BPOV

I headed home in my faithful ol' truck.

I popped in a movie, figuring that it would be a good way to start my extra-long weekend. I honestly wasn't upset at all at having to stay home. After the fool I had made of myself earlier in the Home Ec. room, I can honestly say that I'm glad I wouldn't have to face that in the lunchroom today or in the hallways tomorrow. Talk would spread quickly about it, no doubt, and I was sure that everyone was going to blow it all out of proportion. But at this point, I just didn't give a crap anymore.

I was in the mood to laugh… it was something that I just had to do. I had come to the part in Tommy Boy when Chris Farley's character was selling brake pads and setting the car on the customer's desk on fire because he used the 'other guy's' brakes, when the doorbell rang.

I calmed down my laughter. After all, whoever it was at the door would probably be expecting me to have a more solemn demeanor after today's wild events. I probably should have been moping around upstairs under a set of gray sheets. Should I have felt guilty about not caring?

"Hello," I asked.

"Bella," Alice said happily. She had a bouquet of flowers and all the ingredients for Ultimate Nachos in her arms. Angela and Kathy trailed in behind her with folders from my classes that had all the homework assignments I would need to have done by Monday.

"Hey you guys," I smiled. "Thank you for bringing me my school things. I'm officially not allowed back onto school property until first period Monday morning."

"It's no problem," Angela said, dropping a load of books on the coffee table.

"I'll start melting the cheese," Alice said, heading toward the kitchen.

"So…" Angela said shyly.

"What did it feel like," Kathy asked with eyes full of wonder.

"What did what feel like?"

"Oh, you know," Angela snickered. "What did it feel like to finally do what everyone in that school has wanted to do for years?"

"Well…" I said, making a very serious face. "It actually felt kind of…" I smiled wide as I thought about how I really felt. "Good!"

They laughed.

"Oh man," Angela sighed, "I so wish I could have been there to see it. The news spread throughout the school like wildfire. Everyone is talking about it."

"Oh, no," I whimpered. "They must think I'm such a monster!"

"Everyone is cheering and praising your name," Kathy said excitedly.

"Seriously? But just the other day everyone was on Jessica's side and giving me stink eyes." How quickly their opinions waver!

"That's high school for you," Alice laughed from the kitchen. She brought in the nacho feast on a large platter. "Here you go girls!"

"Aren't you going to have any," Angela asked her.

"I've already been snacking on them while making them," the little pixie lied.

We watched some of the movie together while we ate our lunch.

"You know, when I found out," laughed Angela, "I just wanted to bust out into song!"

"She had it comin'… She had it comin'," Kathy started singing.

"She only had herself to blame," Alice joined in.

"If you'd a been there! If you'd a seen it, I betcha' you would have done the same!" Angela completed the three part harmony.

"I love the Cell Block Tango," I exclaimed. "And Chicago is one of my favorite musicals!"

"We have ourselves our own little Roxie Hart here, girls," Alice teased.

"I always thought of myself more as a Velma Kelly," I argued playfully.

"Pop! Six! Squish," Alice sang.

"Uh uh, Cicero," continued Angela.

"Lipschitz," Kathy cried.

We just started laughing and finished our lunch, gossiping about how stupid Jessica was and about how things would finally get out of hand on her side for a change. Hopefully she would learn something by all of this. I shouldn't have felt so proud about what I did. After all, it was violent fighting that I had held against Edward just last night. Still, having three very good friends around to encourage me, I was beginning to think this might have been one of the best things I had ever done!

"Well, sadly, we had better get going. Not all of us get to lounge around for the next two and a half days," Alice said with a smile.

"Yeah, yeah…" I replied.

"Have fun thinking about what you've done, young lady," Angela pretend-scolded me.

Kathy laughed and waved goodbye.

I missed them when they left. I took the platter and collected the dishes in the kitchen, then took them to the sink and started scrubbing them. I thought back to the night before when I had received a certain phone call. The one that created the anger I felt toward Edward last night… the anger that kept me from letting him in my room. The very anger that made me a hypocrite for getting so pissed with Edward for throwing punches at someone that he couldn't stand.

I remembered every word of that conversation:

"Hello," I asked as I had answered my phone.

"Bella," said a voice I didn't quite recognize.

"Yeah? Who is this?"

"It's me, Quil Ateara. You know, Jake's friend?"

