A/N: I don't own Twilight. Or a nightlight. Nor do I watch "Friday Night Lights." But I might get highlights.

Chapter 25

BPOV

I had butterflies in my stomach as Carlisle stopped the car in front of the main entrance to the hospital.

Angela had been one of the first people I met when I first moved back to Forks, Washington. While we had always been friendly to each other, I doubted either one of us would have called the other a "friend." I had mostly hung out with the Quileute boys, and she ran with the more popular, outgoing crowd.

It was happenstance that we discovered we would both be going to the same college that fall. Rather than room with total strangers in the dorms, we decided to share an apartment together.

Slowly, we got to know each other better and better that first year - we would share memories of our senior year, but from two different perspectives during late night conversations on the swingset. During mid-terms and finals, we'd order sodas and crab rangoons from the local Chinese place and quiz each other until dawn. I had offered to drive her around in my beat up truck when her Dodge Caravan needed its transmission replaced. She was the one who encouraged me to date after Edward, and held my hand while I cried over the disaster that was James. We celebrated each other's achievements and consoled each other's losses.

Over time, I came to the realization that while Jake would always be my best friend - Angela had easily assumed the position of being my best girl friend. There were things that I could talk to her about - womanly things - that I could never talk to Jake about. And for that, I was grateful.

No matter what the circumstances, I needed to at least make an attempt at making things right with Angela.

I continued to sit, and began to absently pick at the bandages on my hands.

Sensing my hesitation, Carlisle squeezed my thigh reassuringly.

"Do you want me to go with you?" he finally asked.

I sighed and shifted in my seat to face him. "Of course I do, but we both know that you shouldn't."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," he replied. "The sooner you know the whole situation, the sooner we can start to deal with it."

I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "Right," I said and nodded at him in resignation.

He climbed out of the car and walked around to open my door for me. As soon as I was standing, he pulled me into a tight embrace, pressing his warm cheek against mine.

"Wish me luck," I whispered into his ear.

"Good luck." He gave me a chaste kiss and released me from his arms. "Call me when you need me."

"I will. See you in a little while," I said.

He gave me one last encouraging smile before I watched him get back in his car and drive away.

Hospitals were like mazes to me. Thank God the lady at the front desk had given me directions on how to find Angela's room because I always felt lost and claustrophobic walking around them. When I was younger, my mom or dad was always there to calm me down. Now that I was on my own, I found myself wishing that one of them were here with me to hold my hand as I walked through corridor after corridor.

Feeling like a mouse searching for an elusive piece of cheese, I finally came to a wooden door with a small paper sign on the side that read, "Weber, Angela" right where the front desk clerk had said it would be. I knocked softly before pushing down the handle and stepping inside.

There she was, arm in a sling and eyes closed - but sitting upright in her hospital bed. I recognized her mother, Linda, reading a magazine in an ugly armchair next to her. She looked pretty tired, judging by the dark circles underneath her eyes.

"Bella, sweetheart," Linda breathed when she saw me. "I'm so glad you're here!" She stood up and came over to hug me.

"Hi Mrs. Weber," I answered, smiling a little as I remembered how Linda called almost everyone 'sweetheart.' It felt good to hear her call me that again. "How are you? How's Angela?"

"I'm fine, sweetheart, and Angela's going to be fine as well. She had to have her stomach pumped, of course, and she has a bad concussion and a broken collarbone, but she woke up early this morning and knew who she was and who I was, so they don't think she has any brain damage - thank God. She should be back to her old self in no time."

My eyes began to well up with tears. There were no words to describe the relief I felt at that moment.

But that relief was quickly tainted by another thought.

Her old self.

Which old self would that be? The best friend and confidant I'd known since high school? Or the angry, bitter person who I had met last night?

As happy as I was to hear that she would recover, I knew that the future was certainly unclear for the time being.

"Bella?" I heard Linda say. "Are you okay?"

I wiped at my tears with the back of my hand, sopping them up with the bandages.

"I'm fine," I finally manage to say. "I'm just so...happy to hear that she'll be okay. I was so worried..."

