Yesterday, Ericc Tyler and Mike all asked me to a girl's choice dance. My annoyance is strong. This morning, when I pulled into the parking lot, I accidentally drop my keys into a puddle. As I bent to get it, a white hand beat me to it. I stand upright and see Edward Cullen leaning against my truck with my keys in his hand. I grab them from him.

"How do you do that?" I ask.

"Do what?"

"Appear out of thin air."

"Bella, it's not my fault if you are exceptionally unobservant."

Yeah right. Living in Mystic Falls makes you observant because any new person or someone acting different could be a supernatural creature or controlled by one. I scowl at him. "Why the traffic jam last night?" I interrogate, referring to when he caused traffic, allowing Tyler to ask me to the Spring Dance.

"That was for Tyler's sake, not mine. I had to give him his chance." He snickered. "I was wondering if, a week from Saturday — you know, the day of thespring dance —"

"Are you kidding me? I swear to God, if one more guy asks me to a girls choice dance..." I trail off, leaving the threat hanging. Seriously, the last place I need to go to is a dance. I am clumsy and bad things happen at dances. Pizza man/vampire problem, Klaus problem, Ester kidnaps Elena, and if you want to, you can count Miss Mystic Falls which wasn't a school dance, but Stefan was blood-thirsty

His eyes were wickedly amused. "Will you please allow me to finish?"I bit my lip and clasped my hands together, interlocking my fingers, so I couldn't do anything rash.

"I heard you say you were going to Seattle that day, and I was wonderingif you wanted a ride." Oh.

"Why?"

"Well, I was planning to go to Seattle in the next few weeks, and, to be honest, I'm not sure if your truck can make it."

"Don't hate the truck. Would you like me to dis your Volvo?"

"No, but can your truck make it there on one tank of gas?" he asks.

"I thought you didn't want to be my friend."

"I said it would be better if we weren't friends, not that I didn't want to be."

"Oh, thanks, now that's all cleared up." My voice oozed with sarcasm.

"It would be more… prudent for you not to be my friend," he explained. "But I'm tired of trying to stay away from you, Bella."

"Well I'm flattered. Really."

Edward asks, "Will you go with me to Seattle?

"Sure. It miight be nice, not having to drive."

"You really should stay away from me," he warns. "I'll see you in class." He turns and walked back the way we came.

I made my way to English without realizing had already started.

"Thank you for joining us, Miss Swan," Mr. Mason said in a disparaging tone. Heat rises in my cheeks as I hurry to my seat.

Mike gains enthusiasm as he walked me to class and talked about the weather report for this weekend. The rain was supposed to take a minor break, and so maybe his beach trip would be possible.

At lunch, my eyes fell upon the Cullen table which only contained four out of five Cullens. Edward Cullen was the one missing. Where is he? He was here this morning. I shrug it off as Jessica and I finish getting our lunch.

"Edward Cullen is staring at you again," Jessica says, finally breakingthrough my abstraction with his name. "I wonder why he's sitting alonetoday."

My head snapped up. I follow her gaze to see Edward, smiling crookedly,staring at me from an empty table across the cafeteria from where he usually sits. Once he'd caught my eye, he raised one hand and motioned with his index finger for me to join him.

"Does he mean you?" Jessica asked in disbelief which was insulting. It stung before I realized her opinmion means nothing to me.

"Looks like," I say, before walking towards his table. When I reached his table, I say, "Hey"

"Why don't you sit with me today?" he asked, smiling.

"Sure," I say, sitting down. "This is different,"

"Well…" He paused, and then the rest of the words followed in a rush. "I decided as long as I was going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly."

I frown at that If Heaven and Hell do exist, he would go to the Other Side when he dies because he's a supernatural being. I guess he doesn't know that.

"You know I don't have any idea what you mean," It was only partially a lie.

"I know." He smiled again, and then he changed the subject. "I think yourfriends are angry with me for stealing you."

"They'll survive."

"I may not give you back, though," he said with a wicked glint in hiseyes.

I ask, "What brought all this on?"

"I told you — I got tired of trying to stay away from you. So I'm giving up."

"So are we friends now?"

"Friends…" he mused, dubious.

"Or not."

Edward grins. "Well, we can try, I suppose. But I'm warning you now that I'm not a good friend for you."

"I've had my fair share of friends that are 'not good for me' but they end up beithg my best friends," I tell him.

He raises an eyebrow, and after a moment, he asks, "What are you thinking?"

"I'm trying to figure out what you are."

His jaw tightens, and he asks, "What are your theories?" Should I tell him my real theory? That he's a pale, flawless vampire who doesn't eat human food, not even for a cover. "Won't you tell me?" he asked, tilting his head to one side with a smile.

