I've never liked hospitals. They always reminded me of the Accident. It was too clean, too neat, too claustrophobic. But I had to be here for Mom, and I guess to check myself out too according to Edward. They had me on a bed next to my mom and I was currently surrounded by Cullens. The doctor himself, his wife, and Edward. I found out once I was in his car that Alie and Jasper were also inside - Rosalie and Emmett rode in a different car and went on ahead to the house to get Esme. For what reason, I don't know. This whole family baffled me, sincerely.

I was brought away from my racing thoughts by Dr. Cullen standing in front of me now. I looked up at him and gave him what I hoped was a smile, but probably turned out to be more of a grimace. He smiled back.

"Your mother will be fine. She'll have a few minor stitches for the cut on her forehead, and have to take something for the pain, but she'll be making a full recovery before you know it," he relayed."

I tried harder to give him a proper smile, he deserved as much for treating my mom. "Thanks, Doc. I appreciate it."

He nodded. "Now, how about we see about that potential concussion Edward mentioned."

I noticed Esme move to fluff my mother's pillows and Edward beside his father hanging on to every word he spoke like he understood the medical terminology. I couldn't focus any longer on that thought because Dr. Cullen began his examination. He shined a light in my eyes, made me follow his finger as he moved it, felt for bumps, the whole nine yards. In the end he concluded the ringing in my ears meant I had a concussion, so no sleep.

As he put away his tools, he said, " If you want, I could have one of my children keep you company. I'm sure Alice would love to."

I looked at him in disbelief. "Are you just sacrificing your children to me? I could be a demon and be awful and make them cry. Really."

He chuckled at that, as did Esme and Edward, the latter having to cover his mouth from smiling too wide - bet it would ruin his image. "I'm sure you wouldn't. You'll find my children are rather… extraordinary," he said, hesitating on the last word, but ultimately smiling.

I still felt rather uncomfortable with the idea and knew he could tell, but nodded anyway. He told me Edward would drop Alice off later than, reassuring me Alice was lovely.

"Oh, I know that much, she seemed wonderful when she visited. It's me I'm worried about," I muttered. I felt a hand on my shoulder. The same frigid sensation captivated me. I glanced up to see Dr. Cullen smiling once more. He was staring at me intently, almost as if he wanted to communicate with me, but I couldn't crack the code. I just nodded along.

He let me leave, insisting Esme would drop my mom up when she awoke, something about also having to decide on designs for a client. That meant Edward was left to take me home. It was an awkward time, zero out of ten, would not recommend. He would just glance over periodically and frown, throwing me off. I know I had mood swings, but this boy needed help too. I settled for crossing my arms and assuming there would be no conversation for the twenty minute drive.

"Is there anything you want to ask?" I raised an eyebrow and looked at him questioningly. Guess he didn't get the quiet-time-in-car memo.

"Not particularly, why?"

He shrugged as he turned a corner. "Most people do when they move. Especially when they've had an exciting few days like you."

I snorted. "Oh, I'm sure. Nothing like a break in to warm you up to a place. And nothing like a car crash to make it even more special. Don't see that happen back to back every day."

He smiled without looking over. He took a hand off the wheel to crack open the window. "I should say sorry in Jasper's place, but I think he should apologize for the shock he gave you," he said.

I glared at him for bringing up that topic, but then tilted my head to the side questioningly. "How'd you know about that?" He gave me a look. I nodded. "Right, siblings. Well, he should apologize himself. That wasn't funny. In fact, that was borderline harassment. I mean, who takes someone to some place secluded and pulls that shit?" I sighed. "These people were right."

"Let me guess. They said we're in incestuous relationships and are freaks?" He glanced over at me for confirmation.

I'm sure I looked a little embarrassed to say the least. "Maybe not in those exact words," I mumbled.

He chuckled. "Heard it before."

I looked over. "You know, you all seem to hear a lot. Is this town really that small that everyone knows everyone's business?"

Edward seemed to consider his words before ultimately saying, "Not if you try."

"What does that mean?"

"You'll find out some day."

I frowned and faced forward again. "You know, you sound like you're older than you actually are. What teenager speaks that cryptically? Honestly, my guy, catch up to the present day."

He bit his lip, but said nothing else on the subject. The rest of the drive was quiet. Edward Cullen, I was convinced, was weird. The rest of the family too, but him especially. He seemed… wise wasn't the right word - more like nosy and too well-spoken for his age. I've met mature kids, sure, and a lot of the time mature just meant traumatized from a young age; he was adopted like the rest of his siblings so that checked out. I just couldn't seem to place why he was how he was. I didn't know the guy. I didn't know the family. I didn't know anything about this godforsaken town and it bothered me to my core.

