To Hook An Alice

by Icedragone

I'd never given much thought to how I would die. However, the little I did think of it, it was not in the way I am about to die now. Honestly, with how much bad luck I tend to have, I figured it would be more along the lines of a toilet seat falling from the sky and ending me. You know, Dead Like Me style. The way I am about to die now, though, is really not such a bad way to go.

4. Hold Tight!

The next morning, I awoke more exhausted than I was when I went to bed. My sleep was plagued with nightmares. I started out with pretty nice dreams. I vaguely remember Alice being in them, but can't remember details. They then faded to more sinister images. I was in the forest, stumbling around in the dark.

Suddenly, I came upon a clearing and could finally see above me. It was a cloudless night, with a quarter moon hanging in the air giving off the only light. I stared at it, reminded of the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland with the way the moon was tilted up like his smile. Suddenly, I saw movement across the clearing, drawing my attention from the moon. After a few moments, a figure emerged from the trees and walked to the middle of the clearing.

Dream me is apparently stupid, because awake me would have run off after seeing some stranger in the middle of the night in the woods. But again, dream me is an idiot. Dream me walked further into the clearing, towards the strange being. When I was finally within a dozen feet of them, I saw it was a pale man, the skin that wasn't hidden by the black suit with red button up shirt and black tie he was wearing glowing under the moon. He had messy bronze hair and after I stepped a bit closer, to within a half dozen feet, I could see his face.

It was Edward, and he reached his hand out to me, a lop-sided grin on his face. Dream me finally came to her senses and stumbled back, which wiped the grin off Edwards face. Edward, seeing my reaction after finally recognizing him, scowled and stepped toward me. I turned and was going to run back toward the path I came from. Before I could even take my first step, Edward was in front of me and grabbed my arms in a vice-like grip.

He scowled at me then, a deep growl accompanying the movement, and I finally looked up into his eyes. They weren't the usual gold eyes that I see when I'm awake. In my nightmare, they are a bright red, and I can see a desire in them as Dream Me stares into them. And when I say desire, I don't just mean lust. It is the most terrifying look I've ever seen. I awoke with a start right after that.

I must have still been half-asleep, because I could have sworn I saw Edward standing by my desk. However, when I sat up and turned my phone's flashlight on to get a better look, there was no one there. The only movement was a slight rustling of papers on the desk from where the wind coming through the open window blew them. I got up and looked out the window, shivering from the cold and nightmare. As I expected, I didn't see anything as I looked out, closing it while I scanned the treeline behind our house.

Now that I'm awake fully, I realize I never opened my window last night. There is no way it opened on it's own. It's also not possible for anyone to have opened it from outside. I'm on the second floor and the closest branch from the oak tree outside my window is too far away for anyone to be able to use to reach my window. I doubt Charlie opened it, he knows it's cold out and wouldn't let me freeze. Besides, Mindy and Chip would have come in with him and laid with me. They aren't in here now, so they must have stayed with him downstairs. I'm starting to get a headache trying to figure it out, so I'll just have to ponder it later.

I look at the time on my phone and see it is 6:30, so at least I didn't wake up in the middle of the night, since there is no way I can go back to sleep now. I go downstairs, greeted by Chip wrapping around my legs. I bend down to pet him for a moment before continuing to the kitchen. Charlie is sitting at the table with a file in front of him, reading a paper from it while sipping on some coffee. He must be reading something very interesting, because he doesn't even acknowledge me as I am walking through the living room. I notice his brows are furrowed and he is frowning slightly.

Mindy is curled up on the floor next to him, looking up at me as I make my way over. I bend down and pat her head, then make myself a bowl of cereal. Charlie finally puts the paper down after I sit down at the table with him. He rubs his eyes with the thumb and forefinger of his left hand, running his fingers through his hair with his right hand. He looks more exhausted than I've ever seen him in this moment, and it unnerves me.

"Hey dad, everything okay?"

"For now, yeah. I've just been following reports of some kind of animal that's been killing hikers. It started in Banff National Park outside of Calgary, Canada. Seems like after that, it made it's way south to the Flathead National Forest in Montana. Now it appears to be heading west, since there were a couple found dead in Mount Spokane State Park here in Washington. If it keeps heading west, it's gonna hit Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, which would be in King County. The sheriff there is a friend of mine, so I agreed to head over if anything comes up to give a hand. I'm hoping it doesn't come to that, because that's a hell of a drive."

"I'm sorry dad. I hope it doesn't come to that either. What kind of animal can travel so far? That has to be hundreds of miles. Are you guys sure it even is an animal?"

"Yeah, the victims have bite and claw marks all over them. And no one can figure out what kind of animal either. The only animal that is native around these parts that travels that far and would be able to kill a human is a wolf. But, looking at the medical examiner reports from all the people that have been killed, the bites are inconsistent with a wolf bite. They can't figure out what kind of animal bites they are, they've only been able to eliminate most animals, not match any. So far, they've ruled out bears, mountain lions, and wolves." He puts both elbows on the table and presses his eyes into his palms, rubbing his eyes again.

He looks older than I've ever seen him at this moment, and I can tell that the combination of these deaths and my accident yesterday are the cause. So, in an attempt to ease his mind of at least one of the things causing him stress, I try to change the subject away from these strange deaths to something a bit more cheerful.

"Well dad, my head is feeling a lot better. I think resting yesterday did me some good. Thanks for making my stubborn butt relax and take it easy." I say with a small smile, hoping my gratitude at his caring for me helps ease him a bit.

It seems to work, as he gets a genuine smile on his face that takes some of those added years off of his appearance. "I'm glad you're feeling better, Bells. And no need to thank me. I'm your dad, it's my job to take care of you, even if it means I have to annoy you. Actually, I don't think I'm doing a good job as a dad if I don't annoy you or embarrass you at least once a day."

I laugh at that and roll my eyes, feeling a lot better than I did when I first came down. "Well, you've succeeded so far in the week that I've been here. Let's see if you keep up the streak. So, since I'm feeling fine, I think I'm gonna go to school today." He looks like he is about to protest, so I cut him off before he can start. "I promise dad, I'll come home if I feel off in any way."

He seems to ponder this for a moment. "Alright, I can live with that. But, make sure you call me if you start getting dizzy or anything at all. Deal?"