I shake my head. "Not telling."

"That's really frustrating, you know," he complained.

"I'm not telling you my theory until I have more facts, but I'm pretty sure I am close."

Edward gains a worried expression on his face. He glances over my shoulder and then snickers.

"What?"

"Your boyfriend seems to think I'm being unpleasant to you — he's debating whether or not to come break up our fight." He snickered again.

"Mike?" I guess, and Edward nodded. "One, he's not my boyfriend. And two, You couldn't possibly know that." But I had a feeling he could. Maybe he has a power of mind reading like vampires have the power of compulsion.

"I told you, most people are easy to read."

"Except me," I remember. Maybe my vervain necklace is the reason why. Subconciously, I reach up and touch said necklace.

"I wonder why," he muses. "Aren't you hungry?"

"No. I'll figure out what you are eventually," I warn him.

"I wish you wouldn't try." He was serious again.

"Why?"

"What if I'm not a superhero? What if I'm the bad guy?" He smiledplayfully, but his eyes were impenetrable.

"You're dangerous, but not bad."

"You're wrong." His voice was almost inaudible.

"It's a matter of opinion." Which is true. I don't see Damon as bad even though he's a serial killer. Or Stefan who's a ripper. The silence lasted until I noticed that the cafeteria was almost empty. I jumped to my feet. "We're going to be late.""I'm not going to class today," he said, twirling the lid so fast it wasjust a blur.

"Why not?"

"It's healthy to ditch class now and then." He smiled up at me.

"No kidding," I say. "But if my sister found out I ditched while being here, she would be pissed, and you do not want to upset Elena. I better go. I was already late to first period this morning because of talking to you."

"Sister?" he asks, and I nod. It was too late to fix my screw up. "I'll see you later,then."

I get up and rush to class. Mr. Banner isn't in class when I arrive. Quickly, I take my seat. Mr. Banner enters the classroom, carrying a few small cardboard boxes in his arms. He puts them down on Mike's table, telling him to start passing them around the class.

"Okay, guys, I want you all to take one piece from each box," He pills out a said a pair of rubber gloves from his lab jacket pocket and put them on "The first should be an indicator card,"he went on, grabbing a white card with four squares marked on it anddisplaying it. "The second is a four-pronged applicator —" he held upsomething that looked like a nearly toothless hair pick "— and the thirdis a sterile micro-lancet." I gulp, realizing where this was going. Blood-typing. Maybe this was why Edward ditched. It would certainly follow the vampire part of my theory. "I'll be coming around with a dropper of water to prepare your cards, so please don't start until I get to you." He began at Mike's table again, carefully putting one drop of water in each of the four squares. "Then I want you to carefully prick your finger with the lancet…"

He grabbed Mike's hand and jabbed the spike into the tip of Mike's middle finger. Ohno. Clammy moisture broke out across my forehead. "Put a small drop of blood on each of the prongs." He demonstrated,squeezing Mike's finger till the blood flowed. A wave of nausea hit me as I smell the blood. I place a hand on my stomach to fight the nausea, and I put my head on the table. I couldn't hear what else he said, but the nauseating feeling made me think that other people have started blood typing. I breathe in and out slowly. When I smell blood, I get nauseous, except when my or other's lives are in danger because my senses are focused on other things. Damon had a laugh when he found out.

"Bella, are you all right?" Mr. Banner asked. "Are you feeling faint?"

"Yes, sir."

"Can someone take Bella to the nurse, please?" he calls.

I didn't have to look up to know that it would be Mike who volunteered.

"Can you walk?" Mr. Banner asked.

"Yes,"

Mike towed me slowly across campus. When we were around the edge of the cafeteria, out of sight of building four in case Mr. Banner was watching, I stop.

"Just let me sit for a minute." Mike helps me sit on the edge of the walk. I lay down on the sidewalk. That seemed to help a little.

"Bella?" Edward's voice calls from a distance. "What's wrong — is she hurt?"

"We were blood-typing I don't know what happened, she didn't even stick her finger."

"Bella. Can you hear me?"

"Yes."

"I was taking her to the nurse," Mike explained in a defensive tone, "but she wouldn't go any farther."

"I'll take her," Edward says. "You can go back to class."

"No," Mike protested. "I'm supposed to do it." Edward reaches down and picks me up. "Hey!"

Edward ignored him. "You look awful," he told me, grinning.

"Put me down," I attempt too order him.

"So you faint at the sight of blood?" he asked. I didn't answer. "And not even your own blood."

"Shut up," I grumble. Stupid vampire, or whatever he is.

