Disclaimer: This one here does not have any rights to the best-selling "Twilight Series" by Stephenie Meyer. I do not own it. Do not sue me.

Ear Candy:
How Does It Feel – Avril Lavigne
Halloween – Meg & Dia

Learning To Fall
A Twilight fanfic by Starfire Star

Chapter Seventeen: ...Another Door Opens

"Maybe you should take a break. You don't look too well."

I looked up from the marble counter I was staring at into Emmett's concerned face. I had both hands on the counter, slightly bending over. I had to admit I didn't feel so hot. I nodded weakly as Emmett wiped his wet hands with a dishtowel.

Jessica Stanley stared at me as I made my way to the backroom, a slight sneer on her lips as she was snapped back to her cashier duties by an elderly woman in a feathered hat. Ignoring this, I slammed the door loudly behind me.

It was two weeks since I had moved into Charlie's home. Two weeks since Tanya Kent took my place in my father's boarding house, claiming her rightful position as serious girlfriend of Edward Cullen, the first boy I had frighteningly fallen head over heels for since my demise with my ex-boyfriend. Two weeks since I had found out that Jacob Black had called my father, explaining that he was a distraction to me, that we had decided to take a 'cooling off period' in order for me to 'see the light' and go back to visit Charlie.

Needless to say I hadn't been doing well. It had been two weeks since all this had occurred, but only two hours since I had cried last. The pressure and anxiety was getting to me. It didn't help that Charlie had no answers as to where Jacob was, nonetheless where he had called from.

He could be on his way here right now. He could even be here, in the small town of Forks, Washington, the very town I had thought at the beginning was the perfect place to get away from my problems. Now it seemed at the problems occurred in this cloudy and rainy area.

Perhaps it would help somewhat if I had told Charlie that Jacob was now, in fact, my ex-boyfriend. But then I'd have to confess to Charlie everything that had happened. And I had more than enough on my plate without Charlie having to worry and complain and grumble about the choices I had made or how he could've prevented them. So I chose to remain silent as Charlie told me the few details of Jacob's call.

I sank onto the floor, covering my face with my hands as I indented myself into a sack of quality Brazilian coffee beans. I didn't care. What did a few coffee beans compare to the whole sack of problems I had to carry over my back? Don't wallow, Bella, I willed myself as a few tears escaped from my eyes. I tucked loose strands of hair that escaped the hair piled high on top of my head in my Starbucks visor. I stood up, brushing off my apron. I was ready to pull myself together. After all, I was here to work. Not cry and worry about my problems. I always thought that work could be an escape, somewhere I could take my mind off things. Lately, it had become somewhat of a burden.

I pushed myself out the door, dodged a suspicious look for Jessica and began making the next order. Barely thinking, I moved robotically from one order to the next, all the while feeling Jessica and Emmett's eyes follow my every move.

"You okay?" Emmett asked me cautiously. I nodded grimly and didn't stop working, even when the crowd of customers had thinned some. Finally, as Jessica rung up her last customer in the disappearing crowd, she turned to look at me. "What's going on?" she asked suspiciously, her small eyes darting back and forth between Emmett and I. Emmett patted her on the back. "You don't get to know until you've been working here for a month. It's an experienced employee thing," he said casually as threw a dishtowel back and forth between his hands. Jessica giggled and looked away, straightening herself up so she could give Emmett and unimpressed look. Emmett ignored her.

My eyes followed his to the door. Rosalie had come in, and after looking at Emmett and I for a moment, began her casual stride in her high-heeled boots toward the counter. I tried to distract myself by saying anything to Emmett, who looked as desperate for a distraction as I was. Even after two weeks of strategically ignoring her, it didn't come naturally.

"So," I muttered to Emmett, "How's the new living arrangement?" Emmett shrugged as he kept his eyes on the counter. I busied myself with fixing the napkins and condiments on the small round table next to the counter.

I had been avoiding asking this question as long as I could. But it was the only thing on my mind now, and I couldn't take it back. "It's okay," Emmett said. "I still have the feeling that Edward is trying to use Tanya as your replacement. I'm not mad at Edward anymore." I frowned, confused.

"You've forgiven him," I murmured, keeping my eyes lowered as I heard Rosalie's heels clink on the floor, and then the sliding of a chair as she went to sit down at her usual table. Emmett shrugged. "I don't forgive him for what he's done," he said. "But he's slowly returning back to his old self. Besides, we're practically brothers. I feel obligated to forgive him."

