AN: Thank you. To those who have reviewed, I appreciate it. I read every one and they are cherished. Thank you. To those who are still with me on this story, I hope you enjoy it even after over a month without the next chapter.

In my defense, I want everyone to know that out of my 8 classes my lowest grade on my report card is a 95. That is an epic deal to me. I have been so stressed lately that I want to just crawl in a corner and cry, but today I got this wonderful report card and I feel a slight bit better. No one can guess how much this meant to me, those grades.

WHY must I keep thinking about him? The dream was something that couldn't come true. And why did I keep thinking about him? And why did I keep thinking about him? Why, I thought, am I putting myself through this torture? For that, I didn't have an answer.

I think I know the answer:

Edward.

Edward.

Edward.

11. The Ride of a Day

"Hey, Angela," I began, "um, what's up?" After I had woken up at the awful hour of 11:42 P.M. from the most amazing dream in the history of dreams, and after I had taken a shower at midnight and received a puzzled and sanity-questioning look from Charlie when he woke up and decided to check out the noises in the bathroom, and even after I looked in the cabinets downstairs only hours later for Count Chocula cereal on the slim chance we had some, only to find that we didn't- I would have to change that and buy some after that dream the night before- Angela called me.

I couldn't recall getting a phone-call from any friend of mine, ever, especially on a Sunday of all days. But her shy, comfortable voice was on the phone nonetheless, and I was confused as anything. After being up for the hours leading up to 9 A.M., I was completely exhausted. I had just been about to go up to my room and take a nap when I had heard the trill of the phone. I wasn't going to answer it, at first, but I thought it might have been important and so I answered.

"Um, wow, Bella, you sound really… worn out," Angela said.

"Oh, yeah, I woke up before midnight," I began, "and well, I couldn't get back to sleep-"

"And now you are tired, again?"

I smiled that she knew what I was going to say before I could say it. "Exactly," I said, "and it's nice to hear from you, by the way, even though… it's Sunday," I was hoping to sound confused but still hopeful; I wondered why she had called and I was about to drop the phone and doze off if she didn't say it soon.

"Well, I didn't expect… um, I didn't know that you would… be tired… Jessica, Lauren, and I were wondering… if maybe, you would like to come to Port Angeles with us today…?" I suddenly didn't feel tired anymore. Port Angeles. There was a bookstore there, right? Maybe I could pick up a book, but I doubted that a store full of books on a day off from school was the reason that they were going to the city.

"Uh, what time?"

"Well, right now," she said. She sounded as if she doubted I could go in the shape I was in-sounded- on the phone. "But we don't expect you to go, I mean, they would understand that you are tired. Maybe we could do it another day?"

"Oh, no. You guys want to go today. And, strangely enough, I'm not tired anymore! I am actually excited and pumped up," I said. I didn't want to end there because it sounded like I wouldn't have been excited otherwise, "This is going to be great! So what are you guys going to the city for anyway?"

"Lauren has been upset about not having new clothes in a while so Jessica suggested this and they invited me and I suggested that you could come, too," she explained. Truth be told, I didn't think Lauren liked me all that much, if at all, but I didn't know what I had done to her. Jessica was my friend, I guess, but it was hard to tell sometimes. Only Angela really stuck out as a true friend, someone I could really count on, and it had been her idea that I be invited to come along, anyway, so maybe she felt the same way about me. That made me smile.

It was too bad that I would probably want to drain her to death in a week, tops. Suddenly, I felt like my drowsiness didn't disappear because of excitement. Vampires don't need sleep.

"Ah, I see," I laughed. She laughed, too, and I could practically hear her rolling her eyes in agreement with me- I probably could hear it thanks to the vampire hearing. Angela wasn't stupid; she knew about Lauren's dislike of me, and she knew Jessica, too. "So how long do I have to get myself ready?" I asked.

"Is an hour good? I can tell them it should be longer-"

"No, no," I laughed, "I don't want to be a burden. I can be ready in an hour. But, um, can you pick me up," I began, "I don't think-"

"No offense, Bella," she sounded like she really meant it but I heard the slight smile in her voice, "but your truck couldn't make it a mile after you were out of your driveway," she laughed. I laughed, too. She had a very good point, "Alright, so I will see you in an hour, then?"

