Okay, how much do you guys love and trust me? Because I'm totally feeling damned and insecure now. I finished reading Eclipse and I loved it. I mean, love, present tense 'cos I'm still loving it.

But the thing is, I've planned this fic till the third installment. And all the way before Eclipse even came out. But now, Eclipse's story plot is so similar to my third installment! You'll know when I reach there. But seriously, I was so sad when my sister realised that and made me realize it. I was so crushed! Anyways, I'm just writing this here so when my third installment do come out, I can refer you guys back to this explanation which shouldn't be an explanation at all. Because I never meant to copy Eclipse.

Do you believe me?

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Disclaimer: Nopes. This is not mine. Sadly.

Chapter Ten

ePOV

Oh no, I've overdone it again.

I walked slowly as Bella stomped out of class, trying to think of a suitable apology but none came into my mind. Catching up with her easily, I grabbed her elbow and swung her around gently. Her surprised face quickly assembled into a scowl as she shrugged off my arm. I didn't let go.

"What do you want?" Bella's arms dropped to her sides as she gave up struggling. And then I let go of her elbow as I said softly, "I'm sorry for what I did just now." She stayed silent for a moment before peeping up at my face through her thick veil of fringe. I tried to look as sincere as I could, because I really was.

She frowned for a moment, assessing the truth and sincerity behind my apology. After a moment, she sighed and looked away. "Okay. I forgive you. I'm so tired of all this tension and hate. I suppose you still won't tell if I asked?" Truly apologetic, I shook my head, "I have my own reasons too, you know." Bella opened her mouth, but seemed to have second thoughts as she closed them again. Before I could say anything, she spoke again, "Are you free tomorrow?"

"Yes." I was slightly amused and curious as to what she was going to say next.

"I have this thing on with Mike and Jessica… and some other people. And…" She trailed off purposely and looked at me hopefully.

"And…?" I prompted her teasingly.

Rolling her eyes, "And I was hoping you can come along too, okay? Because, you know, we just made up and seeing how we're being decent to each other now."

"Is this a date then?"

I expected her to scowl at me and then I'll say okay. But she blushed and ducked her head shyly. Surprised, I was at a loss of words temporarily. Then, I recovered and punched her lightly on the arm. "Hey, a group date but a date nonetheless, right?" I smiled.

She smiled back, although the pink tinge in her cheeks never quite faded away. Somewhere in my mind, I found myself musing about how adorable she looked when she blushed. She broke my thoughts with a bright reply.

"A date it is! Tomorrow, nine in the morning, at La Push." Bella smiled at me again before turning and walking away.

I don't know what got into me, seriously. I was still bedazzled by her smile, thinking about how I could get used to being civilized if she was going to smile more often. Then something clicked and I snapped out of my trance.

"Hey, Bella!" I called after her and she stopped in mid-step. Turning around, she gave me a slight glare, "It's still Isabella, mind you."

I could have laughed if I wasn't bothered with what I was going to say next. Knowing about the questions which would follow, I gulped and said tentatively, "Look, I suddenly remembered this thing I have on with… with Carlisle! I… I can't make it tomorrow anymore." Since when did Edward Cullen stutter? But the truth was, I didn't want to disappoint Isabella, not after we patched up.

She frowned again. "It's a bummer then."

"Wha—yeah. Bummer." I faked a casual shrug and walked off in the opposite direction. Stupid treaty.

bPOV

I watched Edward's back wistfully as he walked off, disappearing as the corridor took a sudden turn. I told myself not to be paranoid and that Edward couldn't make it because of his dad. Edward wanted to be there, I could see it in his face. I think.

Sighing, I started towards my next class, not a bit bothered that I was late for that class. Miss D'vril was exceptionally lenient and was such an old dear; she wouldn't mind, as long as I apologize sincerely. Which I would, of course.

The rest of the day flew past in a dazed blur as I daydreamed about tomorrow. I was going to see Jacob again, and suddenly, the memory of our first meeting made me grin. That night, I slept peacefully as I dreamt about La Push… and smiling stars.

The next morning, I awoke eagerly, but was momentarily stunned by the light streaming into my room. I fumbled my way blindly to the bathroom, where I splashed cold water on my face in an attempt to wake myself up fully. Brushing my teeth slowly, I wondered how today's trip to La Push would turn out. I was slightly worried that a whole bunch of people whom I don't know would turn up (at Jessica's invitation) because I didn't think that Jacob would be expecting that many people. For all I know, it might just be another one of those small gatherings Forks seemed likely to have.

Wrapping myself tightly in a fluffy white towel, I walked carefully back to my room as a flung the doors to my wardrobe open. It was a sunny day, and maybe I should wear that pair of denim shorts I never really got around to wearing, especially since Forks was always raining. I threw that onto my bed.

Now, what would go with denim shorts? I was thinking of a long tee, but what if I sweat? I surely don't want to be seen walking around with damp spots under my armpits! A tank top? Hmm. The striped brown one might work; earthly tones are safe in this season. I checked for any unsightly pubic hair under my pits; nope, I'd shaved not too long ago. Good, the brown and white tank top it is. I threw that onto my bed.