"Deal. I'm gonna go get ready then. Are you working today?"

"Yeah, I'm heading in in a couple hours. I'm covering for Misty, she's on maternity leave for a few months and no one else could cover today. I'll be a little late to dinner tonight, so don't wait up for me."

"Okay, I'll leave you some leftovers in the fridge for you to heat up when you do get home."

I head upstairs after that, Charlie picking up another paper from the file in front of him to study. He doesn't seem as troubled now, so I take that as a small victory. I go through the usual morning routine, grab my book bag, and start to head downstairs. I suddenly remember my window, so decide to investigate a bit more before I leave. I head back to the kitchen, where Charlie is still in the same spot, still looking through the file.

"Hey dad, did you open my window last night while I was asleep?"

"No, it's too cold outside to have open windows. Why, was it open?"

"Yeah, I didn't remember opening it. Maybe I was a little more out of it yesterday than I thought..." I say, trying to ease Charlie. I could tell he was starting to go into cop mode, and he doesn't need that right now. "It's alright. Anyway, I'm heading out now. Be safe out there!" I call over to him as I walk to the door.

"Always am!" He yells back as I close the door.

I got to school with twenty minutes still to go before the first warning bell. I park in the same spot as yesterday and look around. There is still some broken glass on the ground, but it seems someone cleaned the majority of it up. Headphones in, Danger! High Voltage by Electric Six playing, I look at the rear bumper of my truck. I know I wasn't imagining things yesterday, but I have to confirm it, just in case. I reach out my hand and put it into the dent in the bumper. It fits into the dent almost perfectly, I just have to curl my fingers a bit. That's to be expected though, since the person who's hand caused it to begin with is smaller than my own.

Suddenly, the hair on the back of my neck raises and I get the feeling of being watched. I look around and see I'm being glared at. While I'm used to Edwards glare's at this point, I'm surprised to see he isn't the Cullen shooting daggers my way. Jasper is standing next to Edward's car with his usual pained expression, but this time it is also mixed with utter outrage. And it's aimed at me. What the hell did I do to him? Edward is standing next to him, but isn't glaring at me.

Instead, he gives me that lop-sided grin, which creeps me out after the nightmare. Alice is standing next to them and must have said something, because both Jasper and Edward jerk their heads away from me and turn toward her. With one last glance my way from them both, they all head toward the main building. Alice, however, never looked my way.

For that first day back after the accident, it was like my first day at Forks. I got attention I didn't want, with everyone checking on how I was doing. I was really getting tired of reaffirming that I was okay, that the van avoided me, and that I just bumped my head slightly when I slipped on the ice. By the time lunch came around, the message must have gotten around and people stopped asking as much. Tyler, remorseful at having "almost killed" me, was relentless in trying to make up for things. I keep telling him that there was no harm done, so he can give it up. He eventually did, but not before promising he would find a way to make it up to me.

I, however, was determined to talk to Alice about what happened. But, I never was able to. It wasn't that we were too busy to talk, it just seemed that Alice was actively avoiding me. We only have two classes together and sit at different tables during lunch. It seems as though her offer to sit together during lunch was rescinded. So, I figured I would get to talk to her during Drama, like usual. However, Alice didn't sit in her usual seat. Instead, she sat with Patrick, apparently helping him with the part he is rehearsing for the upcoming play.

As soon as class is over, she hurriedly leaves for gym and is already dressed and heading out to the courts before I even open my locker. We are on different teams for basketball, which I am forced to participate in more now that everyone knows I don't suck at it like I do volleyball. But, since my mind is focused on Alice and what I can do to talk to her, I kind of do suck. They stop passing me the ball after a while, seeing that I'm not focused. When the bell rings, she gets dressed and leaves, not waiting for me like she usually does. When I get to my truck, she and her siblings have already left.

Every day for the rest of the week continues much the same. I never got to talk to Alice. The only thing that changed was people stopped giving me as much attention the second day after the accident, finally forgetting about it altogether by the end of the week. The trip to La Push was put off, being too cold to enjoy the beach, so I will have another boring weekend. To make matters worse, the principal announced the Spring Dance on Friday just before the final bell. The planning committee decided on making it girl's choice, which is a bit of a relief for me, but I get the feeling that fact won't save me for long.

Saturday, I spend only two hours cleaning the house. Much better than the five hours like last weekend. I decide to watch the next Underworld movie, Underworld Evolution, to kill some time. Near the end of the movie, I get a text from Angela.

Hey MC Bells, wanna hit up the park with me?

Sure, what time? I'll bring Mindy... And my truck.

About an hour?

Sounds good! See you then :)

The movie finishes twenty minutes later, so I get dressed and head to the park early to maybe tire Mindy out so she isn't too hyper around Angela. It's warmer now than it was earlier in the week, the cold front having passed. With the warmer weather, it's starting to feel more like spring. The sun makes an appearance as I throw Mindy her Wubba toy again, causing the light to dance off of the rain water clinging to the grass. I look up, enjoying the warm rays on my face. It's been two weeks since I've felt the warmth of the sun, but it's not the same as the one in Phoenix. What I hoped would put me at ease just makes me more homesick.

Just as I was starting to think of the things I miss back home, Angela shows up, playing tug of war with Mindy and her toy. She gives me a slight smile and wave as she throws the toy behind her. She doesn't say anything, giving me some space and playing with Mindy for me. She must have sensed something from me and is giving me a chance to collect myself. Angela is really an amazing friend. She isn't like any teenage girl I've met before, and I can't be more appreciative of her.

"Hey Angela, how's your weekend going so far?" I say after mentally shaking myself from my reverie.

"Not bad, considering it's barely started. Watched my brothers this morning while my parents went to the church to watch over the instillation of a new speaker system."

"You have brothers? What are their names?"

"Yeah, twin brothers actually. Josh and Isaac. They just turned twelve last month."

"Twins? Sheesh, they must be a handful."

"They can be. They're loud attention whores, but I still love and adore them."

I don't really know what else to say, so I decide to find out more about the rest of her family. "Are your parent's member's of the church where the speakers are being installed?"

"Actually, my dad is the minister of the local Lutheran church. I'm surprised you didn't know that, since that's mostly what I'm known for at school. The quiet, smart minister's daughter." She sounds a little dejected at this.

