three days. Partly cloudy tomorrow, a chance of precipitation on Thursday, and then sunny on Friday. Fascinating stuff.

"Yes, Renee, it arrived. No, she hasn't opened it yet. Bells, are you going to check what's in the box? Your mother is dying to know how you like the dress."

Charlie's eyebrows flew up when he addressed me and he was smiling through his mustache. Renee's chatty, excited voice rang loudly through the phone in his hand, which was extended to me. I tried to shoot long, pointy-sharp daggers with my eyes in his direction, without answering him. Traitor.

"Bella, come on, girl, I can't wait for you to see it." I could hear my mother cheering me on. These two had way too much fun at my expense.

I shook my head violently. As if I didn't know what to expect to find inside. Pizzazz my ass. If Charlie was so interested in it, he could go ahead and open the damn box.

"Hang on, your daughter is being especially stubborn tonight," Charlie informed Renee, chuckling, and placed the phone on the table next to the package. He took out the keys from his pocket and stabbed one through the tape, slicing the box open.

"There, done. Dig in, girl, all yours," Charlie invited me, not paying attention to my death glares, and picked up the phone again.

With a long sigh I stepped closer and peeked into the box.

"Renee says to get the large plastic bag out first," Charlie commented with my mom still chattering in his ear.

With no way out, I obediently did as I was told. Taking out the enormous, white plastic bag, I pulled the sides of it apart, forcing it to rip open. A bundle of shiny fabric spilled out, escaping from my hands and hitting the floor with a rustling sound as the dress unfolded at my feet. Just one look at the pink and sparkly material made my hand fly to my mouth. I had every reason to fear Renee's choice in fashion, because the dress was...

"Hideous!" I moaned into the pillow, wishing that Charlie would leave my room already, and take the box with the Dolly Parton dress with him. "I don't wear pink. Or sequins. What was she thinking?"

"She probably wasn't. She was hypnotized by those shiny thingies on it." Charlie tried to lighten my mood. I lifted my head off the pillow and glowered at him. "She said there is a matching purse that comes with the dress," he added.

"Are you, guys, trying to sabotage my youth?"

It was funny, so funny to my father.

"Right, go ahead," I said bitterly. "Laugh."

"Bells, I'm sorry. I won't deny that your mom overdid it."

"Again," I clarified, sitting up.

"I know," he agreed. "Always means well, our Renee. She was so excited, so fired up. It's not her fault that your taste is so different."

I snorted. Renee was well aware of it, but it never stopped her. I looked at my father; he held the box awkwardly in front of him, the stiff pink material sticking out the corners. He shoved it inside and placed it on the floor. Feeling extremely sorry for myself I asked him, "What's in it for you, dad? She doesn't live here, I do. You're supposed to be on my side."

Charlie averted his eyes, smiling apologetically, and that was my answer—Renee still had a spell on this man. Maybe someday he'd tell me why he had let her go, and why after all this time he still didn't.

I rubbed my face, wishing I could crawl under the blankets and not move for a while. Despite the dress fiasco, I missed my mom, I felt bad for upsetting my dad, and for acting like a brat towards both of them. For once, I wanted them in one house, together, as a family. Why couldn't I have a normal family? Why couldn't I be normal?

"I'm tired, dad." I kicked my shoes off and pulled the corner of the blanket over my feet, lying back down. Charlie nodded. He looked at me with his soft, sympathetic eyes. Seeing that look, I knew I needed to apologize, so I said, "I'm sorry if I hurt your, guys, feelings. I will call mom tomorrow when I'm hopefully less cranky and have a better perspective."

"You do that, kiddo. And maybe you can talk to your girlfriends and see what can be done about the dress. Don't give up."

Girlfriends.

Shaking my head, I turned over on my bed. Burying my face down, I folded the pillow over my ears and mumbled into it, "Please let me be for a while. I'll get over it, I'll be fine."

Even if Charlie didn't hear what I said, he understood and left. I told myself that it wasn't the end of the world, and from where I stood, I had two choices. One was to convince Charlie to let me stay home and skip the whole shebang, the other—to go to the prom in jeans and my favorite pair of Converse. If I were to stand out, at least I'd be comfortable and myself. Didn't Renee tell me that I was strong and independent? I reminded myself of her words over and over until a thick cloud of exhaustion covered me and I fell asleep.

xxx

Groggy, almost in autopilot, I shuffled my feet to my desk and picked up the buzzing phone. Lord help me if it was my mother again. I squinted my eyes at the screen, and then quickly pressed "talk".

"I know I woke you up; I was afraid to call earlier," Edward prompted apologetically. "I've sent you couple of texts, but you didn't respond and I thought that you might be busy. Or couldn't talk."

"Edward," I rasped, sliding down the wall next to the bookshelves; my knees felt weak, I realized that I was shaking. "Edward, it's so good that you called."

"I was worried, B. I'm sorry I woke you up."