Just as I was picking out appropriate undergarments to go with my outfit for today, a sudden thought hit me—what if it rains? Forks was like that; a sunny day never lasts for long. Should I bring an umbrella? But I'm not planning on lugging a bag around, probably just a small purse to place my necessities. How, Bella, how?

And I stood there, thinking, with only a towel wrapped around me and hair dripping non-stop. Rummaging through my skimpy wardrobe for the third time, I caught sight of a hoodie hidden at the back and yanked it out. Slightly wrinkled, but it'll still do for a hoodie. I'll tie it around my waist if I don't want to hold on to it. and if it rains, I'll slip it over my tank top and pull the hood up. Great! I've just solved my own problem. "Good job, Bella." I murmured to myself and I started changing out.

In no time at all, I was in my tank top and shorts. I scrutinized my mirror self. Not too bad-looking for a day of fun in the sun! I hummed tunelessly as I tried locating my purse. Upon transferring the needed stuff from my usual wallet to my purse, I decided that my hair was still too wet. I'll have to blow-dry it.

If you must know, I don't blow-dry my hair often, even though I liked the end product. Knowing me, I'll either get my hair tangled in the blow-dryer, or get electrocuted. The odds scares me everytime. But I'm just going to have to take a chance this time. A comb in a hand and a blow-dryer in another, I looked into the mirror determinedly and started drying away.

After half an hour, I've finally got my hair looking like it belonged to a human's head. The ends of my hair curled inwards and my fringe fell in the right places. A quick glance at my watch tells me that I have less than forty-five minutes to reach La Push. Shoots! I don't even know how.

I ran down the stairs two by two, watching my steps as I did so. A fall down the stairs would the last thing I wanted right now.

"Good morning, Dad! Do you know how to get to La—Shoots! Er, hello?" I grabbed the ringing phone and balanced it on my shoulder as I grabbed a glass of milk.

"Oh, hi, Bella! I was wondering if you wanted to get a lift from me. Angela and Lauren are already at my house but not a single one of us knows how to read a map."

"I can read a map! And yes, please. Thanks for offering a lift; I was just fretting about how I'm going to get there. When will you reach my house?"

"Soon? About… Give me ten minutes. See you then!"

"Yeah okay. Thanks so much once again! Bye."

"Bye bye."

Charlie grinned as he took a sip of his daily coffee. "Got your ride settled, it seems?"

I grinned widely, "Yes. Jessica's such a lifesaver, really." I gulped down a huge mouthful of milk before adding, "I will make it there on time, right? I mean, La Push isn't that far off from here…" I trailed off uncertainly but Charlie nodded assuringly. "Don't worry, be happy!"

I laughed, both surprised and amused at Charlie's humour. I finished up breakfast and I was just about to do the dishes when I heard a car honk. "Go on, Bells. I can wash the dishes."

"Oh, thanks, Dad! Love you, bye bye!" I snatched my hoodie from the couch and slipped into my flats. "Have fun!" Charlie called out and I shouted back "I will!" as I flew out of the door.

Waving vigorously, I got into Jessica's car quickly. Angela greeted me from the backseat and Lauren scowled a 'hello'. I saw Angela nudge Lauren disapprovingly and smiled as I turned back to face Jessica.

"Angela, the map?" Jessica looked at Angel through the mirror.

"Oh, oh." She fumbled around before handing it to me.

I opened it and analysed it for a short while before looking up again.

"Come on, girls, we go left. La Push, here we come!"

Indeed, we reached La Push on time and greeted everybody who was already there. Unfortunately, that included Mike Newton.

"Hi, Bella!" he greeted me brightly before catching the glare of Jessica. "Oh, hello, Jessica, Angela and Lauren."

Jessica answered coldly and walked away with Lauren while Angela stuck by me. I looked at her gratefully and she gave me a small smile. Mike was still as dense as ever, chattering animatedly beside me as Jessica threw us withering glances.

Jacob seemed to appear from nowhere and saved me from Mike. I might have greeted him a little too enthusiastically but I didn't care a bit about Mike's glare. Maybe he knows how Jessica feels now.

"Bella! You came!" Jacob grinned goofily at me.

I laughed. "Of course. Nobody can resist a burglar's invitation, can they?"

"Aw shucks. You still remember that? I was counting on you to think it was all a dream."

"Too bad for you I was wide awake at that time, huh?"

Jacob laughed, then he punched my arm lightly. "Fancy a hike up to the tide pools? We can talk along the way, with no distractions." He added after catching Mike's baleful stare.

I shook my head. "Nope, we're on different channels on that one. I can't walk on a flat surface without falling down somehow. No hiking for me." And I sat down on an uprooted tree trunk for emphasis. Jacob pouted slightly. "Oh come on! You can't come to La Push and miss out on all the fun stuff! What're you going to do around here, anyway? Talk to Mikey boy over there?" He pointed with a thumb.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "That's not fair!"