"See, me moving out was a good thing," I pointed out as Jessica left the counter to attend to cleaning a spill at a table. I was relieved the gossip girl was out of earshot. "It's good for the both of us… to forget things."

"Forgetting isn't that simple." I looked up at Emmett, whose eyes were looking in Rosalie's direction. Oh. Emmett and I were in the same boat. I didn't have time to mention it, though. The conversation had clearly ended when Emmett walked to the cash, taking over Jessica's place. That was when I realized I should've been working, too. I took a washcloth and headed over to a small ring of tables, all of which were messy and unbelievably littered with napkins. I bit my lip in frustration as I grabbed a bag to throw them in.

As I moved a chair to sweep underneath a table, I heard a soft strumming of a guitar behind me. I slowly turned around and saw Jasper, pencil in one ear and guitar in both hands. A notepad was in front of him, and he stared down at it, looking almost as frustrated as I felt. "Jasper?"

Jasper looked up, saw me, and smiled. "Hey, Bella. Working hard?"

I nodded toward him. "Writing another song?" He nodded in return, staring down at his notepad again, which I noticed was blank. "Clearly I'm having some trouble," he admitted, gesturing in front of him.

"Why aren't you sitting with Rosalie?" I asked cautiously as I gathered a few more napkins and stuffed them into my trash bag. Jasper shrugged. "Rose knows that I like being alone when I'm composing something. The complete opposite of Edward," Jasper nervously laughed.

"Oh," I flushed, turning away. "I guess I'll just leave then, I'm sorry to interrupt you." Jasper reached out to stop me. "No, it's fine. It's nice to have company once in awhile." I nodded and pointed to my trash bag. "I'll just get rid of these. My shift is almost finished anyway." As I walked back to the counter, I could see Rosalie sitting with her legs crossed, holding her coffee cup and staring at us with a twinge of curiosity.

Oh, the stories she would tell Alice. Or not tell Alice. From what I had heard, Rosalie had barely been talking to anyone, working extra hours and not being home until late, and then leaving early in the morning. It was obvious that she felt embarrassed for her actions, but ignoring everyone in the house did not help matters.

I passed Emmett, who was talking to a tall redhead at the cash. The redhead looked every bit interested in him—her body language and tone of voice made it clear of her intentions. But Emmett looked nervous and wanting to get away more than anything. I kept my eyes averted from his, knowing it would make me feel bad.

I glanced at the clock once more as I rid myself of the garbage. It was fast approaching sunset now, and Starbucks did not have the usual hustle and bustle it did in the daytime. "Hey, Emmett?" I called out to him. Looking relieved, he turned to me, the redhead's order already filled. "What?"

"Do you mind if I get off now?" I asked him, already removing my green apron and hat. Emmett nodded, looking around the shop for Jessica. Sure enough, Emmett wasn't the only one busy with a member of the opposite sex. I raised my eyebrows as Emmett said, "Hey, can I talk to you for a sec?"

The redhead took this as her cue to leave. "I'll see you around," she said, with a wink and a small wave. I laughed as soon as she was out of earshot. "You looked like you needed saving," I said to him.

Emmett grinned. "Thanks. By the way, where are you off to in such a hurry? Got a hot date or something?" I rolled my eyes and sighed mockingly as I pulled my backpack on. "No. I'm just going to hang out with Jasper for a bit." I gestured toward the windows, noting that Rosalie, along with half of the remainder of the Starbucks customers had disappeared.

Emmett shrugged. "Okay." Lowering his voice, he continued. "Please, please, please, tell me that I'm not the only one who thinks that something is wrong between them." I didn't have to ask to know who them was.

"I don't like to ask. It's really none of my business," I replied. "Alice would probably have told us as soon as possible if anything really serious happened. And it's not like any tears have shed, so maybe they're getting things sorted out just fine by themselves… not that I know whether or not there's anything to be sorted out," I added hastily. Emmett nodded. "Good point."

I waved goodbye to him and Jessica, Jessica looking ecstatic as she realized it would be her and Emmett alone, closing up, while Emmett looked exasperated. Jasper stood up, guitar already slung behind his back, notebook in messenger bag.