"Hi Quil. What's up?"

"Nothing good, actually."

"Oh my goodness. Is everything okay? Is Jake okay?"

"You'll have to be specific about how you're willing to define 'okay'."

"What do you mean?"

"Well… don't tell him that I was the one to tell you… Jake doesn't want you to find out about it, but I just wanted to call and let you know that your little boyfriend, Edward, the bloodsucker, just beat the shit out of our boy here. And Jake didn't even fight back."

"Oh my God! You're kidding me! What happened exactly? Did you see what happened with your own eyes?"

"I sure did. I saw Edward and Jake get into it, and it was Edward who threw every punch. Poor Jake didn't even raise his arms to defend himself."

I was stunned.

"Why not," I demanded. "Why didn't he block him? Why didn't he hit back or something?"

"Well… it's actually because you told him not to."

"He… he… he did that for me?"

"It's not that he did it for you. He did it because of you. Apparently, when you told him not to fight, and because that was an order, he wasn't able to disobey that."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is… how can I put this delicately? What I mean is, because Jake shared his blood with you, he also shared his authority with you. I guess you could say that you're the supreme alpha, if you want to call it something like that."

I was silent for a moment.

"Still there, Bella?"

"Yeah. Yes, Quil, I'm here."

"Good. Well, that's all I was calling to say."

"Wait! Before you go, tell me, why did Edward fight him?"

"Can't you figure that out? Edward is a vampire and Jake is a werewolf! Those are just the facts of life, Bella. Get used to it if you're going to be in the middle of us the way you are. Sorry, ma'am, but that's just how life works between us and them."

I was washing the final dish when I thought back on that last bit he told me: That's just how life works between us and them.

I wondered if maybe it didn't have to be that way. I wondered if maybe there was something that I could do to bridge that gap of hatred, when the doorbell rang a second time.

I looked up at the clock and noticed that it wasn't time for school to be out yet. I went to open the door, only to find a beautiful vampire, who I just happened to love, standing before me.

"Edward," I started, "I…"

"Bella," he interrupted. "Please hear me out before you say anything. First of all, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I got in a fight with Jacob Black last night. I know he's your friend and I should have done more to respect you. I understand that fighting with him was rude to you, and I ask your forgiveness. Also, before you decide either way, I have something for you. I don't know if you'll be happy or mad about it, but just know that I'm sorry and you're welcome."

He stood back and motioned toward a sleek, silver sports car sitting in my driveway.

My mouth fell open.

"Edward!"

"I know, I know…" he shrugged."I knew it would probably make you only more mad at me right now, but I figured since I was already in trouble… well… why not?"

"What is it exactly," I asked.

"It's an Aston Martin DBS," he said wearily, testing the water with how much info he should pump me full of when he wasn't quite sure how I was responding. "Do you want to sit in it?"

I held out my hand and he dropped the keys in my palm. I walked to the car and he opened the driver's side door for me.

I admit that I did not know a lot about cars, but I knew that this machine-beast pretty much summed up elegance and innovation. I hopped in and grasped the steering wheel in my hands. It was just right. Literally, a perfect fit. The seat felt like it was meant for my form and I ran my fingertips over the sleek technology of the interior the way Juliet might have grazed the jaw line of her Romeo.

"You like it," he asked nervously.

"Edward…" I knew what I wanted to say, but I was having a difficult time forcing myself to actually say it. "I really want this car."

"That's good, love. And I really want you to have this car."

"I can't though."

"Why not, sweetheart?"

He knelt down outside my door so that his eyes were more level with mine and cupped my chin, then ran his fingers through my hair.

"I can't let people see me driving this. They will all know where it came from."

"What's wrong with that, Bella?"

"I didn't earn this car, Edward."

"You don't have to earn what is already yours, Bella."

"Well… maybe I could have it as a weekend car? You know… like the Sunday-drivers?"

He smiled at me deviously. "That's a good start. I'll take that." He paused a moment and smiled a more wicked smile still. "You know, though, sweetheart, your weekend has already started."

I smiled back. "Exactly! Get in!"

He ran to the passenger side and hopped in. I pulled out of the driveway and immediately shifted into drive.

"How fast does this thing go," I asked.

"How fast do you want it to go, honey?"

...

A/N: You may all thank Daniel White for selecting this sweet car for Bella! Everybody say it with me, now: Thank you Daniel White.