"Yep, I just need to call Jess and Lauren," she said.

"Great and… thanks for inviting me to come along, Ang."

There was a pause, "I'm glad you can go," she said and she sounded so sincere that I smiled again. I hadn't smiled this much since the last time I thought about-

There was a knock on the door. "Who in the," I stuttered. This was the weirdest Sunday, ever, well, except for that one time when Renee decided to take up yoga and had me do the poses, too; she had insisted that it would help with my lacking coordination… Shiver. That was a day I do not want to relive ever again. I didn't even know I had those muscles in my body until they had throbbed the next day. And the week after. And that was when she had suggested we take up boxing.

I opened the door and my breath caught. My heart sped up. "Edward," I said.

"Hello, Bella," he smiled. Dang, that grin, the crookedness, the cuteness, the smugness… Wait. Smug? Oh, crap, he could hear my heart beating. Everything about my body started speeding up with this revelation. He only smiled more, and of course that made me smile, too. I probably looked like a fool. "Do you wanna come in?" I asked, a bit shy. I wouldn't be surprised if he only came over to ask more questions, the ones that hadn't been answered the day before.

"Erm," he started. He looked around and back to me. Curious, I wondered my eyes where his had been. Nothing. I shook it off. "I was under the impression that you needed to be getting ready to go to Port Angeles," he said. Of course, he would know about that, but how long had he been standing here?

"How long have you been here?"

"Not long," he looked uncomfortable. I grinned, "It's okay, I won't bite; you can come in," I giggled. He looked slightly uplifted but there was still uncertainty there. "Do you want anything-"I was about to ask if he wanted something to drink… but that wasn't the proper thing to ask. "Um, sorry, uh, take a seat?" It sounded more like a question. I was just winging it from this point; I had not a clue what I was doing, and all I could think about was the dream the night before when I realized that I liked him, liked him. Butterflies knotted in my stomach.

"I'm not thirsty, thanks," he said. Edward was grinning ear to ear, and it was true that he wasn't thirsty… hungry… his eyes were a light gold. And I now knew that he had fed off an animal recently.

"Not that I am not glad to see you, Edward, but-"

"You are wondering why I am here," he finished for me.

"You read my mind," I joked and he merely shook his head and gazed intently at me. It made me squirm slightly.

"I wish," he finally said. I laughed. "This is actually unexpected," he stated.

"What is?"

"Well, I was coming over to ask you-" Oh, here it comes. They missed a question yesterday and sent him to ask it. I should have known. Well, I would be willing to answer it, whatever it was. They all already knew more about me than my own father did, but I was to blame for that. And I don't believe Charlie would cope well if I told him I was able to skip through school- literally skip it, move past it.

"Oh-"

"If you wanted to… What do you mean 'oh'?"

"There was something you forgot yesterday, right?" He looked confused. "I mean, there had to have been some questions that you didn't get the chance to ask," I pushed.

"Those can be asked any time," he assured. My heart skipped a beat. Any time. That meant that he wasn't planning on going anywhere for a while. I smiled, "Okay, so what did you want to ask me, then?" Calm down, Bella, it can be anything.

It was the last thing I expected.

"I heard from… Alice that we are going to have a project in Biology, soon," he began, looking nervous. I giggled internally. "And I was wondering, if you didn't plan to be someone else's partner, if you would be mine," he finished slowly. What? A project.

Wait, that would mean more time together, "I would love to!" I blurted out. My cheeks filled with red and I looked down. I felt a slight tingling under my chin, but it wasn't cold, and then I was looking into the most beautiful eyes on the planet. I could go swimming in that color topaz. Everyone should go swimming in his eyes. No, I take it back, only me.

"There should be a blush there," he sighed. I coughed slightly; this felt like deja-vu. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said too quickly. Edward squinted at me. "What?"

"Nothing. You should be getting ready to go with Angela and the others," he said. Before I could blink he was gone. Inhaling deeply, I walked back in the house. His scent lingered and I was mesmerized by the sweetness of it.

I wanted more.