"I haven't heard anything, but even if I had, I make my own opinions about people. I don't put much stock in gossip and rumors." I say, giving her a small smile.

"I've noticed." She muses. "So, how are you feeling? Edward is back, but you still seem antsy. You aren't hung up on him, are you?"

"No, I'm not interested in Eddie, Lil' Ang'. I never really was..." I guess now is as good a time as any to get her off my back about Edward.

"Oh, really? You're always looking at their table at lunch and from what Eric said about how you act in Physics, I thought..." She trails off, looking down at her feet.

"Hey, don't worry. Your observations are still astute, just maybe a little skewed since you got some second hand information from Eric. Honestly, Edward creeps me out. I kept looking at their table for two reasons: one, to figure out what mood Edward is in. Gotta prep myself for Physics in case I get moody Eddie instead of the more rare friendly Ed. Secondly, I'd been talking to Alice in Drama and after school. She's cool, and I just look over to say hi to her." I say, not wanting to reveal I just like looking at Alice because she's so gorgeous.

"Oh, well... Now that you say that, it makes sense. I guess Eric needs a lesson in reading people, he threw me off my game." She says, throwing her hands up at the end in exasperation.

"No worries Ang, you still did well for what you had." I say, laughing at her antics.

"Thanks. Anyways, do you wanna come to my house and watch a movie? It's starting to get dark and I wanna hang out with you more. I'm sure my parents won't mind if Mindy comes too."

"Sure. If you don't mind squeezing in my truck, you can ride with us."

With that, we head to my truck. Mindy hops in as soon as I open the door and sits between me and Angela on the bench seat. It's a super short drive to Angela's house, so we make it in silence. Mindy bounds up to the door as soon as Angela opens the passenger side door of my truck, wagging her tail excitedly. Angela opens it, laughing at my dogs antics. I step in behind her and am greeted by the sound and sight of her brothers laughing as Mindy licks on of them and smacks the other lightly in the face with her tail.

"Bella, that's Isaac getting the kisses and Josh getting the beating. Guys, this is Bella and that is Mindy." She says, pointing at Mindy when she emphasizes that.

"Nice to meet you Bella. Your dog is awesome!" Isaac says.

"Easy for you to say, you got the good end." Josh says, spitting out fur and trying to get Mindy's attention away from his brother.

"We're gonna go watch a movie up in my room, if mom or dad ask about me." She says to them, ruffling Isaac's hair as she walks by him toward the stairs.

"Hey guys, want Mindy to stay down here or to come up with us?" I ask, knowing what their answer will be considering they've seemed to drop the controllers on the video game they were playing for Mindy.

"She can stay!" They exclaim in unison.

"Alright, be good Mindy." I say, patting Mindy's side as I follow Angela.

We head up to her room, and I'm surprised to see it is nothing like I thought her room would look. It seems her rap skills aren't the only thing she's hiding from everyone at school. The moment I walked in, the first thing my eyes are drawn to are all the posters on her walls. I was expecting quiet, smart, reserved Angela to have a bland and clean room. Instead, her walls are almost completely covered in various band, artist, and movie posters.

Upon further inspection, I see that the bands are mostly from the 60s-90s: Ozzy Osbourn, Queen, David Bowie, Aaliyah, Notorious BIG, and a few others. The movies are also pretty varied: Back to the Future, Pulp Fiction, Beetlejuice, The Breakfast Club, DUCK SOUP (What?), and more. I now see why I get along with Angela so much. She and I have similar tastes in movies and music. The whole time I'm looking at her walls, she is looking at me apprehensively. The rest of her room is pretty standard: bed, desk, dresser, bookshelf, and nightstand. The only difference between her room and mine (besides all the posters) is she has a TV on top of her dresser.

"You have a pretty awesome room. I'm guessing the posters represent some of your favorite music and movies?" I say, still looking around.

"Yeah, pretty much..." She says, self-conscientiously.

"Well, now I kinda wanna watch something by Quentin Tarantino." I say, noticing she has several of his movie posters up, compared to other directors.

"Yeah, he's one of my favorites. Which movie? I have pretty much all of his."

"Hmm... Death Proof or Inglorious Basterds."

She walks over to a bookshelf next to her dresser and pulls out a DVD, popping it into the player next to her TV. She motions to her queen sized bed and I lay down. She starts to walk over to the bed, then snaps her fingers and says she'll be right back. I scroll through Instagram on my phone while I wait. She returns after a few minutes with a big bowl of popcorn and two cans of Sprite. She lays down, putting the bowl between us and handing me one of the sodas.

She turns on the TV and the DVD menu for Death Proof is playing. She hits play and I eat some popcorn while I watch the 70s inspired "Our Feature Presentation" pop up on the screen, followed by the black panther intro showing it's a "Restricted" film. I find myself looking at Jungle Julia's ass as she walks to her window to look out at her friends. I can't help but compare it to Alice's, and decide Alice has a much nicer ass from what I saw in gym.

Angela and I watch the movie in a wonderful silence. I hate when people talk during movies, making me miss dialogue. When it gets to the part where Stuntman Mike convinces Butterfly/Arlene to give him a lap dance, I find myself imagining myself sitting on the chair and Alice giving me the lap dance to Down in Mexico by The Coasters. I take a sip of the Sprite and start trying to think of something else, not wanting to get turned on in Angela's bed and make her uncomfortable.

I start rocking out with the girls in the movie when Hold Tight! by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick, and Tich starts playing. No matter how much I love these kinds of movies, there are certain types of scenes that make me flinch. Arlene having her face ripped off by the still spinning tires of Stuntman Mike's 1970 Chevy Nova is one of them. I see Angela smirk at me from the corner of my eye when I do that, prompting me to give her a light smack on her bicep.

We finish the movie, me avoiding any more flinching since the worst of the gore was pretty much over at that point. It's pretty late now, so I decide it's best to head home. I head downstairs to find Angela's brothers asleep, laying their heads on an also sleeping Mindy. Angela and I smile at the sight, and I almost suggest letting Mindy stay so they aren't disturbed and just picking her up in the morning, when Angela's mom walks in and wakes them up, sending them off to bed.

"Hello Bella, I'm Zoe. You have such a well behaved dog. Although, it's gonna be hard to deny the boys one now after having her over for the evening. Did you enjoy your movie?"

