It took about a week and a half to be able to move and breath without feeling sore and achy, though I was on stupid crutches for a few weeks. By the end of the first week, I had lost all patience with the entire student body, and actually got in trouble when Mr Hall overheard me threaten to beat my crazy-annoying lab partner in the face with them if he didn't stop trying to help me.

Thankfully I got back on two feet again just in time to keep my neurotic mother out of the loop.

Mom made it home from traveling in early November, which meant she wouldn't be here for Thanksgiving, and that made me pretty happy.

My mom is, well, crazy.

I love her of course, but whenever she comes in town, my life stays in disarray, and I'm one of those people that have to have order to my life.

She's a photographer, and travels all year round. When she first started traveling, I had felt abandoned, she was the only parent I had left, but it was the first time, probably in her entire life that she had liked something enough to stick with it as long as she had.

Ever since my father had died, she had been a pinball, bouncing around from one interest to another. But life insurance doesn't last long, and she nearly lost the house. So when I was in the ninth grade she applied for some photography job with a nature magazine. She may be crazy, but she takes some amazing pictures. It's not very often a person is able to do what they love and make good money doing it. I was just sorry she hadn't started sooner.

Not long after she started, she was able to go freelance, and now she worked under several different publications. More recently I had seen some of her stuff on the National Geographic website. And I think she had done some stuff in the past for Time Magazine. Since our families had always been so close, she had turned over temporary parental rights to Billy, and Rachel moved in with me so I could still stay in my own home.

Mom and I went to dinner and she grilled me about my life, told me all about hers, the places she'd been recently, and the places she was supposed to be going within the next year. She tried to talk me into letting her buy me a new wardrobe from some big city in Europe, but I wouldn't let her.

"Well, I didn't figure you would agree, so I already bought you something for your birthday."

"Nope, can't do that."

"Excuse me?"

"You missed the deadline. Once September is over, the option of giving presents is null and void."

"This one doesn't count under your stupid little qualifications. It's…...special."

"Special?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Now, I know you and I have extremely different opinions, but I really feel like I nailed it with this one. I really thought about it, and how you would feel about it-"

"You called Jake didn't you?"

"What? Now why would you think that?" She said, looking anywhere but at me. I swear, the woman couldn't lie to save her life.

"It's ok mom, I know you are busy, and I understand. I promise, it really doesn't bother me. It's enough that you care enough to try to get me something I like, and Jacob is the best way to do that."

"Really?"

"Absolutely."

"Ok, well, just keep in mind that you aren't mad at me." She said, looking over my shoulder.

Just then I heard a chorus of happy birthday come from behind me as the waitresses came around with a dessert for me. You would think I would be used to this by now with my mom, but somehow she manages to embarrass me every year.

"Bella, I swear, you have no sense of humor." She said, laughing after the last waiter walked away.

"Next year we're staying home."

"You said that last year." She smirked taking a big bite of cake.

"I know."

The next day she surprised the crap out of me. Well, 'surprise' is putting it mildly.

"You bought me a car?!" We were standing out in the driveway, in front of my 'surprise'.

"Yep." She said simply.

"Why?"

"Because it's bad enough you are here by yourself all the time, I want at least something in your life to be dependable."

"I have Jake! He's dependable!" I said pointing toward the front porch.

"Aww, thanks Bells! That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy." Jake grinned brightly from the porch swing.

"Not now." I snapped back.

"Bella," mom continued. "I'm not doing this with you. It's already done, bought and paid for. Why can't you just be grateful and take it?" I could tell she was getting exasperated, and a bit offended. I softened my tone.

"Oh mom, of course I'm grateful. I love it, I really do."

I really did. It was actually perfect for me.

"I just hate to see you spend so much money on me." I continued.

"Bella, honey, that's my job. I don't get to be a mom to you very much, so when I can, I'd like to be able to go all out for you. And as far as money goes, I've probably come out miles ahead of other girls' moms. You've never been into designer clothes, shoes, or purses. You don't buy tons of expensive makeup, and you really do deserve to have nice things. You've always been much more mature for your age compared to others, although I know my life decisions haven't helped. I trust you and know you would never give me or Billy any trouble. Overall, I'm a lucky mom." She said, looking like she might start crying.

Ok, I wasn't counting on this taking a sentimental turn.

"Well, Let's take it for a drive I guess!" I said, diverting the conversation.

Mom squealed and Jake jumped up and ran over to get in the backseat.

Man, I had loved my truck, but this? This was awesome. Smooth, quiet, good acceleration and braking, and most importantly, didn't shake you apart once you hit fifty! In fact, mom had to remind me to slow down a couple times. And I loved that it wasn't anything flashy, just a simple, muted green SUV, and not one of those huge monstrous ones either. Just a little Subaru Forester. Easy to fade into the background, especially in a place like this.

