I was showering after gym class on Wednesday when Alice came strolling in the locker room.

"Are you about ready to go? And seriously, Bella! I can't believe you are willing to shower here. Yuck! You probably become filthier rather than cleaner."

I grabbed a towel and wrapped myself in it. She made her way to my gym locker and was pulling my clothes out, handing them to me.

"How did you know…"

"What your combination was," she snickered. "I was going to ask and you would have told me. But once I knew what it was, I figured, why bother asking?"

I dressed and pulled a brush through my hair.

"I can see that you aren't going to bother styling it," she tisked.

"Once again, Alice, your visions of the future are correct."

"And I can see there is nothing I can do to convince you to add a little gel or hairspray?"

"Right again! Wow, Alice. You are good!"

I laughed while she gave me a disapproving stare.

"So," she said, snapping back to her usual self. "I hear from Edward that you are visiting the Reservation today?"

I understood that Edward was less than thrilled at my making plans with Jake, and so it was no surprise that Alice disapproved as well. He had never asked me not to go, but even if he did ask me not to, I'm sure I would go anyway. I wanted to see Jake. He was my friend.

"I am," I answered. We headed down the hall and to the parking lot.

"Edward and I would rather you spend the day with us, of course… but then… well, we also understand that you might want to become like us sooner rather than later. However, Bella..." She was to proceeding with caution on how to voice her concerns. "Edward is a bit nervous about your being on that land, but that is to be understood, right? If you needed anything from him, he would cross the border. He knows he would. The rest of us know that, too. He wouldn't care about the fact that he would be breaking a peace treaty that's been between our family and Jacob's family for nearly a hundred years. Just promise you will be careful, okay? He doesn't want to break the treaty, and serious consequences would come our way if any of us ever did. Just don't give him a reason to, please?"

"Goodness, Alice! You make it sound like I'm going to drown in the ocean or something. Of course I will be careful. As careful as I always am," I promised, while nearly tripping off the curb of the sidewalk as I walked to my car. "Okay," I argued, "That was just an accident. I totally didn't see the sidewalk end."

"Yeah," she asserted, "And it is things like that which make Edward worry." She shot me an I told you so sort of look.

"Yeah, yeah…" I muttered, mostly to myself, but I knew that she could hear me.

"Getting ready to go," Edward asked as he joined me in the parking lot. "Remember, you said..."

"I will be careful," I asserted. "Alice already lectured me on it."

"Alright then," he said as he gave me a kiss. "Call me when you get home, will you?"

I saw Alice in the distance giving me one last be careful glance.

He opened my door for me and I hopped in, making sure he saw that I was wearing my seat belt. I'd managed to not die my whole life and now everyone was treating me like I was made of glass.

"I will call you as soon as I get back to Charlie's. And, I will pick our flower from the beach while I'm there. Then we can have all twenty items for class by Friday."

"Sounds good."

I gave him one more kiss goodbye before starting my truck and heading off.

...

"Bella!" Jake shouted as I pulled up to his house. "'Bout time! You come to punch my neck?"

"Shut up, Jake," I laughed.

"So, guess what? I got a tux."

"What? Where?"

I was truly confounded that he would put any effort into this at all. Maybe he liked what he heard when talking on the phone with Jessica?

"It's Embry's. His mom gave it to Billy when she found out I was taking some girl to a dance. Don't laugh when you see it on Friday. And don't break out into a sweat, either. It will be awkward if you start crushing all over me while I am taking another girl," he teased.

"What if I can't help it?" I teased back.

He raised his eyebrows and smiled.

"Not that I will," I backtracked. I didn't want to give him the wrong impression; I just wanted to joke around.

"Will?..."

"Not that I will be able to not-not help it? I mean, I can help it. I mean… there is nothing to help and you will have a nice time with Jessica." There. Geeze! What was that about?

"It's just too bad you won't be there for it."

"Actually, maybe I will be. For a little of it, anyway."

"Really? Will you save me a dance?"

"Jake! You are taking Jess!"

"Not by choice," he pointed out. "I'm doing that for you. Speaking of which… who is taking you to the dance."

