The next day I woke up on the floor, realizing that I must have fallen asleep in the Newton's basement. I looked up at the couch and saw that Alice had to.
I didn't want to wake her. I sat there and thought about yesterday for a while. I thought about what we might be able to do, were she might be able to go.
I already knew my place was out of the question, Renee was engaged to her boyfriend of five years, Phil. And they were going to get married in a few short months. The last thing she would want is another teenager in the house.
Soon Mike ran down the steps, it sounded like a heard of elephants and as he got to the end he missed the last step and slid right to his butt.
I couldn't help but laugh, at first I tried to hold it back, but I couldn't help it I. After yesterday I needed a little humor and this was just the remedy.
Mike gave me a dirty glare, as if to say "not funny." But that just made me laugh even harder. He let out an aggravated groan and I just smiled. He had just made my day so much better.
Alice began to stir and I knew we had just awaken her, either by the heard of elephants running down the steps or my laughing.
"Bella? What are you doing here?" Alice asked groggily, "Did we fall asleep down here?" she asked as she took in her surrounding.
"That's the conclusion I came to." As we both smiled and hugged again.
For me not really being a hugging kind of person, I past couple days had given me more than my fair share.
"I hate to break up the little pow wow down here" Mike spoke, "But mom wants to speak with you, Alice."
She gave me a panicked look. My face probably mirrored it but I gave her the best smile I could muster and whispered, "Go."
I sat back on the couch, to wait for Alice, but as to my surprise. She grabbed my hand and yanked me up, "You're coming with me" she murmured with tears in her eyes.
Mike gave Alice an encouraging smile and gave me the cold shoulder, probably from laughing at him early. I just gave him a playful punch and continued up the steps.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Alice and I sat at the large kitchen table, directly across from Bobbie. She seemed nervous, like she was about to give us some bad news. But then there would be a flash on her face that looked as if everything was alright.
I sat there impatiently, squeezing Alice's hand every time a frown appeared on her face; to remind her that I was there for her, no madder what.
Bobbie turned slowly to look at us, took a dramatic pause and began, "Girls, I understand what your going through and that you want Alice to stay here" we nodded "The only thing is we already have five kids and only 2 bedrooms for them to share. The state won't let us take Alice in unless we can make sure that there are only two children to a bedroom. We just don't have room."
I squeezed Alice's hand tighter as she looked up at the ceiling, fighting back tears. We sat in silence, to shocked to think or speak.
I thought that was it, Alice had to leave. She didn't have another place to go. She didn't know anyone else here. The only people she met here over the summer were the Newtons and myself. Since both options failed, I gave up hope.
However, Bobbie still had something she wasn't telling us. She waited, to let the information we just receive sink in.
Then continued, "But the Carlisle Cullen called me this morning when he heard about what happened."
Wow nothing went unnoticed in this little town. I guess that's what you get when you live in Forks, Washington where everyone knows everyone and everything about them. It was stocker like almost, but I guess that's what happened when there is nothing to do but sit around and gossip. And that is exactly these people what people did.
"Wait Carlisle Cullen, like as in Dr. Cullen?" I asked impatiently "What would he want? Why would he call you about Alice?" I probably sounded pretty rude, but I didn't care, I wanted information.
I gave Alice a glare like "Do you know anything about this?" She gave me a shrug.
Bobbie continued, "Hold your horses, let me finish. Dr. and Mrs. Cullen have offered for Alice to come stay with them. At least for the school year or until everything back at home gets figured out."
Bobbie put her hand on top of Alice's. "They have two boys Alice, around your age. Emmett is 16 and Edward 15. Esme has always wanted a girl and they have taken others in before who were in your same situation."
Alice looked confused, "Why me…why….why would they want me to come live with them? I have never talked to them, or seen them for that madder and they're willing to just welcome me into there home just like that. I don't get it."
"Alice, there's more to it than that, you see, when Esme was younger. Her father was a drunk and he beat her mother, he would never harm her or her siblings, but she was always afraid he would." Bobbie mumbled, "I suppose she always wished that there was somewhere her to run to, to get away, someone who would love her and care for her. And Alice that is exactly how she treats her children and the ones she takes in. She is a wonderful mother and very caring. They are willing to do anything for you. They will help you with whatever you need and give you whatever you want. They are very generous. And I know that this is a lot to take in right now, but please just think about it. They can give you opportunities that you never dreamed possible. Alice, just think about it." And with that Bobbie got up and left us alone think and to talk in private.
As we sat there I thought of what had just happened. I thought about how Alice and I had thought that there were no more options and given up.
We had done that a lot in the past couple of weeks; when we left each other, when Bobbie went to get Alice, when she returned, when we learned that she couldn't stay with me or the Newtons and so many more. But after all of this, I realized that you must never give up. There is always hope.
Hope is something that many people ditch at the first sign of a dead end. They open up the window, toss it out, step on the gas peddle to get away as fast as they can, they run and don't go back. They forget, but you must never give up on hope, you must never forget it, for it comes back at the least likely of times and places. You could be struggling for years and feel so down on yourself, but you have to believe that one day someone will come to save you. And when that happens your hope is restored, but you should give up in the first place, because hope will never give up on you.
Alice and I had proven that, time after time. She now had these strangers offering a better life, after she thought there was no hope in the world.
We sat together in silence for a while.
Alice was the first one to speak, "I think I should go."
"Alice go where? Go home? Go to the Cullens?" I asked baffled.
"I think I want to go live with the Cullens. I mean he's a doctor so he's probably nice and he has two boys. One's even my age!! You never know they could be cute!" she smiled.
Alice was back! I thought, always her, trying to find the hottest guy in the crowd. I think it was her favorite pastime, well second to shopping that is. Nothing in her mind was better than that. Shopping was heaven on earth.
I laughed and hugged her, "Alice, your amazing." She smiled "If that's what you really want Alice, go for it. You know that I want you to stay in Forks, but it's totally your decision. I'm not going to force anything on you."
"Bella, this is what I want" She grabbed my hand patting it on certain words, as if to stress what she was saying "if it means staying here with you and staying away from…from her." Alice had stopped saying her name since our conversation on the steps yesterday. "Then yes, this is what I really want. I'll move in with, them you know how adventures. This is just a new one, which just happens to be more life changing."
I smiled, she was staying. My best friend was staying! No madder what I thought of, I couldn't wipe the stupid grin off my face and either could Alice.
"Alice just promise me one thing"
"Anything for you Bella"
I was serious now, I wiped the silly grin off my face and looked her square in the eye, "Promise me you will never get up hope again. It just makes everything worse. Through thick and thin, just promise me that you will always have hope."
"Bella, after today, I don't think that will be a problem." I let out of sign of relief and giggled like I was a four year old sharing secrets about a cootie coved boy with a friend.
Alice started in soon too. In the end we ended up on the floor, rolling in laughter. We both had no idea why we were laughing, which made us laugh even harder. We were rolling around laughing, forgetting about the past and only looking to the future.
Alice would be moving in with the Cullens in a couple of days and official start her life over, here in Forks, where life would be good again, as far as we knew.
I want to know what you guys think! Review please, thanks to all who have read this!