"Yes ma'am, I did. Thank you for having me. And thanks on behalf of Mindy, she is a great dog. And you've raised some wonderful and smart kids, Mrs. Weber. I'm lucky to have become friends with Angela." I say, beaming at her daughter, who smiles back.

"Well, I hope you won't be a stranger. You drive home safe, and be sure to text Angela when you get home so we know you're okay."

"Yes ma'am, I will. I'll see you at school Monday Angela. I'll text you when I get home. Come on Mindy!"

Mindy following behind, I get in my truck and head home. I text Angela, as promised, when I walk in the door. Charlie is passed out on the couch, TV still on and empty beer bottles on the table. I clear up the bottles, turn the TV off, and gently nudge him awake and send him upstairs. He doesn't say a word, just mumbles as he stalks off upstairs. I follow close behind, showering, brushing my teeth, and slipping into bed with Chip and Mindy. I fall asleep almost the moment my head hits the pillow.

I wake up Sunday having slept soundly, no nightmares plaguing my dreams. Charlie went off to go fishing with his buddies on the Res, so I spend the day exactly as I did the previous Sunday. Watching TV, reading, doing homework, and ending with making dinner. I had debated on messaging or calling Alice, but thought better of it since she'd probably ignore them like she had me all week. I did get a break from the normal after lunch, when I got a call from Jessica.

"Hey Bella, how's it going?"

I notice she sounds like she doesn't really care. I want to make this quick too, so I try to rush my response as best I can, while also trying to be polite.

"Not bad I guess. Pretty boring, lazy day. You?"

"Same. So, Bella... I was wondering what you think about me asking Mike to the Spring Dance?"

Yep, she doesn't care.

"I think that'd be great! You guys would make a cute couple, for sure." I say as genuinely as I can, since it would be true.

"I think so too! Are you sure you don't mind though?"

"Yeah, why would I mind?"

"Well, I kinda thought you would ask him. Seems like he likes you..."

Oh geez, she's sounding all uncertain and what-not. I better nip this in the bud...

"Jessica, I promise. I'm not interested in Mike. You should ask him, for sure."

"Thanks Bella! Hey, are you even gonna go to the dance?"

She must have finally realized I don't want Mike, cause she sounds like she really cares now

"No, I don't dance. I think I'm just gonna go to Seattle or Olympia that weekend and check out some book stores or something."

"Oh, well that's too bad. Well, I'll see you at school tomorrow. Have a good night!"

"Yeah, see you tomorrow. Night!"

I've decided it's late enough to go to sleep out of boredom now. So, after getting ready for bed, I laid down with Mindy and Chip. I was laying down, mind reeling over what the day will bring tomorrow, when I decided it would be best to just get over Alice. Since she obviously wants nothing more to do with me, I figure I'll show her the same courtesy. And with that miserable thought, I went to bed.

I wake up the usual way, cold nose and jelly beans in my face. Only this time, I notice my room seems brighter. I get up and go to the window and see that it is sunny with not a cloud in sight. I'm hesitant to get excited though, so grab my phone and look at the hourly weather forecast. Now I can get excited, since this is supposed to last all day. I go through my usual routines, and despite the fact it's going to be warmer out, I still wear my jeans and hoodie. I eat a quick breakfast, tell Charlie bye while giving Mindy and Chip scratches, and make my way to school.

I pull in with only ten minutes until the bell, but I stop in my tracks when I notice the empty space where the Cullen's usually park. I remind myself I'm supposed to forget about them and head to class. Mike and Eric are unusually quiet during and between classes. I contemplate what I could have done to bring it on, but can't think of anything.

When I get to lunch I instinctively look up to the empty Cullen table as I start to sit down. With nothing to look at, I look away to Jessica, who is the only one sitting at our table, since the others are still in line. She only has a small salad, which must be how she beat us to the table. She is just pushing the lettuce around on her tray, frowning and appearing deep in thought. Despite how annoying she is, it worries me to see her not being her usual gossipy self.

"Hey Jess, you okay?" I find myself asking, concernedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She replies, not at all convincing.

"Did you ever get around to asking Mike to the dance?" I ask hesitantly, not wanting to make her mood worse.

"No, I'm too nervous! What if he says no?" She says, looking up at me finally, the fear of rejection clear in her eyes.

"Well, what if he would have said yes, but you didn't ask? Wouldn't that be worse? Besides, how could he say no to you." I finish with a wink.

"I guess that's true. Do you really think he'll say yes?" She asks again, sounding less unsure than before.

"Definitely. Although, Mike is a bit dense, so he may take a minute to understand what's going on. Don't let that freak you out though." I roll my eyes when I mention Mike's intelligence.

"Thanks Bella. I'll ask-" She is cut off when I give her a pointed look, signaling that the others are heading our way.

Everyone sits down and immediately start talking about the upcoming La Push trip, which they decided is back on for this weekend, since it's supposed to be sunny again. When the details for that are finalized, there is a bit of talk about the dance. However, it seems no one at our table have dates yet, so that quickly dies. I had been glancing up to the Cullen table sporadically while we talked, which apparently Jessica and Angela noticed.

"They aren't gonna show up today, Bella." Jessica says, after the 8th time I looked over to the empty table.

"Whenever the weather is nice, their parent's pull them out for hiking or other outdoorsy trips" Angela added.

"I tried to guilt my parent's to do that too. You know, 'we don't spend enough time together guys! What better way than a nice hike to the Sol Duc Falls or Marymere Falls?' Yeah, no dice there." Jessica says, adding a pout at the end. Admittedly, it's kind of cute and makes me chuckle a bit.

"Yeah. I tried that with my folks too, but they always say they'd rather sell hiking gear rather than use it." Mike chimes in.

The bell rings and we all get up, dispose of our trays, and head to class. Unsurprisingly, Edward isn't there. Class continues just as boringly, and then it's off to a Drama class sans Alice. Mrs. Goff accepted that I don't want to try out for any acting parts, so I had convinced her to let me do the lighting, design the posters, and design programs on the computer.