"She's just a little faint," he reassured the startled nurse after we enter her offiice. "They're blood typing in Biology."The nurse nodded sagely. "There's always one." He muffled a snicker.

"Just lie down for a minute, honey; it'll pass.""I know," I sighed. The nausea was already fading.

"Does this happen a lot?" she asked.

"It's happened a few times," I admit. Edward coughs to hide another laugh.

"Shush," I tell him.

"You can go back to class now," she told him.

"I'm supposed to stay with her," Edward says firmly.

"I'll go get you some ice for your forehead, dear," she said to me, and then bustled out of the room.

I sit up on the cot.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" He still looks amused from the whole almost faint around blood.

"I'm fine," I snap. "Why are you enjoying this so much? God, you're acting like Damon when he found out."

"Who's Damon?" Edward asks, and I can hear jealousy.

I smile slightly, "A friend of mine who is like anoth- like a brother to me." I slipped up again.

"You scared me for a minute there," he admitted after a pause. His tonemade it sound like he was confessing a humiliating weakness. "I thoughtNewton was dragging your dead body off to bury it in the woods.""Ha ha." I still had my eyes closed, but I was feeling more normal everyminute.

"Honestly — I've seen corpses with better color. I was concerned that Imight have to avenge your murder.""Poor Mike. I'll bet he's mad.""He absolutely loathes me," Edward said cheerfully.

"You can't know that," I say, even though I think he can.

"I saw his face — I could tell."

"How did you see me? I thought you were ditching."

"I was in my car, listening to a CD."

I hear footsteps nearing the door, and I lay back down. The nurse enters the room with a cold compresser in her hand.

"Here you go, dear." She laid it across my forehead. "You're looking better," she added.

The receptionist stuck head in. "We've got another one."

I hop off the cot, freeing it for the other patient. I handed the compressor back to the nurse. "Here, I don't need this."

Mike walks in the room, supporting another student from Bio.

"Oh no," Edward muttered. "Go out to the office, Bella."

I normaly would do the exact opposite of what he told me to do, but I catch the scent of blood. A wave of nausea hits me, and I catch the door before it closed, darting out of the infirmary. Edward follows me.

"You actually listened to me." He sounds stunned.

"I smelled the blood," I say, wrinkling my nose in disgust.

"People can't smell blood," he contradicts.

"Well, I can - that's what makes me sick. It smells like rust... and salt."

Mike came through the door then, glancing from me to Edward. The look he gave Edward confirm what Edward had said about loathing. He looks back at me, his eyes glum. "You look better. So are you going this weekend? To the beach?" While he spoke, he flashed another glare toward Edward, who was standing against the cluttered counter, motionless as a sculpture, staring off into space.

"Sure."

"We're meeting at my dad's store, at ten." His eyes flickered to Edward again, wondering if he was giving out too much information. His body language made it clear that it wasn't an open invitation.

"I'll be there," I promised.

"I'll see you in Gym, then," he said, moving uncertainly toward the door.

"See you," I reply. Mike walks slowly through the door. "Gym," I groan.

"I can take care of that. Go sit down and look pale," he muttered. I tune out of whatever he says to the receptionist.

"Okay, it's all taken care of. You feel better, Bella," she called to me. I nod.

"Can you walk, or do you want me to carry you again?" With his back to the receptionist, his expression became sarcastic.

I roll my eyes, "I'll walk. Thanks back there. I hate Gym just as Gym hates me."

"Anytime." He chuckles.

"So are you going this Saturday? Down to La Push, to First Beach, I mean."

His eyes narrow, but he glanced down at me from the corner of his eye, smiling wryly. "I really don't think I was invited."

"I just invited you."

"Let's you and I not push poor Mike any further this week. We don't want him to snap." His eyes dance as he enjoys the idea.

"Screw Mike," I mutter quietly as I walk toward my truck.

Edward grabs my jacket, yanking me back. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked, outraged.

"I'm going to the truck and then driving to the house." I say, avoiding the use of the word home.

"Didn't you hear me promise to take you safely home? Do you think I'm going to let you drive in your condition?" His voice was still indignant.

"Let go!"

He turned on the heater and changes the volume of the music. I recognize the song being played. It was one I haven't listened to for at least two years.

"Clair de Lune," I say.

"You know Debussy?" Edward questions, surprized.

"Not well," I admit. "My mother played music around the house and she liked Clair de Lune. I only know my favorites."

"It's one of my favorites, too. What is your mother like?"

It was a simple question, but my mind immediately flew to the car crash.