We arrived at the house not soon enough. I thanked Edward for the ride and offered him something to drink for the hassle, but he refused. I shrugged it off and walked into the house. Leaning back against the front door, I sighed deeply and let my body relax for the first time in what seemed like days.

I let my backpack drop to the floor and trudged into the kitchen. I deserved food. Pulling out leftovers from last night to reheat, I turned on the TV to the news. I listened to it in the background, listening for talk of the woods and stuff, anything to let me know the person was still loose. I knew I wouldn't be sleeping today, and mom probably had enough work to keep her awake throughout the night, so I didn't have to worry about her. What I had to worry about was keeping up with Alice Cullen. She was fashionable, exuberant, intelligent, and overall a perfectly fine human from what I could tell. She had good takes in English, spoke with a passion, and I admired that. Not that I'd say it aloud, but it was a nice thought to have.

I sipped my water and stared out the window. I knew I had to call my psych soon, I should have already, but oh well, shit happened. Literally. She'd probably get on my ass about increasing dosages, and I wasn't ready to have that conversation, not when everything was turning on its head. I sighed deeply and sadly, feeling it from my toes to my brain, and knew today would be even longer.

The bell rang and I figured it had to be Alice. Putting away the dish and glass in the sink, I made my way back to the front door, kicking my bag aside while I was at it. Once the door was opened, I knew it was a bad idea.

There stood Alice Cullen, but not with Edward Cullen, no. Jasper was there too, leaning against a black motorcycle. Before I could help myself, I quipped, "Is it even legal for teenagers to have motorcycles?"

Alice beamed and Jasper - I saw even from far away - smirked. "The Chief is rather lenient when he has other things to worry about," he called back. He made his way over to the front door and out his arm around Alice. "Surprised you didn't hear us coming."

I sneered, not quite over his actions from earlier today. I chose to instead focus on his sister and smile at her. "It's good to see you again, Alice."

"Same here!" She reached into her tote and pulled out a few notebooks. "I figured we could catch up on some homework since you couldn't sleep, so I brought over Jasper's notes from last year. Mrs. Alcaster never changes the curriculum."

I smiled tightly. "Oh, good. Thanks." I stepped to the side and let them come in, yes, both of them, no matter how much I wanted to literally kick Jasper to the curb, him and his stupid motorcycle. I settled for kicking the door closed behind me, shutting with a satisfying bang. I watched as they made their way to the center of the living room and idly looked around.

"You can sit, you know? Or if you want we can go up to my room. It's still a little messy from moving, but if you're okay with that…" My sentence trailed off as I saw Alice light up.

She turned to me so fast I wondered how she didn't break her neck. "Do you mind if I look through your clothes?"

I stared at her confused, wondering what the catch was. Jasper seemed to catch on because he explained. "Alice's hobby is fashion. Stick around long enough and you'll see she never repeats an outfit."

"Over my dead body," she emphasized.

I nodded and kept my thoughts to myself. Seemed weird to not repeat outfits, I mean, what do you do with the clothes later? I shook the thoughts away as I led the two up the stairs. I didn't know them, I didn't know them, I didn't know them, who am I to judge? Whatever.

I sat down on my bed and gestured towards the closet as an open invitation. Jasper took a seat at my desk, sitting backwards on the chair. I saw reason enough to ask why his brother couldn't make it.

"So, how come Edward couldn't bring you, Alice?"

She flicked through the hanging fabrics as if she belonged there - some part of me wanted to smile seeing that. "Eddie had to run an errand."

I laughed at the nickname. The siblings glanced over at me questioningly. "I'm sorry," I said, snorting again. "I just can't imagine someone like him going by 'Eddie'."

Jasper tilted his head, looking like he was considering what I said. "I guess you could say that. Edward is an enigma, though, there's so much you don't know."

I scoffed. "Thank God for that." My eyes widened as I realized I said that aloud. The two siblings looked nonplussed, but I felt even more guilty seeing that. "I- I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

"No, you probably did," Alice offered with a soft smile. "But that's alright. It's not new or anything."

My heart broke hearing that. "It's not okay, dude. I mean, I'd rather be upfront than say it behind your backs, like sure you're weird or at least I think you're weird - I've got beef with you, Jasper, especially after what you tried today - but that's just what I think. What I think shouldn't matter. I'm just... nobody," I finished lamely. I looked up at them both from my seat on the bed, only to find them staring at each other. I didn't have a sibling, adopted or not, so I had no clue what it was like, that sibling telepathy. It was astounding.

Alice turned to look at me with a smirk. "If you're a nobody, why are your clothes so nice? Seriously, I thought coming from Miami you wouldn't have anything for the cold."

I was at a loss for words. I expected them to get upset, storm out, throw a fit, call me a bitch, the usual, but they just… didn't react? What the actual fuck? "I- I, yeah, I mean…" I let myself trail off as the two began to laugh. I was oblivious to their inside joke, but I didn't seem to mind. I started laughing with them.

