I do not own Twilight.
Last part in this mini-series. Finally, an interaction with Alice.
All calls to Alice go to voicemail the following day and night, and I don't see her until I've pulled into the parking lot at school Monday morning.
As requested, Edward is already in the building. I had asked him to let me talk to her on my own, that I could handle myself. Really, I just didn't want to start another fight between him and Jasper, or him and Alice.
I catch a glimpse of her short, stylish black hair at her locker but as I approach, her eyes meet mine. She slams the locker, never breaking contact and then pivots on her heel, taking off down the hallway.
I let it slide, thinking maybe she'd like to talk more privately, but when I see her in class the next hour, she is not occupying the desk beside me like she usually does. She turns away when I enter, digging through her bag for most likely nothing.
I let her be.
At lunch, Jasper is missing, but Alice is sitting with Jessica Stanley who was also at the party and must have seen the fight, because she keeps glancing towards me as I stand in the line in the cafeteria.
Edward sidles up beside me and pays for my lunch before I can, despite my eye roll.
I let Alice be during lunch, though even Edward is quieter than usual. I think he can sense the tension between the two of us, and he knows he is partially to blame.
Finally, at the end of the day, I wait beside her locker because I know she has to come here to get the bright pink jacket she left here in the morning. She would never leave an article of clothing to fester in the locker space overnight.
When she sees me, it looks like she is half planning to turn and walk away, but instead squares her shoulders, and stands beside me. I watch her spin her lock before breaking the silence.
"Alice," I start, but she whips her head around to glare at me.
"You chose him over me," is all she says, but the anger and hurt in her voice lets on that there is more to it than that.
I bite my lip, feeling the tightening of my throat closing in.
"Oh, fucking stop with the water works, already," she hisses and slams her locker shut.
I'm hurt, but not as badly as she is.
"Alice!" I start again, but she's halfway down the hallway.
"Leave me alone, Bella," she demands, talking to the empty hallway before her. "Don't call me, don't text me, don't even look at me."
I stand in horror until she rounds the corner and disappears out of sight. Then I sink to the ground, leaning against the lockers and bury my head against my knees. I think I am crying again, but I honestly can't tell the difference between sadness and emotional absence at this point.
Sometime later, I hear fast footsteps that falter and then a sigh and I know who it is just from the sound of the voice.
Edward.
He crouches before me, his fingers coming up to brush away some of my hair and I glance up into his black and blue right eye.
"I saw her leave the building by herself, and I figured…" he trails off, not needing to finish the sentence to get his point across.
He leans into me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and tugs just hard enough that I fall against him. I don't release my hold of my knees, though, because I am still angry. Angry at him, at his anger, at the fact that I love him unconditionally and sometimes I wish it was conditionally.
"She hates me," I manage to croak after a few seconds. Lips brush against my temple.
"She'll come around," he says, but all I want to ask is: will you?