I had taken a web design class the first semester and graphic design class the second semester of my freshman year, computer programming the first semester and animation the second semester of my sophomore year, and my first semester this year I had taken video game development and had started taking music production before moving out here. While I only did one semester of each course, I continued on my own learning more about each subject on the computer I convinced Charlie and Renee to get me as a combined birthday/Christmas present my freshman year.

In PE, we moved on from basketball to Track, joy. I managed to only trip and fall on my own once, miraculously. However, I did get tripped another two times by Lauren and one of her wanna-be lackey's who I don't even know the name of. I couldn't think of a decent way to get her back, since just running isn't exactly my forte. I also want this stupid feud to just end already.

We finished, I'll probably have some gnarly bruises tomorrow on my legs, and made it to the locker room. I changed, made it to my truck, and just continued my day. I did my homework while dinner cooked and I listened to some Eminem. I decided on making pork chops, Au Gratin potatoes, and roasted broccoli. Charlie managed to make it home not long after dinner was done.

"Heya kiddo, how was school?" He asks, scooping potatoes and broccoli on his plate that already has three pork chops on it.

"It was alright. Pretty boring, like usual. I'm gonna be designing some posters and stuff for the school play. Do you think we can have mom ship the computer you guys got me out here? I'd rather use that and the programs I already have on it than what they have at school."

"I don't see why not. I'll talk to your mom about it later and we can work something out." He says with his mouth full of potatoes.

"Awesome, thanks dad. How was work? Any news on that animal?"

"No problem Bells. I'm sure that clunker upstairs can't handle much more than writing up your papers. Let alone designing posters and such. Anyway, work was okay. No news on that animal. There haven't been any attacks lately, not since the ones in King County. I doubt they're over though. Each attack has had about three or four weeks between them. King County was about two weeks ago, so animal control and forest rangers are keeping an eye out in the parks over the next few weeks on the entire west side of Washington."

"Do you think people should be alerted so they can hold off on hiking until it's caught?"

I suddenly remember the Cullen's being out of school today, and that Jessica and Angela said it's usually so they can go hiking. I find myself worried for Alice, and debate texting her just to make sure she's okay. I'm not petty enough to not worry about her well-being, even though she has apparently done that to me.

"Well, there are already signs warning people at all the major national parks and trail heads about a dangerous animal that could be in the area, but besides that, we can't stop people from enjoying nature. We just gotta hope we can catch it before it hurts anyone else." He finishes as he takes the last bite of his pork chop.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Well, I hope it's caught before it can attack again. And you better be safe out there." I say, giving him the sternest look I can, which just makes him chuckle at me.

"Always am Bells. I don't wanna suffer your wrath now, do I?" He says as he helps me put away leftovers and bring the dishes to the sink.

"Nope, I can be pretty scary." I say, popping my Ps.

"I don't doubt it. Oh, by the way. I managed to snag us some tickets to the first Storm game on May 25th. They'll be going against the Phoenix Mercury." He says, giving me a wink at the end.

"Of course you did." I say, rolling my eyes as I hand him a plate to dry.

"So, who are ya gonna cheer for? I know you grew up in Phoenix, but I home Washington has grown on you over the last couple weeks..." He says, trailing off at the end.

"Dad, if you want to know if I'm enjoying my time here so far, just ask. Yes, Washington isn't so bad. And yes, I will probably cheer for the Storm. Mostly because I don't want to get beat up by some crazy fan while I'm in their stadium."

"Ah Bells, you know I wouldn't let that happen. But still, good call." He says, laughing as he dries the last dish.

"I know dad. Anyway, let's go watch a game. What is it tonight, baseball?"

"Yep, Mariners vs. Giants."

And with that, we retire to the living room. I send Alice a quick text, still worried about her and her family after the talk with dad about the wild animal on the loose:

Hey Alice, I heard from some friends at school that you and your family go hiking when the weather is nice, and my dad was telling me about a wild animal on the loose that's been attacking hikers in national parks. Just want to make sure you guys are okay.

After a few minutes, I get a text back:

We're fine. Thank you for your concern. Have a good night, Bella.

Well, it's good to know they're okay. Still seems like she want's nothing to do with me though, so I'll just leave it at that. So, I actually pay attention to the game, not in the mood to read. I don't know much about baseball, but I learn a bit as I listen to dad talk to the screen and the announcers. I also find myself asking him questions every once in a while, which he seems pleased to answer. I guess he's happy I'm taking an interest in something he enjoys.

Around 10pm I head up to shower and go to bed. Alice still hadn't messaged back, so I guess she is still avoiding me. Considering I should be used to this by now, not only with how she ignored me all week, but with what I went through back in Phoenix, it still hurts. I put on some Evanescence and drift off to sleep to Cloud Nine.

The next day, I arrived to school to find the Cullen's usual spot sporting the silver Volvo. None of the occupants were present though, which isn't surprising since I only have five minutes to get to class. Mindy and Chip didn't wake me up as early as usual, and I fell back asleep after turning off my alarm. I run to class, tripping a few times along the way, and manage to make it inside just as the bell rings. Mr. Mason gives me an amused look before turning back to the roster to mark off everyone who is present while I head to my seat.

After class, Eric stays back and seems to be nervous about something. I give him a moment to gather his thoughts, while I slowly collect my things. He still doesn't say anything, so I just start walking out to the hallway and towards class, Eric following next to me. After the hall clears for the most part, Eric finally speaks up.

"Hey Bella?"

"Whats up, Eric?" I ask worriedly. Eric sounds nervous about something.

"I was just wondering... Would you go to the Spring Dance with me?"

"I thought it was supposed to be girl's choice?" I ask, surprised by the question.

"It is..."

"Thanks for asking me, Eric. But, I won't be in town that weekend. I'll be in Seattle." I decide that will be a decent enough excuse. I'll actually go to Seattle too, since I need some new books anyway.

"Oh, well. Okay then... Maybe next time." He says dejectedly and walks off toward his next class.

Feeling a little flustered, I walk into the Pre-Calc classroom. Mr. Varner isn't in yet, so I just sit down and start doodling on a scrap piece of paper. I look up and see Jessica standing next to Mike's desk, but I can't hear what they're saying. Suddenly, she hangs her head and heads back to her desk. I notice Mike glance my way, before looking back down to his textbook as Mr. Varner walks in.