"You know," he remarked, "I haven't actually had the time to really talk to you in all the time you've stayed at our house." He adjusted the strap of his guitar case as we slipped out Starbucks and onto the boardwalk of Port Angeles. The boardwalk was brightly lit by the lamps spaced evenly apart, illuminating the dark perfectly.

"I know," I agreed, stuffing my hands into the large pockets of my sweatpants. "Honestly, things have been… busy." Jasper nodded grimly. "Not to mention all the studying I've been doing."

"Oh. That's right—you're going to Dartmouth," I replied, taking a glance at him. He was staring off into the distance, hands stuffed in his own pockets. "Yeah," Jasper said. "Although at the moment, I'm starting to have some doubts."

I paused. "What's there to doubt? It's a great school. From what Alice has told me, you're exceptionally intelligent." He didn't answer, leading me to believe he hadn't heard my question. Just as I was about to ask it again, he started.

"Alice."

"What about her?"

"I'm having doubts about Alice."

This was my chance to ask him about their relationship, my in on him elaborating. I frowned as I tried to absorb his words. He glanced at me quickly before clarifying his words. "I mean, I'm having doubts about leaving Alice."

I sighed. "I don't think you need to worry about her. She's quite capable on her own, plus I'm sure her parents are willing to dish out more than enough for her to get by on her own." I stared at him as he didn't answer yet again, and then continued. "Well, I can understand the distance issue, but really…"

"No," he interrupted. "That's not it."

I stared at him. "Then what is it?"

"I know we haven't been presenting ourselves as a couple lately. But things have… changed," he said, continuing to walk as we passed a few clothing boutiques. "I still love Alice more than ever, though."

"I'm worried about her. Look, I know she's told you the sordid details, but I'll tell you a few of my own. Alice has been taking care of everyone around Forks. She's been taking care of me, Edward, Rosalie, Emmett, and I you have to admit, even you."

I waited, listening attentively.

"I think it's time she slowed down on taking charge. It's not good for her," Jasper continued on protectively. "And now, with this new job… I know Alice is independent. I love that about her," he added. "She's been working odd hours. She comes home late often, and then she sleeps in until noon, by which time she leaves for work. I can't blame her. She's driven. She wants to earn money for herself and work toward her own goals. I was the same way before I got into Dartmouth. I like to think that I still am," he laughed.

"But… I feel like she's not telling me everything."

"I never knew you felt this way, Jasper," I told him quietly. "Have you told her all this?"

"Some of it, yes," Jasper replied. "But she's stubborn. How do you expect her to respond?"

"But she loves you more than anything," I protested.

"More than enough to ignore my mother?" Jasper asked. I paused, taken aback. I didn't know the situation still involved the problems with his mother. I shook my head. "I don't know what you're talking about. Really, I haven't talked to Alice in… some time." I frowned. Now that I thought about it, Alice had been working odd hours lately. She hadn't been calling me that much either.

I sucked in some air. "I'd… just like to tell you my side of the story before she tells you hers," Jasper explained, his voice grim. "Listen… it seems to me that she's had some sort of delayed reaction to what my mother has told her. Do you remember when my mother said that she would be distracting to my studies?"

I nodded.

"Well, after much protest, all of a sudden Alice thinks that way too."

I didn't tell him that she had doubts before the two had even gotten together. I knew it had been on Alice's mind, but I didn't think she'd actually act upon it. I bit my lip.

"We've gotten into a couple of arguments on the matter," Jasper added in a low voice as he ran a hand through his blond hair. "Mostly about the future. She says she can't stand to be away from me… but she doesn't want to be near me as well. She's convinced that she's ruin my academic future. After time and time that I've told her I can handle everything, she still fails to listen."

"I never knew Alice was so… doubtful," I finally managed. Jasper headed over to a row of benches, and I assumed he preferred to go more in-depth by the serious look on his face. He nodded grimly. We sat down, and Jasper stared blankly at the moon. I looked down at my scuffed worn-out Chuck Taylors. Suddenly I felt like I had no clue who Alice was anymore.

As if, on cue, when neither of us had anything to say, Jasper's phone rang. He picked up with a "Hey". I stared down at my hands in my lap.

"So you're coming, then?" Jasper asked whoever he was on the phone with.