"No, I'm glad you did. I was having a nightmare." I remembered the dream involving Lauren laughing her ass off at my hideous prom dress while I stood in the middle of the gym that served as a dance floor. But it wasn't the pointing finger or the snickering kids around her who caused me break out in a cold sweat in my dream, it was Jessica, standing by the wall and looking at me blankly as if she didn't know me. It might be a rude reality in a few days, and I shuddered at the thought.

"Did someone upset you again?" Edward asked quietly, with an ominous tone to his voice.

"Do parents count?" I checked dully. Still sitting on the floor, I folded my legs and tilted to the side, leaning on the shelf. "I had an awful day," I admitted.

"You can talk to me about anything, Bella," he offered softly.

"Will you do the same?" I asked, my exhausted brain not capable of filtering or tip-toeing around. "I want to be there for you too."

"Things I don't tell you," he said slowly after a pause, "are not mine to share, Bella."

"Even about your family?"

"Especially about my family," he insisted coolly.

"All right," I accepted, seeing that we were at a dead-end and he was getting ticked off. It wasn't just my constantly heightened curiosity that drove me to keep asking Edward about his family. It was also a feeling of rejection that I couldn't get over. He wanted me to trust him, but couldn't pay me by the same token. Was he ashamed of me? It wasn't like I was asking him to introduce me to them.

"It's for the best, Bella," he said, sounding as if he was trying to protect me. Did he mean best for me? I had a hard time imagining what was so bad about Alice or Emmett that he didn't want to talk about them at all.

"I understand, Edward."

I didn't, but what else could I say?

"Do you want to tell me what happened with your parents?" He very obviously didn't want to talk about his family, I got it. "I hope your aren't in more trouble."

"No, I think it's the opposite," I chuckled humorlessly. "I received a prom dress today from my mom."

"Sounds exciting."

"It's as exciting to me as it is to you, believe me." The box was still sitting by the door where Charlie left it, and its fate was already decided. I remembered the three piles of clothes Jessica divided my outfits into when she came to my house for the first time. The contents of Renee's package definitely belonged to 'Burn' category, I smirked menacingly.

"That bad, huh?"

"The dress is horrid. Frills, sequins, and pink all over." I made a gagging sound. "Yes, it's that bad. I'm terrified to even try it on."

Edward didn't comment. He probably couldn't relate to my fashion-induced pain and suffering. I couldn't blame him, how could I? He was a guy.

With the phone still at my ear, I hugged myself tightly with my free hand and closed my eyes.

"What's worse is that my mom is upset that I hate it, and my father is between a rock and a hard place, trying to console us both. Obviously, with only couple of days left until Friday, it's too late to do something about it. I refuse to be the girl in the pinkest, brightest dress at prom, so I either won't go, or wear jeans." I sighed at the mockery my life had become. "I'm sorry for boring you with this travesty, Edward. I'm surprised you're still listening."

"No, no, you have no idea, Bella. This is actually rather refreshing. Normal. I miss that," he assured me warmly.

"Not the pink dress part, I hope," I teased him.

"Ha-ha," he said with a chuckle, "you're such a crack up. I'm definitely not a fan of pink. In fact, I'm banning that color from your wardrobe."

"Hey, my wardrobe, my choices," I protested jokingly. "Although this one is easy. Prom or no prom, you won't make Barbie out of me."

"Bella," Edward's tone turned suddenly serious. "Are you dead set against the idea of going?"

"I don't know, Edward. I feel cornered. My overzealous parents may totally ruin my summer if I don't go. I'm afraid they'll keep looking for ways to compensate for my lost opportunity with this stupid prom. I wouldn't be surprised if they decided to send me to some exciting band camp for a month or something equally awful. With Renee you can never predict what idea she'll come up with next."

I let out a stiff laugh and expected Edward to join me, instead he asked me very quietly, carefully, "Would you want to go away? Spend your summer somewhere else?"

The thought terrified me. "No!" I answered loudly, forgetting about my ever present fear of waking up Charlie. "I want to stay here." With you, I added internally.

"Okay." Edward's breath whooshed out evident relief. "Then I have a plan. We'll get you a dress. But you have to keep an open mind, Bella."

Oh no, more gifts? Please tell me there will be no more charity work for poor Bella.

Before I could object, he started talking fast. "Listen, baby. My sister Alice owns a boutique store in Port Angeles. She really has a vision for all things fashion and is doing very well. I can ask her to help you with the dress and anything else you need for Friday. She'll be thrilled."

Alice? As in Edward's sister, Alice?

"Mmhm," I asked, suddenly too excited to be coherent.

"You won't have to buy anything. I don't want to hurt your pride, Bella. I'll ask Alice to loan it to you."

That wasn't why I wasn't able to produce more than a single sound while Edward was offering to help. It was a total one eighty from what he was telling me earlier, and I was so stunned by the opportunity to meet his sister that I didn't even think about saying no.

