i know i put this on hiatus, but i discovered that i had already written something and had been with-holding it. sorry

Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer, NOT ME!!

enjoy

Previously: The video ended there. I felt oddly giddy and anxious all at the same time. Giddy because I finally knew the name of the girl who owned the mysterious bag. Anxious because I didn't know what had happened to her after the screen had blacked.

Chapter 3

I spent the better part of that night watching videos on the silver camcorder, losing myself in Bella's stories. By three in the morning, I had gotten a pretty good grasp of the three girls' different personalities.

Rosalie was the very contradiction of the phrase 'dumb blonde'. Where ever the trio filmed themselves, there would be a greasy-haired, acne-ridden teen, gawking at her stupidly. She would flirt with them shamelessly, mooching so many free drinks it made me dizzy to try to count out exactly how much money had been spent. She had an easy, natural confidence, and she had used it to push Bella out of her comfort zone numerous times.

Alice reminded me of a pixie, with her bubbly, care-free nature. She always seemed to have a skip in her step, and would often stop in the middle of the street just to do a graceful little twirl and then keep going. I could tell without meeting her that she was a serious shop-a-holic, and she would often turn on the camera just to get a shot of a pair of shoes or a dress. On one occasion she had literally been dragged away from a shop window, kicking and screaming desperately.

And Bella. . . She was interesting. Excessively so. Her face was always expressive, never concealing any of the emotions she was feeling at the moment. In fact, the only method of protection she seemed to have was to let her hair fall like a curtain between herself and the camera. There was a drastic contrast between Bella and the others – she was extremely shy, almost painfully so, and she seemed hesitant to do spontaneous sorts of things; Alice and Rosalie always had something to do, and they were much more mischievous.

I had also gleaned the reason as to why they were filming themselves: they were trying to complete a long list of things that Bella needed to experience before they turned thirty. Apparently, Alice thought it was necessary to document everything scrupulously, using the camera to preserve the list for posterity.

I had watched as Bella did many ridiculous things; such as going bungee jumping, sky diving, and scuba diving. With each different video (played in order from the earliest to the latest), she seemed to come out of her shell a little more, laughing and having a good time with her friends, though she still remaining resolutely terrified. I couldn't help but admire her.

But while it was entertaining to watch them on the camcorder, I still had an almost over-whelming need to meet them in person. It was a nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach that wouldn't stop gnawing at my insides.

I looked back at the list I had made earlier that night and scanned it, trying to make myself feel like I was doing something useful.

Who – Isabella Swan, Rosalie Hale, Mary Alice Brandon

I frowned to myself speculatively. I just couldn't seem to pin their proper names to their faces. They had all been forever imprinted in my mind as Bella, Rose, and Alice.

What –

1) Bella's messenger bag, notebook, cell phone, and wallet

2) Rosalie's make-up bag and all items inside, and heels

3) Alice's camcorder

I mused for a moment caught between a memory of the video that had revealed these things to me, and finding a better way to organize my list. . .

The camera screen lit up, but was blurry. A few seconds later it focused, staring at the ground with its one cycloptic eye. It moved back and forth, as if examining the gum-covered cement, but in reality, its owner had pressed its 'record' button by mistake.

A foot would occasionally make an appearance on-screen, stepping on the ground, and pulling back, letting the other foot put itself forward. In the corner the date was the same as yesterday's, and the time was 3:28 p.m.

It seemed that the one wielding the camera had finally realized that the film was rolling, most likely alerted by the blinking red light that was sure to be on the back.

The lens lifted upwards, and was focused candidly on two girls: a blonde and brunette. Rosalie and Isabella. The lens started bouncing up and down excitedly, as Alice began to skip through the crowded subway station. Bella and Rosalie finally realized that Alice was filming them. While Rosalie fixed her hair self-consciously, Bella threw an irritated look over the camera at Alice.

"Awww, Bella, are you still annoyed at me?" Alice whined, sounding rather hurt, "We would've caught a cab, but the rush-hour traffic was killer and you know it!" Bella just shook her head.

"Well, Alice," she sighed, "If you promise to remind me to say 'no' the next time you want to borrow my car, then I promise to forgive you."

"What?!" Alice cried, "I didn't mean to drive it into the Hudson, I swear!! It was an honest mistake!!" Her two companions rolled their eyes.

"Accident or otherwise," Bella surmised, "I still had to pay for thousands of dollars worth of damage, and I'm not going to take any more chances."

Alice sighed dejectedly, and the camera's eye began to wander through the crowds of people aimlessly, occasionally focusing on a face that had some semblance of uniqueness.

There were a few seconds of silence between the three friends, only the babble of the crowds around them filling it.

Rosalie finally broke it, entering the screen's view with her finger extended towards a train. "That one." She said.

They shoved towards it, moving past hobos, tourists snapping pictures, and business men who couldn't afford taxis. When they finally made it past, they all plopped down in their seats. "Bella could you carry my camcorder in your bag? I don't want to get subway germs on it." Bella rolled her eyes.

"Sure."

"I need you to carry these too." Rose added; producing a heavy looking make-up bag from her purse and removing her heels from her swollen feet. Bella gave a hard, reluctant sigh, setting the messenger bag beside her and taking Rosalie's items before she held her hands out for Alice's.

The camera screen flicked off.

I shook my head, and continued on with my list.

Where –

Nowhere, as far as I could see. I had checked all of the items for some sort of phone number or address. I had looked up their names on the internet, finding absolutely nothing. I had opened Bella's cell phone, only to find it dead and un-chargeable because my chord didn't fit into the slot. I had even opened the journal, against my better judgment. Only to find nothing. Again.

It was as though she didn't WANT to be found.

haha... just so you all know, this is still on hiatus...again, this is something i wrote a while back...PLEASE READ AND REVIEW...IT MAKES MY DAY...SERIOUSLY.

izzy x edward