"Of course." Her eyes fell on my hands as she nodded. Her voice was full of concern as she gestured toward them. "What happened here, sweetheart?"

"I just slipped and fell on some glass. No big deal," I said quickly - not sure what all she knew of the prior evening's event. "So how long have you been here?"

"I got here about 5 this morning. The hospital called at about 1:30, and I just got in my car and drove straight here. Kevin will be here soon - he had to drop the twins off at his sister's house because we didn't know what the situation would be like here. We didn't want to bring them in case....well, you know..."

She didn't need to finish that sentence for me to know what she had meant.

I had to admit that I was extremely curious to know what Angela had said happened, but I couldn't think of a tactful way to bring it up. Obviously, they knew she had been drinking, but I didn't know if they knew the circumstances that had caused her to drink so heavily. Since Linda was talking to me like she always had, I took it as a sign that Angela hadn't blamed the whole ordeal on me. Thank goodness for small favors.

"If you don't have anywhere to rush off to, come have a seat and keep me company, sweetheart. I want to talk to you about something."

I smiled at her as I pulled up a chair and sat down. "What's up?"

"I'd like you to help me with something if you could."

"Anything."

"First of all, we - Kevin and I - want to say 'thank you.' The doctors told me how much alcohol was in Angela's system last night, and the truth is - she may not have made it if you weren't there to call 911 when you did."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded.

"We are so incredibly grateful that you were there to take care of her, but Angela obviously has a problem. We were aware that she had had some problems coping when her cousin Lisa died, but we didn't know that she had started drinking so much."

I instinctively covered my mouth in shock. "I didn't know that Lisa had died, Mrs. Weber. I'm so sorry - Angela never told me. When did she die?"

"About 6 months ago," she replied. "And in hindsight, I'm not surprised she didn't tell to you. She wouldn't allow herself to accept it - she even refused to come home for the funeral."

I had met Lisa a couple times before when she came to visit Ang. She had seemed like a fun, bubbly girl to hang out with. I knew that they had always been close, but I couldn't fathom why Angela would refuse to accept her death.

"What happened?" I asked curiously.

"She committed suicide."

"Oh my God," I gasped. "No wonder she's so upset."

My mind began to travel back over the last 6 months - why wouldn't she have said something to me? She'd been so adamant that we shouldn't be keeping anything from each other, and apparently she'd been keeping the biggest secret of all. I racked my brain trying to think of telltale signs I should have picked up on, but nothing had seemed out of the ordinary until recently.

"We should have realized that things weren't right. She wouldn't really talk to Kevin or I anymore - we kept asking her to come home, but she just kept saying that she was too busy with work and classes. We had no idea..."

"If you don't mind me asking, how did it happen?"

Linda looked down at the floor, then up at me. "She asphyxiated herself in the garage. She shut all the doors to it, turned on the car, left it running, and just...went to sleep. My sister found her the next day."

"I'm so sorry," I said softly. "I wish I would have known."

"I probably should have called you, sweetheart, but I just assumed Angela would have told you."

"So what can I do to help?"

"Please help us convince her to come home to Forks. She needs professional help for both the alcohol and her avoidance of dealing with Lisa's death. We want her home, so we can take care of her - she shouldn't stay here in a college town, where there's too much opportunity for self-destructive behavior. I mentioned coming home to her earlier, and she just shut down on me. She wouldn't say anything, but maybe she'll listen to you?"

Her voice was hopeful, but inside, my heart was sinking. I seriously doubted that Angela would listen to anything I had to say to her.

"I'll try," I promised.

Linda rubbed my knee affectionately. "Thanks, sweetheart. We appreciate it - just do what you can. Now tell me, what have you been up to lately?"

We talked for quite awhile - I told her about my classes and my job, and how my parents were doing. She told me stories about the twins starting 4th grade and how they were beginning to develop separate interests, and how Kevin, a pastor, was starting a new youth group organization in their church.

"Mom?" I heard a groggy voice croak. "Mom?"

Linda quickly rushed to Angela's side. "What is it, sweetheart? I'm here."

