I don't own Twilight. I do own a kitten who loves Rice Krispies Cereal. I may have to change her nickname to Crackle.

Chapter 23

Bella dressed very carefully the next morning. She also packed a change of clothes because there was no way she was going to spend the entire day dressed like this. Well, maybe.

Bella usually tuned out when Alice started in on fashion, dressing for success, power panties and crap like that but Bella had to admit that she did feel a little more powerful in her chosen outfit. Maybe it was the boots with their added inch of height or maybe it was the bra with it's added inch of height. Either way, she was ready for her task. She had practised parts of her speech, hoping that someone would give her the prompts she needed.

She arrived at school fifteen minutes early and made her way to the basement and into the pool area. She took at deep breath and opened the locker room door. The air was thick and muggy, it smelled of chlorine, mildew, sweat, and testosterone. Bella almost gagged at the smell. She could hear off key singing and locker doors clanging shut. There was the sound of running water and slapping feet. Bella was glad that she had gone eighteen years with out this experience and hoped that she could go another eighteen before experiencing it again.

She walked around a line of lockers towards the majority of the noise. There in various stages of undress was the boys swim team. Mike Newton was sitting alone at the end of a bench with one towel around his hips and another over his hair. All of his team mates and friends were joking around with each other and moving around as if Mike wasn't there. Bella stood watching for a few seconds before one of the boys noticed her.

"What the hell? You can't be in here, this is the men's changing room."

All the guys in the room turned to look at the intruder as they made sure everything important to them was covered. Bella almost laughed at the sight of these boys frantically trying to cover themselves, especially when most of them were already half dressed. If there had been too much skin, Bella would have just walked out again. It would do her no good to have Charlie arrest her for peeping.

Bella drew herself up to her full height plus heels, placed her hands on her hips, and glared at the boy speaking to her. Her outfit wasn't revealing or tight. She wore a green silk blouse and dark jeans. She looked like a grown-up, like a teacher, like some one who was light-years ahead of the children in the steamy room. She had poise and presence. She exuded authority.

"Funny, I don't see any men here. Just little boys. Little boys who got caught being naughty and then turned on one of their own when they did get caught. You guys treated me like shit for months now you turn around and do the same thing to Mike. Doesn't he have a hard enough time with out you jerks picking on him too? Not only is he an impotent asshole but he had to come whining to me that his friends won't talk to him any more. One would think that a team who was so united just a few weeks ago would stick together. You should be ashamed of yourselves."

"Dude, you're impotent?" One of the smaller boys shouted at Mike.

"Not that kind of impotent, dipstick." Bella said, smirking at him.

"If you guys don't smarten up and start acting like the men you think you are by helping Mike learn how to treat people properly, I'll tell everyone. I'll tell your parents about the last year. I'll make sure every girl in this school gets a vivid account of the little things I see here. Do I make myself clear?"

Most of the boys nodded, sheepishly.

"Mike, fight your own battles next time. I put up with shit from you without one word of complaint. Grow up and find some balls." With that Bella spun on her heels and stalked out of the room.

Bella ducked into the nearest girls room and locked herself in a stall. She stood with her back resting on the door. There were two words running on a loop in her head.

"Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit."

What had she just done? What had she just said? Holy shit, what had she just seen? Bella took two seconds to be just a little bit girly and she giggled. She had gone into the boy's changing room and spoken to the half naked swim team. Where had she gotten the balls to do that?

She had attacked them, berated them and shamed them. Damn, but it felt good. Plus she was able to get a few digs in at Mike, too.

She started to slide down the stall door to sit when she remembered where she was. Not a chance in hell was she going to sit on a public bathroom floor. She leaned over and put her hands on her knees. She tried to take deep breaths but her lungs were not cooperating.

Maybe she was able to stand up for others when she was unable to stand up for her self. Maybe she just pitied Mike. Maybe all Alice's bull crap about power panties was right. Maybe, just maybe, she was stronger than she thought. Which ever way, she felt good. She felt powerful. She felt that these boots were pinching her baby toes and it was time to change. She pushed away from the stall door and walked over to the sinks. With automatic reactions she washed her hands. She looked at herself in the mirror. Still the same Bella. No halo, no cape, and no horns.

After she came back from changing her shoes she walked straight to her locker. There, peaking out of the door, was a piece of paper. It was the same small envelope as the last time, her name typed on the front. She opened the note and read.

I see you.

You astound me.

Your Secret Admirer.

Bella didn't know what to think. She put the note in her bag and wandered off to class.

After lunch with her new friends she went back to her locker before going to the library to see Tyler. There was another note.

I see you.

You confound me.

Your Secret Admirer.

All right then. Bella was glad that some one had access to a thesaurus and a printer but it would be nice to get to the point.

At the end of the day, she found yet another note.

I see you.

You astonish me.

Your Secret Admirer.

There was a note under her wind-shield wiper. She looked around the parking lot but no one looked suspicious or shifty.

I see you.

You bewilder me.

Your Secret Admirer.

There was a note in her mailbox. It was starting to get a little creepy. Sweet, but creepy.

I see you.

You unnerve me.

Your Secret Admirer.

Bella entered her house cautiously, making sure that the lock was still engaged before she opened the door and checking it, twice, when she closed the door. She promised herself that if she found any notes inside the house, she'd high-tail it to Charlie's office.

There were no notes in the house. Apparently her sweetish, creepy stalker secret admirer wasn't into breaking and entering. Maybe Bella would not have to sleep with her pepper spray after all.

AN: I'm out of words. Insert something pithy here.