Edward waited for me to respond, and the silence between us drug on for far too long. Realizing it, I made an effort to restart my brain and move my lips to say, "Yes, loaning it. Good idea. Thank you."

"Don't thank me. I have the most selfish, the most ulterior motive ever in all this. Port Angeles means I can see you. I can…" he paused for a moment. "Tomorrow night, please, Bella." The grit in his voice held both a promise and a plea. It was so powerful, I felt the need to squeeze my thighs to control the ache.

"Yes, okay," I answered shakily, shifting on the floor uncomfortably. "After today's disaster, I don't think Charlie will be against me going somewhere to get another dress."

"Bella, I will see you tomorrow afternoon. I can't wait." Edward voice exuded elation.

Emotional, I choked out, "Me too."

"I will text you the address of the store. If you can't call me, text back. Please drive safely, my sweet girl. It will work out, you'll see."

"I trust you."

xxx

Unfortunately, my excitement didn't last too long.

The reality hit me over the head the next morning at breakfast.

"Bella, it's great that you found a store in Port Angeles with unbeatable deals. I guess the internet does have its uses." My father smiled genially, believing every word I said. Thank goodness I had practiced in front of the mirror earlier, otherwise he'd see right through me.

"I'm off at three today. I'll take you."

Err… what?

"Um, take me where?" Dumb question, I knew the answer but couldn't help myself from asking. I did not expect my father to offer to actually shop with me.

"I'll drive you to Port Angeles, Bells, and I promise to be patient. I won't say a word while you get the dress of your dreams. I'll even pay for it."

"Dad, it's not like I'm getting married or anything. It's just a silly dress for a silly prom in Forks."

"It didn't seem silly to you yesterday."

He has a point, my scattered brain grudgingly agreed.

I grabbed my head in my hands as Charlie walked out of the kitchen. Could anything go my way, ever? Maybe it was a cop thing. Or some sort of a parental radar for illegal teenage activities? But I wasn't doing anything wrong! Borrowing a dress from the sister of my… non-boyfriend wasn't a crime.

My thoughts changed to the 'non-boyfriend' topic. I was still confused about our status, and today was certainly not a good day to dwell on it. Like Scarlett O'Hara, I decided to think about it later. How perfectly shallow of me.

For now, I just hoped that in the next several hours I'd somehow come up with a good excuse for Charlie to let me go alone. In fact, I was so sure that I could change his mind I decided not to worry Edward prematurely by telling him about my father's plans. My issues with Jessica were pushed to the back of my mind. With the address of Alice's store and the time set to meet, I counted minutes until I got to Port Angeles. Every time I thought about seeing Edward again, my heart thrummed and I felt faint, dizzy with anticipation.

xxx

My father is coming with me to PA! We are already driving. What do I do? -B

What happened? –E

My guilt-ridden parent decided to shop with me. Prepare the rope for me upon my arrival –B

I need to talk to Alice. Don't panic. You'll have the dress –E

I don't care about the dress! –B

I will find the way to see you today even if it's just for a moment. It's better than nothing –E

"You sure talk a lot on that thing, kiddo."

"Unlimited texting, dad, remember?"

"What a concept."

Carefully hiding my exasperation, I attempted to lock my expression into a relaxed and neutral facade, although I doubted that it worked, so I turned away to study the wall of trees passing us by through the window of my truck. Charlie was driving us. Thank goodness it wasn't in his police cruiser.

The closer we got to the city, the more I panicked. Not only did I have no idea what to expect from my meeting with Alice, which made me a nervous wreck, but it was also going to happen in front of the watchful eye of my father. Would Edward be there? Would he be the one introducing us? Would I have to introduce him to Charlie?

I bit my lip, almost whimpering. If it wasn't for the close presence of my father, I'd probably start crying from feeling so overwhelmed and helpless.

It was a bad idea, E. I'm telling Charlie to turn around –B

What? Why? No. What's wrong? I'm calling you –E

Are you nuts? Don't! –B

Yes, I'm going absolutely nuts waiting for you. You're almost here. Don't take it away from me –E

These words made my heart pound wildly, and my hands were shaking. I sneaked a peek at my father; thankfully, he was looking straight ahead on the road, seemingly in his own thoughts. I leaned back on my seat, relaxed my shoulders and tucked one foot under my thigh in my favorite sitting position. Hoping that I'd done enough to appear calm and unambiguous, I continued my furious exchange with Edward.

Tell me how is it going to work? Alice. You. My dad. How? –B

Alice is expecting you and she can't wait. I'll be in the back –E

Stalking? –B

If that's what it takes –E

And my dad? –B

Alice is resourceful. She said he'll wander off in no time –E

What did you tell your sister, Edward? –B

You said you trust me –E

I do –B

Then stop worrying. Your face, in my hands, very soon. Breathe –E

Not after that text, I couldn't.

A/N: I know, I know, how could I do this to you. Sorry! Want to guess what's coming next?

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