The next few hours consisted of Alice throwing clothes on the bed and making outfits out of them, insisting I wear them this week. Jasper sat back and read a book he had hidden away somewhere. For the first time since arriving in Forks, I felt at peace. This reminded me of the little things, hanging out with friends after school, that is, not that the Cullens were my friends, but the actions were the same. I also wish it was under better circumstances, not after a car crash. That reminded me.

"Hey." They both either glanced up or stopped talking to look at me. "Did anyone figure out what it was my mom saw that made her crash? I didn't see anything, I was staring out the passenger window."

A tense silence filled the room. I wasn't stupid. I had a sixth sense for these things, but they looked so genuinely uncomfortable I couldn't bring myself to interrogate them like I wanted to. I'd ask my mom later if anything, you know, once she felt better.

I let it slide and with a shrug said, "Must've been a deer or something."

Alice went back to rifling through my clothes, but Jasper stayed looking at me. I could feel his eyes boring into the side of my head. No matter how much I tried ignoring it, he was persistent. After a while of it, I got frustrated and asked if there was something he wanted. He said yes. To talk. Again.

I stuttered out some excuse about Alice being here and it not being okay to just abandon guests, to which he said he was a guest too, which had Alice giggling. She waved me off when I tried to use a different excuse, leaving me with no choice but to agree. She grinned and said she'd be downstairs, claiming that she'd organize the notes on the kitchen table. In that moment, I hated her.

She glided out of the room and down the stairs. Jasper and I were left alone far too soon. I let the empty silence fill the space between us. Jasper leaned forward over the chair, crossing his arms and resting his head on them. I was never one to shy away from a stare, but his was piercing. It felt like he could look through me.

The silence carried on, and I could hear whispers of Alice moving around in the kitchen. I closed my eyes and focused on that, hoping Jasper would wimp out and leave it be. Alas, things never go my way.

"I'm sensing I should start talking then? Unless, of course, you've been thinking of an opener for the conversation."

I sighed and flopped back onto my bed. "No, Jasper. Honestly? I was hoping you would just leave it alone considering you harassed me," I retorted.

He laughed loudly and I was reminded of what I thought of him when I first met him: he was beautiful, down to his laugh. He was like chimes in the wind, ringing, impressionable. And I hated him for it because a part of me wished I hadn't come to my senses in that deserted hallway.

I sat up suddenly and leant forward with my elbows on my knees, angled towards the traitorously gorgeous blond. "All I have to say is that whatever was going to happen then, will never happen - never," I said, gritting my teeth.

Jasper smirked. I felt my heart stop. He grinned even wider. " And pray tell, what was going to happen?"

I bit my lip and stayed silent. He was just baiting me. Then, to make matters worse and convince me that my heart was about to fully stop functioning, he stood up and walked the short distance to the bed. The same flicker of emotion happened as earlier. I felt my eyes droop and my shoulders relax as Jasper couched in front of me. Rationally, I knew there was no reason to let my guard down in front of this boy. There was all the reason in the world to keep them up, build a wall, barricade myself behind it. Alice was downstairs too, and I didn't need her to stroll in and see this happen. But I couldn't help myself. I felt my body inching closer to his. His golden eyes were captivating, and for the slightest second I could have sworn I saw them turn black, but I was too far gone to care.

"What do you reckon is about to happen, ma'am?"

"Oh, God, wouldn't I like to know," I whispered.

A cold hand trailed up my forearm. It went up, all the way to the junction between my shoulder and neck, cradling my jaw. It sent shivers down my spine. Against my better judgement, I leaned into Jasper's hand. I could no longer hear Alice shuffling around downstairs and let myself enjoy the moment. I closed my eyes and basked in Jasper's presence. I felt at peace, and almost eager for something to happen, but for what I didn't know.

I felt the blond move in even closer to me. I blinked open my eyes and his nose was almost touching mine. If I moved even an inch closer… I didn't want to let myself think that. It shouldn't happen. But what if?

As if the world wanted to punish me, I heard the resounding bang of the front door slamming open. I dropped my head forward and let it hit Jasper's forehead.

He chuckled. "I guess we won't know, hm?"

I sighed and reluctantly withdrew myself from his hold, still feeling sluggish. I'd deal with my torrent of emotions later. Jasper retracted his hand and stood, dusting off his pants. I could hear Alice again, speaking with Esme and my mother. Sighing, again, I rubbed my face furiously before standing up. Jasper already had the door open and I stepped through, leading the way downstairs.

I saw my mom before I noticed anything else. She looked battered and bruised, but she was here and that's all I wanted. I ran up to her without waiting to say hi to Esme, my only concern being my mother and being able to hug her as hard as I could. Hospitals were not our favorite.