Deciding to ask about it later, I listen to the Devil Incarnate blather on about stealing our souls with math problems before the bell finally rings. Jessica and Mike practically run out of the room, so I just continue to History, hoping Angela knows what's going on. She isn't there yet, when I walk in, so I just sit down and copy down the assignment written on the board. We are going to pair up and start a project on the Jeffersonian Era. Looks like we can choose between several options to present our project, but my eyes are drawn to only one option. I hope we get to choose our partners...

Angela walks in, glances at the board, looks at me and then grins widely. She takes a seat, pulling out her textbook and winks at me as Mr. Jefferson starts class. He collects the homework from the weekend, goes over it, and then he starts explaining our project as he passes around a list of our topic choices and grading scale for each aspect of the presentation. Finally, he says we can choose our partners, which makes Angela immediately scoot closer to me, as he says we can use the last half hour of class to discuss the project.

"So, which one are you thinking we should do for our project? I'm not very artistic, so I dunno about the political cartoon or graphic novel options. What do you think?"

"I'm not terrible at drawing, so I was thinking the graphic novel. That okay with you?"

"Really? Awesome, it's worth more than the other options anyway. Now, which topic to choose... How about The Rise of Feminism in Early 19th Century America?"

"Oh, that sounds like it'll be fun. Let's do it!"

"Alright, let's have a backup though, just in case."

"Yeah, that's a good idea. How about... The Civil War from the South's Perspective? We mostly hear about it from the North's prospective. It'll be interesting to learn more about it from the other side."

"I can dig it. Alright, wanna meet up this weekend to work on it? I'm kind of busy during the week taking my brothers to their baseball practices and my own practices with Academic Decathlon."

"Sure, I can get started on some images at least, then we can go over the wording when we get together."

With that, the bell rings and we head to lunch together. Along the way we decided to start the novel with the first wave of feminism that is believed to have started with the American Woman Suffrage Association and focus on some of it's key members, then do something major for each decade until we get to the 1920s, when women gained the right to vote. Since we are more focused on the 19th and very early 20th centuries, we figure we shouldn't include the second wave this time around.

We are still talking as we gather our food and sit down, me looking up at the Cullen table out of habit. I had almost forgotten they are back in school, so pause when I see them all sitting quietly and looking everywhere around the room except each other. Rosalie is looking at her nails, Emmett is looking intently at the wall across the room, Jasper is looking out the window, Edward is playing with a banana on his tray (mutilating it is more accurate), and Alice... Alice is looking at me again, a frown on her face as her eyes bore into mine.

Seeing Alice looking anything but happy is just wrong, so despite everything that's happened this past week, I smile at her and give her a slight wave. It seems to have worked, thank goodness, because the corners of her mouth twitch upwards and she gives me a slight wave back, her eyes showing relief. With that, I turn my attention back to the table.

Eric seems to have recovered well from my rejection, which I'm glad for. I listen to him and Mike squabble over if they think Alita: Battle Angel will get a sequel. Needless to say, after agreeing Fox would be stupid if they didn't a sequel, I kept out of it until the bell rang. Jessica never came to the table, which had me a bit worried, but I figure I'll ask her about it after school.

Edward is already seated at our table when I get to Physics. I sit down, giving him a polite and formal greeting, which he returns with just a nod. While I'm getting out my notebook from my book bag, Mike walks over looking sheepish. With a quick glare at Edward, he looks at me and takes a deep breath.

"So... Jessica asked me to the dance." He said, looking at me expectantly. I know what he's expecting, and he is about to be let down.

"That's awesome! You guys will have a ton of fun, dude." I say as enthusiastically as possible, plastering a huge grin on my face.

"Well, I actually told her I'd have to think about it." He says, looking disappointed.

"Bro, why would you do that?" I say, throwing the bro in to subtly get across that I think of him as a friend, nothing more. Although, this is Mike. And I wasn't lying when I told Jessica he's dense.

"Well... I was wondering if maybe... You were planning on asking me..."

I notice out of the corner of my eye Edward tilt his head in our direction, and feel a small wave of anger at his nosiness.

"Mike, you should tell Jessica yes..." I say, not wanting to hurt Mike's feelings and humiliating him by telling him flat out in front of Edward that I'm not interested.

"Did you already ask someone?" He says, his eyes focusing on Edward for a moment.

I grimace, disgusted at the implication that I would even be interested in a guy who creeps me the fuck out. "No, I'm not going to the dance."

"Oh, why not?" He asks, seemingly a little more relieved that I'm not turning him down for someone else.

"I just don't do dances. Besides, I'll be in Seattle that weekend."

"Can't you go another weekend?" He asks a little too forcefully for my taste.

"Seriously Mike, tell Jessica yes. You'll have fun! Besides, I think you guys make a cute couple." I start to reply icily, out of frustration, but manage to reel it in.

"Oh, well alright. I'll tell her after school I guess..." He trails off as he turns to head back to his desk.

I can feel Edwards gaze on the back of my head as I watch Mike saunter back to his table, so turn around and glare at him.

"Enjoy the show?" I ask, anger evident in my tone.

"Sorry, but it was kind of hard not to overhear. And, I'm sorry about the last week. It was rude of me to ignore you."

I wanted to say I enjoyed not having to talk to him, since he gives me bad vibes. But, he does freak me out and I don't want to poke the bear, so I just focus on Mr. Banner, who's started the lesson now. I take notes, fully aware that Edward hasn't taken his eyes off me this entire time. I'm relieved when Mr. Banner, noticing Edward not focusing on him, asks him a question. I can tell he is reluctant to turn away, but answers Mr. Banner correctly and keeps his gaze forward the rest of the class.

As I'm packing my things when the bell rings, I notice Edward didn't dart out like usual. Instead, he addresses me. "Bella?"

"Yes, Edward?" I say, not able to hide the annoyance from my voice.

He doesn't seem to notice though. "I just wanted to apologize again for my behavior. I just, I feel it's better if we aren't friends. It's for the best. The same goes for Alice and the rest of my family."

Now I feel a red hot anger pass through me. Is he seriously trying to tell me who I can and can't be friends with? Oh, hell no.

"Well, that's perfectly fine with me. I guess you feel it's too bad that van didn't crush me then, huh? You wouldn't have to deal with me anymore, if it had succeeded. And by the way, I'll be friends with whoever the fuck I want to." I reply, snatching up my bag and storming out the door.