"I don't know if I want to tell you."

"It's not that creepy Newton kid, is it?"

"No," I said honestly.

"Who then?"

"Edward."

"Cullen?"

"Yeah… so?"

"Oh God, Bella! You could do better than that! He's so… pasty and pale and… I don't know. I just don't like him."

"Well, Jake, for your information, I do like him. And I'm going to the dance with him."

"Fine. I won't say a word. But you will save me a dance, won't you?"

I thought about it for a moment.

"Mmm… okay. One dance."

His eyes lit up a little more than they should have for someone who was just my friend. But also, I so much appreciated what he was doing for Jessica. Although, I wasn't too happy with him having so much against Edward without even having met him.

"I have a surprise for you," he said at last.

"A surprise?"

"Yup. Come with me," He took my hand and guided me to his garage.

"I've been secretly working on it all month. She is finally finished. What do you think?"

He pulled a canvas cover off of a sleek motorcycle.

"A bike?"

"You make it sound so… dull. Yes! Yes, Bella! A bike! Today is her first ride! I was going to take her out on Monday, but after you called, and I knew you would be coming today, I decided to save her maiden voyage for today," he laughed.

"She's a bike, Jake; not a ship."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's crack a bottle of champagne against her nose and haul ass!"

I laughed at the image of performing the traditional rite-of-passage ceremony for a ship on his motorcycle.

He hopped on and I followed.

"I don't mind if you wrap your arms around me," he said, grinning.

"Shut up, Jake," I said, slapping him on his back.

He kicked the bike into gear and we were out of there in ten seconds flat.

...

We walked along the beach for awhile. He helped me spot the flower I needed for the biology project. He found some and pulled it up. I put the flower in my pocket.

"Thanks," I said.

"Sure," he said.

We just walked for awhile, enjoying the sights and sounds.

"So, what is it you see in this Cullen guy, anyway," he finally asked.

I knew he eventually would ask, but I didn't want to tell him too much about the Cullens. I didn't want to confirm that everything he had told me was the honest truth.

"Jake? Would it be so bad to be like the Cullens? You know, assuming that the legends are true?"

"Well, Bells, assuming they were true… yes! It would be terrible! You don't know what you're asking! You don't know the kind of cold creatures they are… assuming the legends are true, of course," he tacked on that last bit a little late.

"I did a little research on the cold ones you told me about," I admitted. After all, that was technically true. I had, in fact, had a firsthand account from Edward and Alice.

"And? What did you find?" He seemed amused that I would have even bothered to care. But then, he didn't know what I knew.

"I just don't think it would be so bad to be strong, and fast, and never die, and all that."

"Bella- we are meant to die. We are meant to grow old and die. That is the nature of a human being. That is what is meant for us. Surely you can be satisfied with everything life has to offer?"

"Including death? And separation? And who-knows-what afterward? No, Jake. I don't think I can be satisfied with something that doesn't have a guarantee."

"Well," he said, leaning in close to me, taking my hands in his and pressing them to his chest, "That's just too bad then, Bells. Because, the legends are just that- legends. And you are only what you are. And someday, you will die."

I bit my lip. I wanted to tell him it wouldn't have to be that way. It was on the tip of my tongue. But I bit that too. This would always have to be a secret. And someday, when I was gone and no one knew where I went… he would never be able to know about it.

"Maybe you are right," I said.

We walked a while longer. I stopped and looked around.

"Hey," I said. "Where are your friends, anyway? Don't you guys have some valuable neck-punching to get in before you have to leave them Friday?"

"Nah. They don't really have time for neck-punching anymore. That, or anything else."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… it's just that… Sam, one of the older guys… I don't know… he seems to have recruited them or something. They all run with him now. Something seemed to change after we got back from the city on Saturday night. They all went over to Sam's place and cut their hair. They dress in matching black t-shirts and they don't talk much. Don't… joke around at all, actually. I can't explain it… and I don't know what to make of it. Whenever I ask them what's up, they just turn and walk the other way. Just promise me one thing," he said seriously.

"What's that?"

"If I ever start acting like a total douche bag the way they are, promise me you'll slap some sense into me."