Absolutely perfect.

A couple weeks later was Thanksgiving, which ended up being the normal, quiet affair at my house that I had grown to love and cherish. Rachel came home, and they all came over for dinner at my house. It was one of my favorite holidays, because I felt like I was with my real family here.

I hated to say that without including my mom, but she was always so absent, she was more like an aunt or something. And that was ok, I had learned to accept it, and to me it was normal. As far as family went, people that I loved and trusted absolutely, people I could count on always, they were all right there, sitting with me around the table.

Unfortunately, the next few weeks were filled with stress for me. All my teachers were pushing papers and projects on us since the end of the semester was coming up, so in a little less than a month, I had two research papers due, as well as a creative writing assignment, which I absolutely sucked at. Give me a twenty page research paper, and I'll pour myself into it, no problem. Ask me to come up with a work of fiction, and I'm clueless.

I finally made the decision to ban Jake from the house for a week. I just couldn't get anything done with him around, and he was proving to be even more distracting lately, although I'm pretty sure it had more to do with me than him.

It was about 8:30 one evening, and I was sitting on the loveseat in front of the living room window, tweaking my history paper, when I first felt it. It was an incredibly strong sensation of being watched. I looked out into the woods surrounding the house and didn't see anything, and there wasn't another car in the driveway. I didn't have any neighbors, my house was set back in a little alcove of sorts, surrounded by woods on all three sides, as well as across the road that ran in front of the property, and no neighbors for a few miles in either direction. Usually an ideal setting, but in this case, not so much.

It was completely dark everywhere, and I couldn't see anything, but realized that because the lights were on inside, someone could be standing out there, just staring in, and unless they were right up against the window, I would have no idea. My heart rate went into overdrive at the thought of someone looking in, so I decided to go ahead and pull the blinds down on all the windows. I knew I was being ridiculous, but I also didn't care. After pulling down the ones in the living room, I walked across the foyer into the kitchen to close those blinds, and immediately jumped back into the hallway.

A face.

A white face blurred past the window quickly. It was there then gone within a second, like I blinked it away. But there was no detail. Whatever, whoever it was ran too fast. It was several long seconds later when I finally got the breath to scream. I ran to the kitchen door that led to the back deck to make sure it was locked, then to the front door.

Both were locked. I ran up to my room, (smart move Swan, trap yourself upstairs), kept the lights off, and grabbed the phone. I sat on my bed, listening for any sounds, and then trying to calm myself down before I made the call.

"Yello?"

"Jake! Hey!"

Ok, that was a little to perky. And a bit out of breath.

"Bells? What's wrong?"

"What? What do you mean? What makes you think something's wrong?"

"Well, first of all, it's only Wednesday, and I'm quarantined until tomorrow-"

"You're not quarantined, I hate when you say that."

"Second, you sound like you're on speed."

"Well, I just kinda freaked myself out a little bit."

"What do you mean?"

"Well..."

Now that I had calmed down a bit, I was starting to feel like it may have been my imagination.

"I kept feeling like someone was outside, watching me. I didn't see anyone, but it's so dark, so I was lowering the shades, and I was walking into the kitchen, and...you know what? This is stupid. Never mind."

"Bella! What. happened."

Woah, serious Jacob is serious.

"I thought I saw a face in the window. It blurred past real fast, so I'm not sure, it could have just been light reflecting off the window."

"You saw a face? I'm on my way over-"

"No! No no no, it's probably nothing, I haven't heard anything, nobody trying to get in or anything. I just needed to talk to you to calm down."

"No way Bells, I can't leave you by yourself over there."

"Jake, seriously, now that I'm calmed down, I really think it was nothing. It could have just been an animal or something. Besides, I'm here by myself all the time. I checked the doors, everything is locked up tight."

"You sure?"

"Yep. I'm just gonna go ahead and get my shower and watch some tv."

"Ok. Well keep your phone on you. And call me if you hear ANYTHING. Got it?"

"Yeah, sure."

"I mean it."

I was just getting ready to head to the bathroom when the phone rang and I screamed. Apparently I hadn't calmed down as much as I had though.

"He...hello?"

"Bella?"

"Geez Leah, you scared the crap out of me!"

"What's got you all freaked out."

"Oh nothing, I'm just seeing things."

"Seeing things? Please don't tell me your stupid creaky house actually produced a ghost."

"Oh, please don't even talk about that crap right now. Earlier I could have swore I saw a face in one of the kitchen windows."

"Eww! A peeper?"

"No. Well, I don't know. It was like a real quick blur. I can't remember any details, just a white face with dark eyes. You know what? Change the subject. What's up?"

