Disclaimer: Twilight's still not mine, kay? kay. :)

AN: Hello all! So, sorry if it's been a little bit since my last update. :( As I said, I'm going to be pretty busy, so it'll probably only be about one a week from now on, unfortunately. Also, sorry this one's a bit short. Not much happens, I just felt I had to put something in before last chapter and the next chapter, which is going to be a pretty significant plot point, and I figured needed at least a little foreshadowing. :) But there is also a bit of cute fluffyness that will be mildly important later, and that I hope you'll enjoy. :D I hope this chapter's up to scratch :)

And then, thank you to all the lovely people who have reviewed and added me to faves and alerts. Keep them coming, please!! :D

Now, read on! :D

Christmas that year was lovely, just at home with Renée and Charlie, and I discovered for the first time the joys of a real white Christmas, but it still paled in comparison to the beautiful moments with Edward under the little tree in his family room. The rest of the holidays flashed by after that, and Edward and I had a quiet New Year's Eve at Angela's house - talking, laughing, playing board games, and then watching the countdown to midnight on her TV with her and Ben.

And now, with Christmas behind me, the rest of the year was flying by with alarming speed. It felt like just yesterday that I'd moved into the pretty white house and been frightened by Edward's first appearance, and now we were both firmly established at MHS, and well on our way to finishing our junior year.

The second half of the year was in some ways, the same as the first half, but different in others. I still spent most of my waking hours with Edward, and I was still being tormented on occasion by Rosalie and company.

But I also now had a well-established network of friends, and Edward and I were spending close to as much time with Angela and Ben as we were wither each other. I also wasn't alone with my Rosalie problem anymore. I'd vehemently refused when both Kate and Edward had offered to talk to her about it, sure that it would only make things worse, but it was a relief to know my friends knew, and with them on my side, Rosalie's comments were losing their power.

So, despite the almost alarming speed with which it was passing, the second semester was just as happy, if not happier, than the first.

After Christmas, my life had been fairly uneventful - happy, but uneventful - until one weekend in April, when, somewhat to my surprise, I'd acquired, of all things, a cat.

I've never really been what you would call an animal person, but when I'd been at Angela's one weekend and she'd shown me the three tiny balls of fluff that her younger sister had rescued after their mother was hit by a car, I was enthralled. Then, when I'd picked up the little male with glossy, copper-coloured fur, and looked into the greenest eyes I'd ever seen on a living creature, I knew I was done for.

I named him Casper, much to Edward's amusement and everyone else's bafflement, and he brightened my days, cheering me up when his namesake wasn't around.

After Christmas, I'd realized how silly I'd been before, thinking that there might be something going on between Edward and Nora, and had resolved to always be completely honest with Edward, and voice any doubts when I had them, but also to try and give him the trust he deserved, the same trust he gave me.

I didn't have a chance to put it in practice, though, until one Saturday afternoon in mid-May, when I finished the English paper I'd been working on earlier than I'd expected, and decided to walk over to Edward's house and surprise him. I was walking along, not really paying attention to my surroundings, just lost in thought, when the sound of a door slamming brought me out of my reverie. I looked up just in time to see an unfamiliar white car peel away from the curb and speed off much too quickly down the street.

I considered just trying to put it out of my mind, but I knew it would continue to nag at me, and hadn't I made a promise to myself?

"Edward," I started after he'd greeted me, "who was that leaving your house just now?"

He looked puzzled. He was a good actor, that I knew, but I was pretty sure this was real. I was supposed to be trusting him, anyways. "What?"

"Someone in a white car pulled out just as I arrived. They seemed in a pretty big hurry to be gone, too." I tried not to sound overly suspicious.

Either Edward didn't notice the implications in my tone, or chose to ignore them, and I felt slightly ashamed that I was being so accusatory. "I've got no idea. Emmett's home, though, and I had my music on pretty loudly, he could've had a friend over." he shrugged. "Do you want to come upstairs? I found a song I really think you'll like,"

I smiled. "alright." Of course. Why did I always jump to such conclusions? It wasn't that I didn't trust Edward, I didn't think. More that I didn't trust myself to be enough to hold him. Regardless, I put the car out of my mind.

As spring progressed, I never saw anything else to pique my suspicions, and was easily able to put my mind at ease. Also, I was distracted by other, more real problems.

It was the last weekend in May when Angela altered me to the subtle changes in Jessica, and in the weeks leading up to exams, I noticed them as well.

I'd never liked Jess as much as Angela, but even so, we were both a little bit worried about Jess, who had been acting slightly secretive and jumpy, but happy, for a few weeks, and was now strangely subdued and anxious. When we tried to get her to tell us what was wrong, though, she wouldn't say anything.

So, as Exams approached, I was busy, and happy with all of my friends, and Edward, but also worried about Jess. Both Angela and I hoped it was just Exam anxiety, but we feared it might be something else. What, though, we couldn't say.

There you go. :D I hope that was up to standards, not too too boring, even though not much happens. :P I promise next chapter is much more exciting. :) Now, like I said, it'll probably be about another week, possibly more until my next update. :( Sorry. I also have a few other thigns I want to work on so, if you're a Hunger Games fan, keep an eye on my profile, I hope to have a Hunger Games fanfic or two out in the next few weeks. And, if you're not a Hunger Games fan, and you're looking for soemthing to read, I strongly recommend it (and its sequel) :D They're excellent. :)

Thanks again to all my readers and reviewers, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

-Hannah

P.s. Rrrrrrrrrrrrreview! :D