September 13 2001

"Bella!"

"Bella!" The familiar voice calls. I get up off the couch to the banging at my apartment door. I open the door to see Alice standing there.

"Alice?" I responded, "What are you doing here?"

Her hair is neat and tidy as per usual, her clothes dressy as always, and her eyes a glowing amber. I feel underdressed in my pajamas, and my hangover threatening me with thoughts of the night before creeping back slowly. She quickly comes inside and makes herself comfortable on the couch. I sit down next to her.

She shakes her head, "It doesn't matter, but I'm here. After everything that's happened over the past couple of days I couldn't bear to leave you alone."

I shrug, "It's okay Alice… It's not your fault."

We both know what we mean, but neither of us wants to say the words. Say the words about how those planes crashed into the twin towers two days ago. Charlie had moved to New York four months ago with his fiance Esther. He had been working in New York as the new chief of police when he got a call for an emergency. He had been one of the many that died in the wreck.

What I feel guilty about is not that Charlie had died, but rather that I haven't cried yet. I felt only numb to the pain that was losing my father. Of course my mother (Renée) had been bawling her eyes out for days. When she got the call and heard the news, she rushed immediately to my shabby little apartment in Chicago, Illinois. I don't mind having her stay here, but after only two days she is beginning to drive me insane. With all the tears, and snotty tissues left lying about, I can't deal with it anymore. She's out at the moment, praying at church. She had never been religious, but I think she needs some sort of comfort that she isn't getting from me.

"Bella, it's okay to be sad. Charlie was your father."

I look down at my feet, and she touches my hand.

"I just-" I stutter, "I can't believe he's gone."

"Oh, Bella."

She pulls me into her body, and my nostrils are stung with her sweet perfume. Despite the myth about vampires being cold, Alice's warmth surrounds me, and I feel encompassed by it.

"Alice I…"

She pulls back from the hug, her hands still on my shoulders,

"Yes?"

"I'm glad you're here."

There is a pause of quick silence when Alice changes the subject.

"Have you eaten?"

I shake my head, "Not for at least four hours."

"Bella! You need to eat," She says standing up, and heading to the refrigerator to check what food there is. She begins to pull different things out the fridge and then the cupboards. She pulls out a pot and a pan and starts cooking…something.

I shrug again, not sure how to respond. My mother tried to take care of me the first day she arrived, but learned very quickly that that wasn't going to work, and gave up. I can take care of myself, I'm an adult, and besides, today's my birthday. I turn 20 today, I just wish Charlie was here to wish me a happy birthday, oh well.

"And don't think I've forgotten," she remarks, "happy birthday!"

I scoff slightly, "Thanks, Alice."

She joins me in a hug pulling a small gift out of her pocket and handing it to me.

"I got you something," she says, pulling away.

I laugh, "I can see that Alice… Thanks."

I open the small box to find a picture frame with a photo of Charlie in it. I don't know what to say.

"Alice where did you get this photo from? My dad was barely 19 in it..."

She shakes her head, "Does it matter?" she pauses, "Reneé gave it to me."

I nod and look at my feet again, then back up at Alice.

"Thank you," I say as I cross over to the mantle and place the photo there. I don't know if I can look at the photo for much longer without being sick, or even Alice again. Every time I hear her call my name my stomach whirls, and I feel dizzy. She tends to have that effect on people I guess.

I lie down on the couch and Alice sits next to me. Looking up at her, I can't help but notice her beauty. Even without makeup, her face is so smooth and her eyes warm. I scooch over so my head is resting on her lap, and I feel her tremble. She wraps her arms around my stomach, and now I am leaning on her. My heart is pounding like a drum, my hands slick with sweat. I'm exhausted.

"Bella, please calm down." She says, chuckling slightly.

"W-What? What do y-you mean?"

She pulls me off of her and flips me onto my back, pining me down on the couch. She leans in and stops centimetres from my face.

"You know exactly... What I mean," she whispers.

She clearly knows what she's doing to me, because my entire body is filled with butterflies, my stomach is sinking and I am shaking with anticipation.

She leans in even closer, angling her mouth to my ear, and whispers, "You don't have a little crush on me do you Bella?"

My entire body feels more alive than it's ever been, but I strangely don't feel nervous anymore... I feel... Desperate. I lean in to Alice's body and wrap my arms around her, pulling her in slowly... Until, finally I -

Alice is at the other end of the room, her speed is something I will never get used to. Now I am scared again, and embarrassed.

"Bella," she says, smirking, "why the long face?"