After a few moments, he replied with an, "oh, okay," and a quick glance at me. I looked back at him, curious. He pressed "END" and then called a new number, which I recognized was Alice's. "I want to see if she got off work yet," Jasper explained to me. A blank look crossed his face and he abruptly shut his phone. "She turned it off. Maybe she's at home." He stood up, brushed off his pants, and started walking. I quickly followed after him.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"To dinner," he replied. "Just with a friend of mine. God, Alice has been asking me to help her do this for some time now."

"Oh," I said blankly. Then I turned to look at him, a look of pure confusion and suspicion on her face. "What do you mean, 'help her do this'?"

"Well…"

"Jasper, who exactly are we seeing?" I asked him as we headed toward the plaza of brightly-lit restaurants.

"I don't want to tell you, in case Alice is there. I want it to be a surprise for both of you," Jasper replied as he indicated which restaurant to go into. Surprisingly, it was La Bella Italia. "Alice will probably be there," I told him as he opened the door. "Now spill, Jasper. This isn't funny. I hate surprises," I added. "Who are we seeing?"

A sinking feeling in my stomach told me it was Mike Newton.

As we headed in, Jasper looked around the room. I tried to follow the direction of his eyes as he said, "Good. He's here already." My heart started hammering. So we were meeting a male.

"Can I help you?" asked the hostess with the nametag "Cassandra" on and a wide grin on her face.

"Um, apparently we…"

"We've already found our party," Jasper smiled politely at her as he cut in. "He's over there." Jasper pointed to the back of the restaurant. I followed his hand at the same time as the hostess and couldn't believe who I saw.

It was Edward.

What was this, some kind of joke? The hostess's eyes bugged. In a breathless voice, she replied, "Oh yes, he came in about… a few minutes ago… if you'll excuse me…" she left, no doubt to hyperventilate.

My own breathing was uneven and my heart started beating a million times faster—it was strange, this familiar feeling once again invading me. It felt even stranger that it had been away for so long.

Jasper and I made our way to the table, where Edward was staring uninterestedly at the menu. He looked up as Jasper cleared his throat. "Hey," he said standing up, for once looking helpless as Jasper, always the gentleman, pulled out a chair for me before sitting down himself.

Despite my face turning red, shivers running down my spine, and head unbearably foggy, I managed to say something coherent. "It's nice to see you again, Edward," I whispered as I stared down at the table.

"I apologize if this was unexpected," he told me as I continued to stare down at the table. I could feel both Jasper's and Edward's eyes on me, but I couldn't bring myself to look up.

I know, I told myself silently. I hate surprises.

"I know you hate surprises," Edward continued as if he could read my mind. I hated when he did that.

I lied. I found it intriguing, but it was especially inappropriate to think that way now. I nodded meekly as the waitress came over, setting down a pair of menus in front of Jasper and I. Jasper said next to me at the square table, while Edward sat straight across from me.

Just as I gave in, deciding that staring at the table all night would hurt my neck, plus make me look like a complete idiot, I looked up and found Edward's eyes staring straight into mine. "Please don't feel uncomfortable," he requested softly as the waitress stared at Edward, her mouth forming a perfect O, before clamping it shut and walking away, looking over her shoulder all the while.

"I'm not," I mumbled. "This is just… different. That's all."

Jasper cleared his throat in an attempt to ease the awkward silence that followed. He quickly picked up a menu and scanned it. "I've never been here before, so I haven't tried anything… what's good?" he asked Edward. Edward didn't reply, and Jasper didn't seem to mind. Edward seemed to be perfectly content with staring at me all night. I seemed perfectly content with looking away. Now this was making me feel uncomfortable. Never mind my brain whirling and heart beating so fast I thought it would explode out of my chest.

I tried to focus on my surroundings. The restaurant was crowded and busy today. The families seemed to have come and gone—it was already getting late. All who were left seemed to be locals, judging by the casual conversation they kept with the waitresses. There were a few couples and some rowdy teenage crowds, and a group of what looked like college boys, ordering rounds of drinks and being inappropriately loud. I frowned. I didn't know La Bella Italia had become this sort of place.

"You ready to order?" Jasper asked me, setting down his menu. I flushed. "Sorry," I said as I picked up a menu.

"No rush," Edward said, flashing his teeth at me. My face willed to pull into a frown but stayed its usual flushed and panicked. "Actually, I was wondering if I could speak to Jasper alone for a minute."