"Can I have a drink of water?" She turned her head toward the nightstand where a plastic pitcher and a stack of cups stood. I bit my lip as our eyes met.

"Hi," I said, uncertainly.

"Bella? What you doing here?"

"I had to see if you were alright." I shrugged. "How are you feeling?"

"I don't feel much of anything right now. The drugs, you know?" She was staring intently at me, and I wasn't quite sure how to interpret that.

"Here you go, baby," Linda said, handing her a cup of the water. Angela took a sip and made a face.

"This is warm. Mom, do you think you go could go get a bottle from the vending machine or something?"

"Sure, sweetheart. I think I'll give you two a little time to yourselves and go to the cafe down the hall to get myself a cup of coffee as well. I'll be back soon." She gave Angela a quick kiss on the forehead and then gave me a knowing look before she exited out the door.

Uncomfortable silence filled the room.

"Soooo...." I trailed off, hoping that she would say something.

"I really don't get it, Bella. Why are you here?" she said after a moment.

"I told you, I wanted to see how you were doing."

She didn't say anything again, but I noticed her eyes travel down to my hands. "How did that happen?"

"A bottle of vodka shattered on the floor when you fell. I ran in after you screamed to see what happened and I slipped."

"You did?"

"Yep. It took 23 stitches to close me back up, and I'm very lucky that I didn't sever the tendon in my right hand," I added, a little dryly.

"I didn't know - they never told me that." Something changed in her voice at that point -it had gotten softer, almost sympathetic. Maybe that was a good sign.

"No, I suppose they wouldn't."

She looked like she was fighting back tears. I tentatively reached out and placed my hand on top of hers. I wanted to grab it and squeeze it, but that was impossible. I prayed that she would understand what my gesture meant.

Her eyes met mine.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered as a fat tear ran down her cheek. "I never meant for any of this to happen. I don't know what's wrong with me - I don't know why I've been acting so crazy lately. I've just been so angry..." She choked back a sob.

"It's gonna be okay, Ang. We'll get through this, but I think you need some professional help - ."

She shook her head at me. "No, I don't."

"I found the liquor bottles in the cupboard - you're clearly having a rough time right now. Your mom told me about Lisa."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "She did?"

I nodded. "I wish you would have told me."

A flash of anger appeared on her face. "Do you? Gee, I wonder what that's like - someone you thought of as a friend not telling you something big like that?"

I sighed. "I already said that I was sorry about that. But maybe it would help if you had someone to talk to," I said gently, trying to remain calm.

"What do you care?" she said, her voice changing to ice.

I took a deep breath. "Believe it or not, I do still care about you. We both said horrible things to each other last night - things that we hopefully didn't mean."

She stared up at the ceiling. "You called me an alcoholic slut."

God, for a girl who needed her stomach pumped, she sure had a good memory.

"I was angry - I didn't mean it," I replied. "You said you hated me."

She flinched slightly, but didn't respond.

"Oh," I said quietly. "I see."

"What do you want me to say, Bella? That everything's just hunky dory? Honestly, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you and your little lies," she snapped. "Do you know that my mom wants me to move back home to podunk Forks with her?"

"Yes. And maybe you should go. Take a year off or something. What could it hurt?"

She rolled her eyes at me. "Yeah, right - and do what exactly? Start my life as the small-town hick girl who couldn't handle her cousin's suicide? Everyone looking at me like I'm a freak or something? No, thank you."

"It wouldn't be permanent, Ang. And no one will think you're a freak."

She shot me an angry glare. "I may have lost my cousin and damn near everything else, Bella, but I'm not losing my apartment. Remember, I found that place. It's mine."

I blinked a few times out of confusion. "Lose your apartment? What are you saying?" I asked hesitantly.

Was she trying to tell me that I was no longer welcome in our apartment?

"I'm saying that if anyone should leave, it should be you."

"Me? Why me?" I sputtered. "Both of our names are on that lease. You have no right to kick me out!"

"But I have the right to let the University in on your little secret."

I felt my cheeks flame red-hot. "That's not fair."

"I'm not going back to Forks," her voice breaking over the words. "And I'll do anything to make sure that I won't."