"Well, I know we kind of made up, but I wanted to actually formally apologize for what happened that day. What I said was-"

"Leah, no. I promise, it's fine."

"No! No, it's not. Just let me get through this. The way I treated you, what I said to you, I really crossed a line. I mean, just thinking back on it, I can't even tell you how much I hated myself for it, how much I still hate myself for it. If I ever heard anyone ever talk to you like that, I wouldn't have thought twice about beating them unconscious."

"Leah," I said when I felt like she had finished. "I know you didn't mean it. I know you were just hurting and lashing out. I didn't stay away because of what you said, I just really didn't know what else to do, other than just give you time and space."

"I know you're exceptionally understanding, but I also know you, and you would never tell me if it did hurt you. And you aren't a robot, so I know it hurt. Hell, it hurt me to say it. I just, I want you to know that I never meant any of that, not even the slightest, and you are my sister."

"Aww, you mean we're besties?" I said in my fake valley girl accent, trying to lighten the mood.

"Shut it Swan. I told you I'm sorry, I feel really bad, now let's move on." She said with a small laugh.

"You truly know how to speak to my heart. besides, I told you I forgave you, maybe you should be the one to -" I gasped when I heard the banging on the door.

"Bells? You ok?"

"I...I...There's someone at the door."

"Then go open it idiot."

"Leah! What if it's the face I saw?"

"I don't think faces knock."

"You know what I mean!"

"You mean the face you supposedly saw? Yeah. But I'm pretty sure murderers don't knock on doors."

"Maybe they're extra polite."

"Oh yeah. 'Excuse me ma'am, if you wouldn't care to move away from the couch, I'm afraid the blood spatter will soil the upholstery.' Go open the damn door!" As if on cue the pounding got louder, and I heard a muffled voice yell something. I started slowly down the stairs and heard the voice call out my name again.

"Seriously?" I huffed in both frustration and relief when I recognized the voice." Leah, I'll call you back."

"Yeah, sure." I heard her laugh before I hung up, and realized she had kept me on the phone for a reason.

I stomped down the stairs and ripped the front door open.

"What did I tell you?" I demanded to the imposing figure standing in the doorway.

"I really don't care what you told me." He said with a smirk as he pushed past me to come in. "I told you I couldn't leave you here by yourself."

"Jake," I sighed at him. I couldn't be mad at him. I probably would have done the same thing. And deep down, I really did feel better for him coming. So I just wrapped my arms around him and hugged him to me.

"Geez, you're soaked!"

"Yeah, I had to drive the bike over. The rabbit's been giving me some trouble."

"Great, as if I didn't feel bad enough. Well come on, you get the shower first. I'm sure I've got plenty of your old clothes around here. Oh, and you can't drive that thing home tonight."

"Wasn't planning on it." He said grinning.

"Alright, I'll drive you home after you shower."

"Nooo, what I meant was that I'm staying over tonight."

"Ok, that is completely unnecessary."

"Isabella Swan, are you saying you don't appreciate my company?" He asked in mock hurt. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Shower. Now." And pointed up the stairs.

Two showers and a pot of macaroni and cheese later, we were snuggled under the blankets, watching 'Wipeout' reruns. It had felt like forever since we had done this, when really it had only been a couple of months.

"I've missed this." I mumbled, scooting closer to him and his warmth.

"Me too."

"I hate that you moved schools."

"I know."

"I was kinda worried that you would move on, find other friends, other people you had more in common with." He raised up and looked at me in the eye.

"Wait, what?" He asked, looking at me like I was truly insane.

"I mean, I know we're close, but now you're surrounded by people you have a lot more in common with, everyone at that school is Quileute.

And I'm sure there are girls there who-"

"Woah! First of all, seriously? Bella, this isn't just a friendship. This is…...so much more."

And there it was, that tightening in my chest and abdomen, the one I couldn't explain, but had been happening more and more often.

Was it hope?

"I just, I don't want to hold you back, I don't want to be the reason you missed out on...something."

"Bella, as long as I'm with you, I'm not missing out on anything. And if you were 'holding me back', that would imply I wanted to be somewhere else, and there is nowhere else I would want to be. I mean, come on. You think I would drive in the freezing rain for just anyone?"

I couldn't help but let a small smile show through.

"I think you do that more for the food than for me." I tried my distraction technique again. He chuckled and the tension lifted.

"That's true, you do make some wicked good mac and cheese." He said, rolling his eyes.

"Hey! I wasn't planning on you coming over! I guess I'll just have to keep some pork chops around in case you show up."

"Yeah, sure. Alright, it's late and as much as I hate to say it, we have to go to school in the morning."

We snuggled in and I fell asleep with his arm draped over me, listening to the sleet hit the windows.