"Oh," I said, confused. "Alright, I'll go, I have to use—"

"No, no," Edward assured me as he got up, Jasper doing the same. They headed over to the empty area by the bathrooms. I sighed. What kind of idea was this? What was Jasper (and Alice) thinking? They knew how awkward this would be. And why would Edward play along?

Gathering up the questions I needed to ask, I finally stared down at the menu. There. Mushroom Ravioli. I'd have that. Simple enough. I wondered if I should wait for them to come back to order, but decided it didn't matter. The sooner I ordered, the sooner I would be out of there.

I looked around for the waitress who had given the menus. I spotted her at a table with a family of three—the toddler had spilled her spaghetti and was crying. A pained look flashed across the waitress's face as she bent to clean it up with some paper towels. I looked around helplessly to see if there was anyone else around, and as I held my hand in the air, 'Cassandra' was there in a flash.

"I'm so sorry," she apologized. "We're a little busy right now, and short on waitresses. We could hire a few more. I hope you don't mind me asking… but are you interested?" I quickly shook my head. As I did so, I noticed a redhead with glasses to my right holding a tray laden with dirty cups, looking as if they were about to spill. As she passed the group of rowdy frat boys, one of them called out to her.

"Hey, sexy! Mind if I give you a tip?"

My eyes widened and Cassandra, who had also heard, shook her head. "They don't come often enough to be regulars, but they live around here. They like to make the new ones feel uncomfortable… we tell the waitresses not to think anything of it. Not a lot of them stick around, though… but that Mary sure is a tough one," Cassandra laughed as she took my order that I had pointed to while she spoke. Then, like the rest of the staff, she took off.

My eyes followed Mary once more as she came out of the kitchen, holding a tray with food on it. Her red hair was tucked into a bun, and she pushed her glasses up her nose, looking stressed and anxious. As she passed the table with the rowdy boys, they once again called after her and even threw in more names in whistles. Surprisingly, she ignored them easily, never once stopping her walk that resembled a dancer's.

Wait. Mary.

Mary.

Mary Alice?

I squinted at her as she made her way across the room, not once passing me, setting down the plates for an elderly couple. She smiled easily at them, her thin figure poised as she asked them if they would like anything else.

Alice?

Alice.

With that wig, she wasn't fooling anybody. I covered my mouth with my hand. Why, Alice? Why? Why do you have to be so determined and stubborn and outgoing and confident and strong? Even I knew the reasons why she was doing this.

Just as I was about to lower my hand, Alice began her confident stride in my direction. Crap.

I was about to pick up my menu and cover it with my face, but it was too late. Alice had already spotted me, and her eyes widened as well. "Oh no," I could see her mouth as she froze on her spot. My face pulled into a worried expression.

Jasper and Edward returned, and sat down, looking at me as I lowered my hand in embarrassment. I could see Alice, still frozen to her spot, waving her arms, mouthing, "No, no". I nodded once, confirming that I would be silent.

It was easy to see that I was nervous. Even as Alice strode confidently toward me, taking a left after our table, my eyes followed her to the kitchen. I mentally scolded myself for being so obvious. "Bella?" Edward asked cautiously as both he and Jasper looked after the waitress themselves.

"Who's that? Your friend?" Jasper asked, and I knew he was trying to make polite conversation. I nodded. I wouldn't be lying if I didn't say anything in response to his first question.

"Bella, have you ordered already?" Edward asked me. Oh, God. This was going to be difficult. I was melting already. How could I have possibly gone two weeks without his silky smooth, velvet voice, that irreplaceable crooked grin, his hair… his eyes…

Stop it.

"Yes," I choked out as I shook out my napkin and put it in my lap.

"I know you're wondering why I've actually agreed to do this," Edward began, one elbow on the table, thumb below his lip and index finger above. My heart fluttered, floating toward the ceiling, toward him… only he could make me make up silly phrases like this.

"Well, I've done some thinking, and I've realized that it's not in our best interests to leave things the way we did," he continued, his eyes flickering between the table to me. He looked as nervous as I felt, his unusual calm, cool and collected exterior no where to be seen. Jasper looked back and forth at us, a slight smile on his lips.

The waitress came just then and set down our orders. As I stabbed a ravioli with my fork, Edward moved on. I didn't know if he expected me to answer or not. "I realized that I've gone too far now to lose you."