"Jake- you have my word. You ever go all crazy and start dishing out the silent treatment, I solemnly swear, I will smack the crap out of you."

We shook hands on it before busting out in laughter.

The sun was starting to get lower in the sky. We must have lost track of the time. I just forgot about the rest of the world as we walked along the beach. I knew I would miss my Jacob, and the beach. I assumed that when I was finally one of them- one of the Cullens, that I would also no longer be invited to the beach.

"Hop on," he said, as we made our way back to the bike.

He was swerving around, getting a little wild. I have to admit, I was having fun. I wasn't about to start complaining. In fact, and I know I shouldn't have, but… I egged him on, daring him to do more and more foolish twists and turns.

"For being a big, strong man," I said, giving him a squeeze, "You sure treat this thing like she's your grandma!"

"Oh? Just hold on then!"

He sped up, faster and faster. It all happened before I could even make sense of anything. Before I knew it, we were flying through the air. The bike was sliding sideways and my back was skidding along sand and gravel.

"Oh my God, Bella! Are you okay," he cried, running over to my side.

"I'm sure I'm fine," I said, trying to get up. "After all, I didn't hit my head and I don't think anything is broken."

Everything had to be fine. I couldn't go back looking any worse than I had come. Alice would never let me forget it, and it would only serve to justify Edward's worry and distrust in my sensibilities.

"I don't think so," he said, lifting the back of my ripped up t-shirt. "You took a long skid, and your lower back is scraped up pretty bad. You are going to need to get it checked out."

"No," I said.

I couldn't go to the hospital. If I did, then Carlisle would know, which meant that everyone else would know, too.

"Out of the question," I said with more force as he gave me the don't try to be brave look.

"Really, Bells. If you're not going to have it looked at by a doctor, then at least let me look at it."

He picked the bike back up and we climbed back on. He drove so slowly that I'm sure the snails had to have been passing us by now.

"I'm not going any faster," he said, almost with an amused tone. "Do you realize what just happened? Do you realize that we flew off a bike at a high speed and could have been killed? You get that, right, Bella? Please, tell me you get that."

I just gave in. We were not going to be going over twenty.

...

It was over thirty minutes later that we got to his house. I could have driven home in my truck by now- probably twice.

"Okay," he said. "Come with me."

We were in his bathroom, and I was topless except for my bra. My shirt had been ripped to shreds in the back and was covered in blood. I decided it was best to simply throw it in the trash. I wasn't about to take that rag home to half a dozen vampires. Jake was pouring hydrogen peroxide down my lower back and wiping it with a cloth.

"God, I'm so sorry Bella. I knew I shouldn't have gotten reckless like that."

"Don't worry Jake. I know it was an accident. We won't be so careless next time."

"Next time? Bella! What on God's green earth makes you think there is going to be a next time?"

"Oh, please, Jake. I'm not some two-year-old who fell off of a trike."

"I know, Bella. You are a seventeen-year-old who fell of a motorcycle! Trust me. I get the difference."

"Now you're just taking what I said and twisting it out of context. You know what I mean. That I can make my own decisions."

"I get that you can make your own decisions. I'm just saying that I should have made better decisions tonight. That's all."

He poured another course of liquid over my lower back and gave another swipe with the washrag.

"Thanks for helping me out, Jake. I'm sure it will be fine. Nothing to worry about. But how is it that you went unscathed?"

"I don't know. My shirt is just as ripped up as yours. Luck, I guess?"

I examined the rips and tears in his t-shirt and laughed. Jake and his luck. Me and my not-luck. But hey, at least we were both alive, so no complaints.

...

It was past nine before I got out of La Push. Jake loaned me a t-shirt, which was way too baggy on me. I was half way home when I felt something warm trickling down my back.

"Shit," I mumbled.

Blood. My blood.

I finally came to the conclusion that I could not go home like this. I couldn't put Edward through that. I knew he would probably be waiting for me in the woods by Charlie's house and what if he smelled the blood? Would he be able to avoid the temptation of destroying me? Did I want to risk that?

I pulled left instead of right, making my way to the hospital.