My parents had just picked up Elena and I from a bonfire which we went to instead of family night. Elena and her boyfriend, Matt Donovan, got in a fight because he was talking about the future which she wasn't sure she wanted. Anyways, Mom and Dad came and picked us up after Elena called them. We were driving home with Dad in the drivers seat, Mom in the passengers seat, and Elena and I in the back.

The roads were slick, and Dad lost control of the car. It flew off Wickery Bridge and into the water below. Water started seeping through the cracks and into the car. Before I knew it, the water was rising high. I took a deep breath before being completely surrounnded by water. My seatbelt wouldn't unbuckle, and I couldn't break the window with my elbow because of the pressure of the water on the other side of the glass.

Quickly, I looked over at Mom who has lost consciousness or died. NO. She can't be dead. Don't even think that. Elena and Dad were still conscious, and Dad was trying to break the window. I breathed some of the air I was struggling to hold in out. Elena just watched. I raise my hands in an 'Are you going to help?' gesture.

Elena mouthed the word 'Dad' to him.

Dad turned around and grabbed our hands. He shook his head, indicating that there was no way out. Dammit! I tried with a final effort to elbow the window and failed. The air that remained in my lungs that I somehow managed to hold in this long came out from exhaustion. And water fills my mouth.
Elena nodded, accepting our fate, and mouthed 'I love you' to him. I repeated the movement to both of them. In the distance I saw a figure approaching, but I couldn't detect features before I passed out from exhaustion and lack of air.

"Bella?" I hear a concerned voice, which snaps me out of the memory.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. I got lost in thought," I tell him.

"You have a couple of tears rolling down your cheeks."

I wipe them away quickly with the sleeve of my jacket. "It's nothing. My mom... she had brown hair and eyes like me. She was wise, happy and kind. She was very into the town's Pageant when she was a teen and partied as well. When she was in school, she was a cheerleader. She's also a terrible cook. My sister, Elena, was the same. They let the men do the cooking." A small smile forms on my cheeks.

"How old are you, Bella?" Edward asks me. If he recognised that I used past tense, he didn't show it.

"Eighteen," I answer. "I suppose it is your turn to tell me about your family."

"I suppose it is," he says cautiously. "What do you want to know?"

If you guys are a weird sort of vampire. I didn't want to ask that just yet, so I said, "The Cullens adopted you."

quickly. The smile returned.

"Yes."

I hesitated for a moment. I had a feeling I knew. Especially if he is a vampire. "What happened to your parents?"

"They died many years ago." His tone was matter-of-fact.

"I'm sorry," I say sincerely.

"I don't really remember them that clearly. Carlisle and Esme have been my parents for a long time now."

"And you love them."

"Yes." He smiled. "I couldn't imagine two better people."

I smile slightly, "You're very lucky."

"I know I am."

"And your brother and sister?"

He glanced at the clock on the dashboard. "My brother and sister, and Jasper and Rosalie for that matter, are going to be quite upset if they have to stand in the rain waiting for me."

"Oh, sorry, I guess you have to go." I say, realizing we arrived at Uncle Charlie's house. I get out of the car and go inside. He drives away, and I head upstairs to my room.

After a few hours, my cell phone rings. It's Damon. "Hey," I great.

"Isa," he says. "I have to tell you something. I don't want to, but you deserve to know."

"What is it, Damon?" I ask, worried. Someone must have been hurt, kidnapped or killed for him to sound like this.

"It's Jeremy," Damon tells me hesitantly. "He's... dead."

What? No! The world seemed to be collapsing around me, and I struggled to breathe. "What?" I croak out, barely managing to make it to my bed before I collapse on it.

"I'm sorry."

"How?" Tears fall from my eyes.

"We were on an island, trying to get to the cure. Bonnie and Jeremy got separated from the group and Katherine showed up. She attacked Bonnie and force fed Jeremy to Silas who was protecting the cure by being decicated, and then she took the cure."

"Elena?" I say weakly, barely holding it together.

"She wasn't handling it well and shut off her humanity."

"Do you need me to come back?" I ask, silently begging him not to.

"No. We'll take care of Elena. I'm sorry about Jeremy. I hate to do this, but I have to go."

"Okay," I say quietly, and he hangs up.

I curl up into a ball on my bed, and I let out a sob and cry until there are no more tears. My brother is dead! And it was all Katherine's fault, of course. She always ruins everything! Even when I run out of tears, my body shakes. Eventually, I fall asleep, still curled up on my bed.

I would have had it updated a few days ago, but I lost all of my work on this chapter so I had to rewrite it. Sorry for the long wait. I will try to update more often. Please review! Ideas for the future and thoughts on this chapter would be nice.