"Bella!" He calls, firmly grabbing my hand as he easily keeps pace with me.

I try to jerk my hand away from his, but his grip is too firm. It's also cold, which startles and unsettles me. The school keeps the temperature pretty warm inside, so he shouldn't be so cold. I pull several more times, and he never loosens his grip. If anything, it tightens painfully. People start to stare, which he looks around and notices. Finally, he lets me go and drops his hand to his side.

"Bella, I said it's best if we weren't friends, not that I don't want to be." He says, not perturbed by my reaction.

"Well, I don't want to be friends with you, Edward. And if you touch me like that again, I'll be sure to tell my dad. You know who he is right? The Chief of Police?" I spit out.

He glares at me after that. You'd think I'd be used to that by now, but it still sends a shiver down my spine. He manages to put so much hate behind it. After a few moments, he turns and walks away in the opposite direction. I start to walk away too, but I can't help but want to make sure he isn't following me again. I glance over my shoulder and don't see him in the crowd. When I stop to look closer, I can just make out bronze hair bobbing toward the other side of the building in the sea of students. I breathe a sigh of relief and head to Drama.

Alice isn't sitting next to Patrick today. Instead, she is back in her previous seat next to me. I pause for a moment at the bottom of the stairs, not sure if I should find a different seat. I get my answer though when Alice, looking in my eyes, pointedly pats my seat. I trudge my way up and sit down next to her, but avoid looking over at her as I pull out my notepad and start working on the poster designs for the play.

"Bella, I'm really really sorry about this last week. I-I just didn't know how to face you." Alice whispers next to me, sounding defeated.

I chance a glance at her, and feel a pang of sadness at the look on her face. She looks miserable, and I can't help but feel guilty that I had anything to do with it, even though I know it really isn't something I did to her directly.

"Alice, you saved my life. Why would you be scared to talk to me after that? I'm so thankful for what you did. I don't know how I can ever repay you for that." I whisper back, looking into her golden eyes.

"Well, I'm scared of what you think of me after the way I stopped the van. And Bella, if you can just forgive me for ignoring you and be my friend again, that would be more than enough for me." She responds, sounding desperate when she asks for my forgiveness.

"Alice, I'll be honest, I'm still trying to figure that part out. It's pretty unbelievable that you could just stop a 6,000lb van in it's tracks. But, you don't need to worry about that. I am determined to figure out how the hell you did it, but I won't tell anyone. As for forgiving you and being your friend again. I never stopped being your friend, despite what your brother wants. And I'll forgive you as long as you don't do that shit again."

"Yes! THANK YOU BELLA!" She exclaims, jumping into my arms and giving me a tight hug.

Before the accident, the strength she squeezes me with would have surprised me. Now though, I find it makes me feel safe and comforting. I hug her back, with a little less force that she does with me. After a moment, we break apart and she has an even bigger smile than I've ever seen on her, and I can't help but give her a toothy grin back.

"I promise, I won't ignore you again. That was stupid of me, and I'll be sure to never do something so foolish again. And I won't stop you from trying to figure out how I did what I did. I wish I could tell you, I really do, but it isn't only my secret to tell..."

She rushes through her words, and I have a hard time keeping up until the end. With the last few words, she seems to slow down and trail off. The smile fades from her face as she looks up at me with a puzzled expression, tilting her head to the side in that adorable way again.

"Wait a second, what did you mean 'despite what your brother wants'?" She asks, getting a fire in her eye I've never seen before.

"Well, Edward said he feels it's best he and I shouldn't be friends. He also mentioned I shouldn't be friends with you or any of your family. I told him I can be friends with whoever I want though, and kind of told him I didn't want to be friends with him... He left me alone after that, thank goodness."

"That fucking asshole! What is his problem?" She hisses, clenching her hand into a fist.

"I don't know and I don't care. I'm sorry Alice, but your brother freaks me out. I could care less what he thinks or if I see him again, to be honest with you. I'm sorry if that offends you, cause he's your brother and all..." I finish, realizing I just got her back and don't want to push her away by insulting her brother.

"No no, don't worry. He brought your opinions of him on himself. Although, I am curious why he freaks you out?" She asks, looking genuinely puzzled.

"It's going to sound stupid..." I say, looking down at my shoes.

"I highly doubt that. Try me." She says gently, making me look back up into her eyes which have lost most of that fire and now have a soft kindness to them.

"Well, several times over the past couple weeks I've smelled chocolate and strawberries in my room. When he came back from being sick, he walked by me and I smelled it again. It isn't a normal chocolate smell, it's somehow sweeter. A little too sweet. The first time I smelled it was after my first day at school, where something I seemed to have done made him want to change classes. I've also been having nightmares about him for the past couple weeks. I even woke up one time and swore I saw him in my room, but he disappeared. I know it's stupid. Besides the fact it's a pretty common smell, there's also no way he could be getting in my room at night! Right?"

"I'm so sorry my brother is creeping you out, Bella. I promise, I'll talk to him and put an end to it." She says resolutely. I didn't fail to notice her not answering my ending question, but figure maybe she feels she doesn't need to agree with me. It is pretty ridiculous.

"You don't have to do that Alice. I'm sure I'm looking way more into this than maybe I should."

"No you aren't Bella. If he is making you uncomfortable, that isn't okay. And if I'm going to redeem myself as your friend, I have to help you out with this." She says, giving me a halfhearted smile.

The bell rings now, and I didn't manage to get any work done on the poster. I'm going to have to work on it at home, adding to the pile of homework I already have. Alice, who I notice is deep in thought, walks with me to gym. She gets changed quickly and leaves me alone in the locker room to change. Now that she isn't next to me, clouding my thoughts, I can't help but start thinking that she was pretty quick to defend me, not Edward, and I'm not sure if I should feel elated by the fact or worried that maybe I'm not as crazy as I thought. Does he have a history of stalking girls or something?

Alice keeps pace with me as we run around the gym. I'm too out of breath to talk with her, so we run in silence. I trip a few times, but each time Alice grabs my arm and steadies me. With Alice next to me, Lauren seems to have backed off for now too. Just another, albeit smaller, reason to be elated that Alice and I are friends again.

When gym is over and we go to the locker room, Alice gets changed quickly and then turns to me.

