"Angela! Are you okay?" I asked as soon as I was in the bathroom.

"No," she answered. "I never want to run with them again."

"Did they tell you-"

"Yes," she cut me off. "I know what they are."

"Why did they tell you too?" I wondered aloud.

Angela had to throw up again before answering, and I looked away, trying not to throw up myself.

"They said there were too many mistakes," she answered weakly once she was able to speak again. "They had to tell me."

"Who told you?" I asked, hoping that it wasn't Mark. He hadn't even known for 24 hours and if he had already told somebody I had made a major mistake in telling him the truth.

"Mark," she answered, and I felt like a brick had been dropped into my stomach.

"Alice!" I called, and Alice appeared a second later.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Mark told Angela-"

"I told him to," Alice interrupted me. "I'm the one who drove them to our house, and I had him tell her on the way."

I sighed in relief. "I was worried that he had already broken his promise not to tell."

"He only reluctantly told her because I told him to," Alice explained. "He really didn't want her to know."

"I know why he didn't," Angela said, and gave Alice a look I didn't understand.

Alice seemed to understand it though. She gave Angela a reassuring smile before reaching for the door. "I'll go back with the others now," she said.

Alice opened the door to leave and I heard Mark ask, "Why does Bella have to befriend every vampire she runs into?"

"Because I like them!" I called back defensively, and I heard everyone in my room start laughing at me. Angela gave me an odd look, and Alice grinned.

"I'll go take care of the rowdy troublemakers," Alice said and then left, closing the door behind her again.

"Are you going to be okay?" I asked. "You aren't going to go into shock or anything, are you?"

"I don't think so," Angela said, but she didn't sound convincing.

"Maybe we should take you to see Carlisle," I said uncertainly.

"No!" Angela said a little too quickly.

It dawned on me then. "You're afraid of them, aren't you?"

"Yes," she answered ashamedly. "I'm absolutely terrified."

"Don't be," I told her as I sat down next to her. "They're as good as you can get. They wouldn't hurt anyone even if their lives depended on it."

"How do you know?" Angela asked.

"I've known them for long enough that I can be sure about that," I told her. "Jasper is the only one who has trouble keeping to their animal blood diet. But he hasn't slipped in a long time. He's doing much better. The last time he almost slipped was at my eighteenth birthday party." I grimaced and explained, "I got a paper cut. The open wound was too much for him to handle since he was so close. But his family kept him away, and I was safe." No need to mention that I got thrown across the room in their attempt to keep me safe. She didn't need to know that.

"But how can you know that they wouldn't slip if they hadn't eaten for a long time?" she asked.

"They eat quite frequently," I assured her. "If they haven't, then they won't be in public."

"What about Carlisle? He's a doctor. Isn't he exposed to blood all the time?"

"He's practically immune to the smell of human blood," I answered. "It took him a long time and a lot of practice, but the end result is that he's one of the best doctors you can ask for. He would never slip and drink blood from anybody, patient or not."

"You can't be sure," Angela argued.

"Has anybody ever gone missing unexpectedly while the Cullens have been here?" I asked. "Barring the poor hikers that Victoria found, no one has ever gone missing. The Cullens have a treaty with the La Push tribe, and the treaty says that they can live in the area as long as they don't bite anyone. The Cullens would have to leave or be destroyed if they ever slipped."

"I don't care," Angela said. "It only takes one screw up, and I don't want to be the person that they accidentally bite."

I sighed and closed my eyes. "The Cullens will not hurt you, Ang. They are the best vampires I've ever met. They've saved me so many times it isn't even funny. I wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for them. I would have died a long time ago."

"What do you mean?" Angela asked.

"Do you remember the day that Tyler almost hit me with his van?" I asked, opening my eyes again to look at her. She seemed to have more color, and she looked a lot better than when I had first come in the bathroom.

"Yes," she answered hesitantly. "Edward was standing next to you and he pulled you out of the way."

"No," I said. "Edward was halfway across the parking lot and he ran over to save me. He risked exposing his family to pull me away. Then do you remember that day we went to Port Angeles and he showed up unexpectedly?"

"What about it?" Angela asked.

"I somehow managed to get herded into a trap that four men set for me. I'm not sure what they had planned, but Edward showed up just in time to save me from them. Then that time when I left Forks and went back to Phoenix for a while and came back in a cast and all beat up? I didn't fall down any stairs. There was a vampire who didn't follow the Cullen's diet hunting me, and he almost killed me, but the Cullens showed up just in time. Any later and I would be dead. They go out of their way to be good guys, Angela. They aren't going to hurt anyone after they try so hard to have a good name and reputation."

"I suppose not," Angela said hesitantly, "but I'm still afraid of them."

"Don't be," I said gently. "They'll never do anything to hurt you."

"Bella?" Alice called from outside the door. "Charlie will be home in a few minutes. Are you two ready to come out and get your hair done so it looks like Rose and I actually have a reason to be here?"

I groaned. "Do we have to get our hair done?"

"We have to make you beautiful for the parties today!" Alice exclaimed.

"Do you mind if I don't get my hair done?" Angela asked. "I'd rather go home."

"Alice, she isn't going to go into shock or anything, will she?" I asked.

"Just a second, let me find out," Alice answered. Angela looked at me questioningly.

"She can see the future," I answered.

"Oh," Angela said. The look on her face said that not much more could surprise her at this point.

"She should be fine," Alice finally announced. "Angela, you know you can't tell anyone what you know about us, right?"

"I know," Angela answered. "I don't even want to think about it, so don't worry."

"I'm sorry you got pulled into this," I said. "I should not have asked you to stay last night."

"Why did you?" she asked.

"I know Victoria was after me, and since you were here, you would smell like me, and I didn't want her following you to your house in an attempt to find me."

"Oh," Angela repeated. I stood up and held out a hand to help her up.

"Just call if you want to talk, okay?" I asked.

Angela laughed. "I don't think I'll ever want to talk about it, but if I do I'll let you know." She gave me a hug. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Me too!" I laughed as I pulled away. "I didn't really want to die on Christmas Day. It would put such a damper on the holiday season, don't you think?"

"You're so odd," Angela informed me. She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "No wonder you like the Cullens so much."

"I resent that," Alice said through the door. "We are not odd!"

"If you aren't odd, then I'm not sure I want to see someone who is!" Angela joked as she opened the door. "I think I might just have a heart attack."

"Just call if you need anything," I reminded her as we moved past Alice, who was pretending to be hurt. I showed Angela to the door, and she pulled out right as Charlie was pulling in.

"Bella!" Mark called from upstairs. "Don't let Alice pick out my outfit!"

I waved at my dad before turning and running back up the stairs and calling, "Alice, don't scare my husband!"

"But he has no fashion sense!" Alice called back. "Let me at least make him look presentable!"

"NOOOOOOO!!!!!!" Mark screamed, and I rolled my eyes before entering my room.

My husband can be so strange sometimes.