Time was running out, but I didn't feel like messing with it. Instead, I quickly pulled on some black jeans, a dark blue blouse, and brushed my hair. I had spent the better part of my hour with Edward so I was rushed. And I didn't mind it. Today would be a day without time interfering. Today was a day to be normal before my life became completely not normal. I wondered about when I was done changing. Would the Cullens want to help me? They must, they have already done so much. And Edward… If they helped, I would see more of him.

A car horn interrupted my thoughts. I looked out the window of my room and as expected, Angela's car was in the driveway, awaiting my entrance. It was amazing how excited I was: I liked it, and it didn't have anything to do with Edward. Not that that was a plus or anything, but at least I knew I wasn't so completely obsessed that I couldn't forget about him for a few hours of my life. And suddenly I missed him.

It was when we were halfway to the city when it first hit me. It was delicious, warm; it was a sweet scent, and I wanted to be engulfed in it- I wanted to eat it. Sniffing the air around me, I couldn't place what it was. Lauren was looking at me like I had grown a new head; she shook hers and looked away while rolling her eyes. In that moment I wanted to-

Rip her throat out.

Blood.

That was what the scent was. It was blood. "Did you cut yourself?" I asked no on in particular.

"Oh, yeah," Jessica began, "Angela was cutting up some broccoli when I called her and she sliced her finger. Hey, show her, Ang," she added. I couldn't let her do that. I was having strange urges all of a sudden, and those urges wouldn't have nice outcomes. Change the subject, Bella, and fast!

"Broccoli for breakfast? That sounds… different," It was a lame attempt at a distraction but she took it and I didn't have to see Angela's finger with a cut on it where blood was pulsing hot and sweet… STOP, Bella. Gosh, how gross? She is my friend, not food.

"Are you okay, Bella?" Angela asked.

"I'm fine; I just don't like… blood," I lied. And what was so wrong about that statement was that it was so untrue.

The rest of the trip was, for the most part, silent. One of them would make a comment and another would comment back, but it wasn't ongoing talk. The silence gave me a chance to get back to normal. I couldn't smell the blood at all now. Thank goodness the vampire stuff was sporadic to come and go; I didn't know if I could've lasted much longer with that scent in the air. It made me sad to think about it, and the worst part was that I didn't think the smell even hit me with as full a force as it would have hit a vampire. I was scared.

The girls tried on lots of clothes and Angela tried to get me to, also, but I declined. I had enough clothes. "I really just want to go to a bookstore somewhere," I said.

"Well, there is one, but I don't think you would like it," Jessica said.

"Why?"

"It has a bunch of books and stuff about old stuff, like, wolves or superstitions… IDK, I had this cousin who's best friend's wife went into the store and it was all old junk and witchy," she said. I didn't listen to the story much. True, it didn't sound like a place I would find my kind of book so I decided I wouldn't go. There had to be another bookstore.

We grabbed a quick bit of supper around 4. It was more like a snack, but we were starving so we ate a lot. The girls continued on strange babble about school and who likes who and what clothes Jennifer was wearing when she talked to… Conner? I wasn't paying attention. They didn't seem to notice, but I did see Angela look at me a few times with a questioning gaze, 'are you okay'?

"I think we should head back," Lauren suggested.

"Were you still wanting to go to that bookstore, Bella?" Angela asked. I told her I was ready to go when they were.

It really was just my luck that the car broke down on the side of the road. And that when we entered the very small gas station, conveniently located, half an hour away, there was a fan blowing full blast. It was a very, very small room with only a cash register and a man sitting behind the desk on a stool. The fan in the station was circulating the heat out, but it was still very hot inside. Angela had insisted that it wouldn't be a far walk to the station but Jessica had offered to call someone. Lauren had complained about her shoes. I had remained silent, but now, as my friends walked ahead of me into the small station room, and their scents hit me full in the face, I wished we had taken Jessica's idea.

I leaned forward and subconsciously crouched, ready to spring on my prey.

AN: Please, tell me this was worth the wait. I know it can't make up for the long wait but maybe it wasn't as awful as I think… No, I would be a very angry reader if I were you people. But I will ask, all the same…

Please, Review and tell me your thoughts. I am starved for a review, though, I don't deserve one after that wait.

~Sylvia~