"Hey Bella, I'm gonna go ahead and leave. I hope you don't mind? I want to walk home and figure out how to talk to Edward. I'll call you later, okay?" She says in a rush as she grabs her things and walks backwards to the door.

"Okay. Thanks Alice, for everything. And please be careful walking home." I say, giving her a small smile, which she returns.

"Of course, anytime Bells. And don't worry, I'm tougher than I look." She winks at me after that, knowing full well that I know how tough she really is.

When I get to the parking lot, I don't even look over to the Cullen's spot and just make a bee-line for my truck. I back out and am excited to head home, when I realize I'm cut off from the exit by a stupid silver Volvo. I notice there are no passengers, so Edward must be blocking the line to wait for his siblings. Oh, I hate him so much more right now. Cars behind me start honking in frustration, and I swear I can see Edward looking at me through his rear view mirror, laughing.

I'm startled when I get a knock on my window, only to look over and see Tyler. He still has some butterfly bandages on his face and a brace on the hand he uses to signal for me to roll down my window. I roll it down, exasperated. Surely he doesn't think this shit is my fault. He must see the fucking Volvo in front of me, right?

"Hey Tyler, I'm sorry dude, Edward's blocking me." I say, motioning to the car in front of me that I'm itching to ram with my monster of a truck.

"No, I noticed. I actually wanted to talk to you, so figured this was a perfect opportunity."

"Oh, what did you want to talk about?"

"Actually, I was wondering if you'd ask me to the Spring Dance." He asks with a grin.

"Bro, you have got to be kidding me. Do you not talk to Eric or Mike?"

"Yeah, they said you'd be in Seattle. I just figured you were blowing them off though."

"Well, I wasn't. I really am going to Seattle that weekend."

"No problem, there's always Prom!" He says and walks back to his car before I could even respond.

I can hear Edward laughing now, as his siblings open the doors to climb into his car. I flip him off and start inching forward, even more tempted to ram into him if only to make him stop laughing. The moment the last door closes though, he tears off.

On the way home, I received a text from Charlie saying he wouldn't be home in time for dinner, and to not wait up for him. Not feeling like cooking, I headed to Golden Gate Chinese restaurant and ordered a family sized meal to go. The moment I got home, I chowed down on some Sweet and Sour chicken, fried rice, and some pot stickers. While I ate, I entertained myself by playing with Mindy and Chip using the laser pointer. Watching dogs chase the little red dot is much more amusing than a cat, let me tell you.

When I finished eating and the animals are tired out, I started working on homework. I start with math, wanting to get the most soul-crushing out of the way first. I write my short essays for English fairly quickly, and am about to start on the end chapter questions for Physics when my phone rings. I'm excited to see that Alice kept her promise to call me. Although, now I'm worried about how her confrontation with her brother went.

"Hello?"

"Hey Bella, why did you sound like you didn't know who was calling? Did you not save me in your phone?" She asks, sounding a bit let down.

"No, I did. I just wasn't sure if it was you or if you managed to confront your brother and he took your phone after hiding your body in the woods somewhere." I respond, jokingly... Sort of. Edward does strike me as the psycho type.

"Actually, I haven't managed to talk to him yet. He just dropped my brothers and sister off at the front door and then took off."

"Oh. Well, maybe that's a good thing. You really don't need to talk to him about anything. I'm sure I'm just being paranoid anyway. I also really don't want to cause problems in your family."

"You aren't causing the problems Bella, Edward is. Besides, I can't stand the thought of you being scared, especially because of someone in my family... Oh, it sounds like he's home. I better go do this now before he runs away again. You have a good night. I'll see you tomorrow!" She hangs up in a hurry, not even giving me a chance to respond.

I push the worry I have for Alice and my possibly causing a rift within her family to the back of my mind as best I can while I continue with my homework. I finish the actual homework for the night and decide to continue killing time by working on the drawings for the graphic novel and posters. By the time I feel accomplished in that, it's 9pm and I decide to just get ready for bed early.

When I lay down, having gone through my nightly routines, I allow myself to bring my worry for Alice and her family to the forefront of my mind again. Alice seems to be taking my thoughts on Edward seriously, and it makes me wonder if maybe I'm not as paranoid as I thought. Is she going to confront him alone? I hope not. I know she is tough, but I wonder if her whole family is like her. If that's the case, Edward is probably still stronger than her, considering her small stature. I shiver, the thought of Alice getting hurt because of me making me panic. I need to try to get to sleep, because the sooner I do, the sooner I can wake up and get to school to see Alice.

Of course, telling myself to get to sleep doesn't mean my brain will actually let me do it. I laid in bed, staring at the back of my eyelids for a few hours after that thought before I finally did manage to get to sleep. My mind was racing with a variety of images. From Alice yelling that she hates me for ruining her family, to Alice bruised and bloody with Edward standing over her triumphantly. Thankfully, I can't remember the nightmares I had because of it.

Well, that's not true. I remember one of them.

Charlie must have gotten in late, because he isn't at the kitchen table like usual when I go down to let Mindy out and fix myself breakfast. I peek outside the front window and see his cruiser in the driveway, so I know he must still be asleep. I fix a pot of coffee and cook up some eggs, bacon, and toast for us, planning on leaving his plate in the microwave if he isn't down by the time I leave, which turns out to be the case. I wash my plate, let Mindy back in, and then head out to school.

I pull into my usual spot, since I'm a creature of habit. I turn off the truck and turn the volume down on Petrified by Fort Minor, since it's too loud now that it doesn't have to fight over the loud rumble of the engine. Not five minutes later, I notice the silver Volvo park in it's usual spot. However, I also notice the red convertible pull in and park closer to me. This strikes me as odd, since the Cullen's usually just take one car, and I would expect them to park next to each other.

Edward and Jasper get out of the Volvo, looking over at the convertible with disdain. Emmett, Alice, and finally Rosalie hop out of the convertible, Rosalie in the drivers seat. Figures, she would have a bright red convertible. Alice, spotting me watching, slowly makes her way over to my truck. The look on her face makes me think my earlier fear from last night is about to come true. She's going to tell me she want's nothing to do with me, that I ruined her family...

I get out of the truck when she gets close, bracing myself for the pain.

"Bella, I think we need to talk..."