I choked on my ravioli. My face burned even as I chugged down half my glass of water. "What?" I nearly spat out. Edward laughed. My face was on fire. "You're too good a friend to lose," he said, his voice easy and smooth.

"I didn't know I was that good a friend," I admitted as Jasper raised his eyebrows at me, amused. Edward raised his own as well. "Well, if long talks about music and your baffling obsession with Jane Austen don't scream friendship, I don't know what does."

He was teasing. I hated that. "I am not obsessed, thank you very much," I mumbled. Now I was denying it. I couldn't help it. The worst part was, he was smiling as if I were the most fascinating person ever. Was I trying to be cute? No.

I suddenly felt out of place in my old clothes, not something that Alice would deem appropriate for going out with two guys. My hair was a mess. My palms were slick with sweat, and I rubbed them nervously on my pants.

"Okay, you're not obsessed," Edward said, a smirk flashing across his face. "But seriously, Bella. I'm willing to put our past behind us and start over. As friends again… nothing more…" Was he having a hard time saying "nothing more" or was that just wishful thinking on my part?

I looked up at him from my plate, and he had that searching look on again. Staring into my eyes, it was as if he was trying to get answers to questions. I wasn't sure I was ready to respond. I didn't have to, because at that moment, something happened.

Alice walked by the table of rowdy boys again. This time, instead of giving her the usual whistles and hooting and hollering, one reached out to slap her ass. Alice's eyes widened behind her glasses, and she tripped over the leg of a chair, something out of her character. Doing this, it was obvious to anyone that she was anyone but Alice. But Jasper, being the gentleman he was, jumped out of his seat and went to help her.

Edward glared at the boys, finally releasing me from his stare. "Unbelievable…"

"Here, let me help you," Jasper said as he reached Alice's side and picked up her empty tray. A few strands of Alice's bun escaped from the elastic, but remarkably, her wig stayed on. "Thank you," she said politely, being as quiet as possible.

Jasper stared at her for a long time, but Alice kept her eyes glued to the floor as they both knelt on the ground. Jasper wasn't stupid. Alice looked up at him, giving in. "Alice?" Jasper said, stunned.

"Alice?" Edward echoed, expression equally stunned but not as unsure. He knew his best friend inside and out.

Alice stood up, and without looking back, hurried toward the door of the kitchen and disappeared inside, just as one of the college boys said, "Hey, baby! I thought you wanted your tip?"

The laughing expression was nowhere to be seen on his face as Jasper punched him.

-

Outside the restaurant, on the boardwalk, Jasper held an ice pack to his hand as he sat on one side of me, Edward on the other. Our legs dangled over the edge. "This was one fight you shouldn't have picked," Edward told Jasper as Jasper clutched the ice tighter to his hand, muttering some very colourful language under his breath.

"Yeah, yeah," Jasper dismissed him as he shook his head.

"Alice should be here any moment now," I said. "I talked to Cassandra; she said Alice was getting off her shift anyway."

"I feel terrible. I think I just cost Alice her job. But if I had my way, I would've carried her out of that restaurant against her will," Jasper said uneasily as he stared up at the cloudy night sky. "Not that I care if she lost her job. That job is toxic—they won't even ban a few guys for misconduct? Yet they'd ban me for punching a guy? In my opinion, she's better off without it."

"Don't say that," I warned him. "She's in bad enough shape already."

"I just can't believe she'd hide something like this from us…" Edward started, his face stony. "Well, we all knew she was working at La Bella Italia. But under a different name? As a different person? All so that she could serve drinks legally and work longer hours?"

I shrugged, drawing a circle in the air with my foot. "I can't blame her for wanting to make money. I mean, with the way her parents have treated her, I'd want to be independent, too."

A door slammed some feet behind us, and we all turned our heads to see Alice, wearing jeans, her kitten-heel boots and a black cardigan over a purple tank top coming toward us. "Here she comes," Edward muttered under her breath.

Alice stopped at our backs, staring at each one of us before sitting next to Jasper. "Well, I'm not fired," she sighed as she hugged her knees to her chest. "But I'm not impressed with what you did, Jasper Whitlock."

"I'm sorry, Alice," Jasper apologized. "But what did you think I was going to do? Just stand around while they degrade you like that?"

"It was working before you recognized me," Alice shot back. "I can take care of myself, you know."