"Would you really do that to me? After everything we've been through? I'm the one who called 911 for you. I'm the one who fucked up her hands trying to help you!" My voice grew louder and I thrust my bandages toward her as a reminder. "I practically saved your life, and this is the thanks I get?"

"Then tell my mom that you don't think I should go back to Forks."

What was going on? Was Angela blackmailing me now? How did things get so bad so quickly?

"I - I - don't think I can do that, Ang." I said slowly. "You need help."

"You could help me," she snorted. "You just don't want to."

"What? Where is this coming from? Since when did this become about me?"

"Oh, don't play dumb, Bella. We used to have fun together, but now I have to practically beg you to come out anymore - you're always working or doing homework. Since when is that shit more fun than me? And now that you've got your little professor boy toy... Face it, you've abandoned me."

"It wasn't more fun than you! It wasn't like that! And I didn't abandon you. I've got to start thinking about graduation! I couldn't keep going out, getting drunk, and sleeping with strangers any longer. That's not who I am anymore. Believe me, I want to help you Ang, I do - but I just don't think I can. I don't know how."

She gripped my forearm tightly. "I can change. I'll stop drinking, I swear. I just...can't go back to Forks. Please, I'm begging you."

I could only stare at her, mouth agape, trying to think of what to say next.

This was too much for me. I didn't know how much longer I could stay on this emotional rollercoaster - my head was spinning and my stomach was heaving. Clearly, Angela was irrational right now. How else could someone explain the turn-on-a-dime mood swings? She'd gone from apologizing to me, to threatening me, to begging in a matter of minutes. Her problems had started well before Carlisle and I had gotten together, so it was ridiculous for her to try and pin this on me, and I knew that I couldn't let her get to me anymore - for her own good and my own sanity.

Before I could speak though, the door opened and Linda came back into the room, a dripping wet bottle of water in one hand and a Styrofoam cup of coffee in the other. She took one look at Angela's grip on my arm and the pained look on my face, and then pressed her lips together into a grim line.

"Is everything okay?" she asked tentatively.

I gathered all of my strength and shook my head sadly at Linda. "Actually, I was just about to tell Angela that I think she should go home to Forks."

"You bitch." I heard her hiss, releasing me from her grasp.

"Angela!" Linda gasped.

"I'm sorry," I said, my voice trembling. "But this is the best way to help you right now. Maybe someday you'll see that."

"You think you're sorry now? Trust me - you'll be even sorrier soon enough."

"What are you talking about?" Linda looked back and forth at the two of us.

"That's between Bella and me," Angela snapped. "Isn't it?"

"Yes," I sighed reluctantly, "But I'm doing the right thing, Ang. And I hope you will, too."

"Just leave. I don't want you here anymore," she said coldly.

I paused for a moment, then nodded at no one in particular.

Feeling like an utter failure, I turned to give Linda a hug.

"I tried my best, Linda," I whispered into her ear.

"I know, sweetheart, I know," she whispered back. "Thank you for your help. I appreciate it."

She rubbed my back affectionately and gave me a final squeeze.

"Please call me if there's anything else I can do."

"I will, sweetheart - we'll get through this, I know it. Please, just take care of yourself," she said sympathetically.

"I said, GET OUT!" Angela's voice cut in harshly.

Not knowing what else to do, I gave my former best friend one last look. "I hope you get better soon, Ang - I miss you. Bye, Linda, it was nice to see you again."

"You too, sweetheart."

I didn't stick around to hear a good-bye from Angela that would never come.

x X x X x

I called Carlisle to ask him to come get me before I even reached the main doors to the hospital. I didn't have to tell him that things hadn't gone well - he could just tell from the tone of my voice. Thankfully, he didn't press me for details, knowing that I wasn't ready to talk about it just yet. Instead, he just promised that he was on his way, and that he'd be here soon.

I took a seat on the same bench I'd sat on the night before, leaned back, and closed my eyes.

I must have replayed the scene from Angela's room about a hundred times in my mind, before a familiar voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Mind if I sit down?"

I opened my eyes to one of the last people I wanted to see at that moment.

Edward.