"Who said anything about being fair?" He shrugged nonchalantly and looked at me again. "Please, Bella. I'll be there beside you." Jacob pleaded with his hopeful eyes. Crossing my arms, I stood up stiffly. "Fine. But if I fall, you're responsible!"

"Yes!" Jacob pumped a fist into the air, which made me laugh at his childishness all over again. "I promise I won't let you fall. Scout's honour!"

I rolled my eyes and Jacob lead the way along with a group of other people. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mike sit down reluctantly with Jessica as he eyed Jacob. I squared my shoulders and took a deep breath. Hiking, it is!

I was huffing and puffing by the time we reached our destination, but Jacob was still breathing easily.

"How do you do that?" I asked, bent over trying to catch my breath.

"Not like I try." He grinned and pulled me over to one of the smaller tide pools. If I had any luck with catching my breath, it was all wasted once my eyes took in the beauty of everything within the water. It was breath-taking, pun intended.

"Oh." I sat down on a rock, letting out a sigh of awe, while Jacob squatted beside me, pointing out the different anemones and fish. I played with the water for a little while, letting the cool salty water absorb the heat away from my body. It wasn't long before everybody started departing and disappearing back into the dreaded forest. I sighed dramatically before pushing myself up and dragging my feet as I braced myself for another round of intense hiking.

Jacob roared with laughter at my reaction. I gave him an annoyed look, "What's so funny?"

"Seriously, what is it with you and Mother Nature?"

"Nothing! We're like parallel lines, running alongside each other which will never meet each other. We are as different as night and day! But believe it or not, I don't hate-hate the whole Nature thing. It's just that my clumsiness doesn't make things very easy for me."

Jacob stood there, examining me to weigh the reliability of my words. And then he finally spoke, "You want me to carry you down or not?"

"What?! Are you crazy? That's like worse than walking the trail myself. Thanks, but no thanks. This girl is going down herself." I marched determinedly towards the hike trail. I heard Jacob laugh to himself again before he broke into a small jog to catch up with me.

"You're hilarious, Bella, you know that?"

"Glad you think so." I answered dryly as my eyes darted to and fro for potential tripping material. Picking my route carefully, I avoided slippery rocks and steep slopes. I certainly wanted to get out of that forest in one piece.

Along the way back, Jacob made small talk with me and I found out more about Forks and its history. He told me about the interesting Quileute legends and how the older people still believed that wolves were sacred animals which can't be killed on Forks' grounds. And then, Jacob got to the scary parts. I just knew it, especially since he had that mischievous glint in his eye and has lowered his voice exceptionally to give a spooky feel.

"My father always said that the wolves in Forks are special because they can morph into men. I don't know if that's any true because I haven't seen any wolves around. But that's beside the point. The scary part is about these werewolves' enemies."

"Forks has enemies?" I frowned, slightly confused.

"Not Forks, you dumb. The werewolves."

"So the werewolves have enemies."

"Yeah. We call them the cold ones."

I shivered involuntarily and Jacob's grin widened. "The cold ones are traditionally our enemies. But this pack that came to our territory during my great-grandfather's time was different—"

"Woah. Your great-grandfather? Must've been real back in the times, huh."

"Yes, it's all very far back, now would you mind! Stop interrupting me."

Still keeping my eyes on the trail, I mumbled my apologies and Jacob continued. "So they were different because they didn't hunt the way others of their kind did, which meant that they weren't supposed to be dangerous to the tribe. My great-grandfather made a truce with them. If they promise to stay off our lands, we wouldn't expose them."

"Didn't hunt like the way… not dangerous? I don't understand. Are they, like, tigers?"

Jacob laughed. "Bella! Tigers are warm-blooded. In what way can they be the cold ones?"

"Well, you weren't being clear."

"You see, there's always a risk for humans to be around these cold ones, who aren't tigers, even if they claim to be as civilized as they look. You never know when they might get too hungry to resist."

"How can animals be civilized? You aren't making any sense, Jacob."

"I didn't say they were animals, did I?"

"So what do you mean? How did they claim to be civilized?"

"They said they didn't hunt humans. Instead, they preyed on animals to survive."

"I'm still confused, Jacob Black! Said? If they can talk, then they can't be animals."

"Duh, Bella. I told you that just now."

"Unless these cold ones can morph into men too. Reptiles?" I took a wild guess.

"No, no, no. They can't morph into men and they aren't reptiles."

"Then what are they? Tell me!"

"Blood drinkers." He said with a dark edge creeping into his voice. "Or as they call themselves, vampires."

I stopped walking and looked up at him in surprise. "You're kidding me, right? Werewolves don't exist. Neither do vampires. You know that, right?"

"Well, history doesn't lie. You can choose not to believe me, but you want to know something?"

We continued walking. "If I can handle werewolves and vampires, I can handle anything. So, yeah, shoot!"

"If you say so." Jacob shrugged amusedly. "History also says that the Cullens are vampires. The very same vampires."

And that was when I slipped and fell.