"Stop it," Jasper said, exasperated. "Please tell me why you're acting like this. It's unusual. We're all worried."

"It's because I love you, you idiot," Alice scolded him, making the corny line sound anything but. "I'm thinking about the future. I'm not just going to stand by, ruining your life. I want to do something too. Then when we graduate, or when you graduate, or when the time comes, we can be together. No exceptions."

"It's already that way, Alice," Jasper protested. "We can make this happen now. We don't have to wait."

Alice was silent. "Sorry, you two," she apologized, looking over at me and Edward. "I don't want you witnessing a lovers' quarrel."

"Don't worry about it," Edward laughed. "I'm glad to see you two talking again."

"Likewise," Alice said, raising an eyebrow at us. "What made you two start talking again?"

"Well, we're not really—" I tried to say, but Edward interrupted me. "Actually, it's more of a who. Jasper did," he told her proudly. Alice looked at Jasper, her eyes suddenly bright. "You did?" she said in a tearful voice.

Jasper nodded. "I think we better get out of here… just the two of us. We haven't had time alone in years," he told her, a grin spreading across Alice's delicate face. "Okay," she agreed, standing up, holding Jasper's arm. They exchanged a private look.

"Uh, uh…" I stuttered, realizing that I would be left with Edward.

"Want to hang out for awhile here?" Edward asked me. "I can drive you back. I have the Volvo."

"See you guys later," Alice chimed in, her face lit up again as if the night's events hadn't occurred. With one arm entwined with Jasper's they walked away, Alice's chattering voice still audible even from feet away.

"Listen, if you feel uncomfortable, we can go home if you want," Edward began as Jasper and Alice were far away now, practically disappearing out of sight. "I'm sure we'll be able to catch Alice and Jasper, they won't mind if you ride with them…"

I sighed and shook my head. "It's fine, Edward."

"I just want things to go back to the way before. To tell you the truth, it's been… hard… accepting everything that's happened," Edward admitted, staring down at our shoes—mine Chuck Taylors, and Edward's black Adidas. "But I have to, in order to be your friend. You're… extraordinary, Bella."

I snorted. "I haven't heard that before. Who are you kidding?"

"Why do you do that? Why do you have to think of yourself in such a negative way?" Edward asked, and even though his voice was soft, it was streaked with indubitable frustration.

"With… everything that's happened, it's hard to think of myself as a good person," I admitted. "Although I do try." Edward's eyes looked at me with sadness. "And it works," he told me.

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks. So how've things been…?"

"With?"

"Everything…" I waited for him to start talking about Tanya, but surprisingly he didn't.

"Well, you might get the chance to meet my parents," he said, his crooked grin spreading across his face. "They told me they're flying in next week, to discuss my options."

"For?"

"College, of course," Edward said, surprised I had asked. "I don't think that I've told you where I'm going next year." I shook my head. "Which is…?"

"Nowhere," Edward told me, his face solemn. "To tell you the truth, I don't know what I want to do." I looked back at him, surprised. Edward seemed to be under control all the time, so determined and self-assured. "Carlisle said that if I still want to go to college, he can pull a few strings and have me in for next year."

"Where would you want to go?"

Edward laughed. "My father can't work miracles. Alice's parents can, though. I'm thinking she'll want to go to FIDM next year, so that's one thing she'll use them for. But the rest will be up to her…" I raised my eyebrows at him, noting that he had changed the subject.

"What was I saying before? Oh, right. By any luck, Carlisle will be able to get me into Washington State with Emmett next year."

"That's great," I smiled. "Speaking of Emmett, if he's over Rosalie, Jessica Stanley sure shows an interest in him… it wouldn't be a bad setup, would it?" Edward made a face. "Are you serious? Jessica Stanley? She asked me out last year. She has no redeeming qualities. Needless to say, I turned her down."

I laughed. "Oh, Edward Cullen. You're such a heartbreaker."

"I could say the same about you, Bella Swan."

-

Oh dear. This was a lengthy chapter, wasn't it? I just couldn't bear to cut it in two, though. I hope you guys are enjoying this! I'm so sad this story is coming to an end soon, it's my pride and joy, my baby! Thank you thank you thank you all for the reviews! Seriously, they get me through some rough times. And the past few weeks have been a little bruising on me. I love you all, take care! xoxo