Surprise! I had this done yesterday but the site was down :(

As time passed I thought about Alice, more and more often. I thought about all the times that we played tricks on Emmett and Rosalie or when she would give me advice on how to talk to Edward.

I remembered her high soprano laugh, always so heartwarming. As I searched through all my memories, I always got stuck at one little spot.

What had changed us? Why did we stop hanging out? We both grew up but what truly changed?

A year had passed since I had last heard anything about her. But I strangely began thinking of her more and more. Maybe it was because I was growing so close to Edward. We had many late night talks about him.

She always said that we would make a cute couple and that he liked me, but I refused to listen, thinking I would never be good enough for Edward Cullen. I guess I was wrong.

He was the one that helped me through everything and when the tickets for me to visit Charlie were about to expire he was the one that came with me.

I don't know how Renee got Charlie to agree to it but she talked to him and he reluctantly agreed. I don't think I have ever seen Charlie so much on one of my visits. He took many days off from work and was home most of the time, probably to watch us.

But that trip also brought back memories of Alice. I think the reason I began to think of her more was because I really missed her.

One night as I sat at the counter watching Renee cook yet another strange concoction which was barely edible she slowly eased Alice into the conversation.

"So, are you nervous about your test?" She asked nonchalantly. I was going to be taking my drivers test tomorrow.

"Kind of, I'm more nervous about trying to Parallel Park the suburban." I said honestly.

"Well actually if you want Esme said that you could borrow her car."

"Yeah that's a lot better, an Escalade. It may be a little smaller, but it's like a thousand times more expensive."

"Well, not that car exactly" She hesitated.

"Then what car? Emmett's jeep, Carlisle's Mercedes? I already asked Edward, but he wouldn't let be drive, "his baby"" I laughed. Edward would do anything for me, but his Volvo was something absolutely no one could touch, even me.

"Well actually shesaidyoucouldusethePorsche" She mumbled, knowing how uncomfortable I was with the topic of Alice.

"Well that was nice of her" I whispered, not knowing if I could handle being in that car again, let alone taking my drivers test in it. "I'll have to think about it."

When Alice left the Cullens she left everything they had given her, clothes included. I guess she told them that she felt like they didn't belong to her, but it hurt me every time I went over there to visit.

It hurt me to pass by her old room or look at the various pictures on the walls, which included many of Alice and me. I didn't visit much, Edward and I mostly hung out at my house, he knew my reasons without ever having to tell him.

He could read me like a picture book. It was annoying sometimes, but other times it was like a gift from God.

"So Bella" Renee started, I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that she was dropping the subject, "I went to lunch with Esme today" that was common, especially now with Edward and I dating.

"Oh really, did you have fun" I asked with fake interest.

"Well yeah, um, did you hear that Alice is pregnant?"

I wanted to scream, what happened? I had heard people talking about her, saying that she would just be another statistic. Another underage mother, druggy, drunk and more, they said that she was going fall into the wrong crowd if she left the Cullens and that going back to Seattle would just make it worse.

Phil once told Renee that she would go get herself knocked up, quit school, get a job paying minimum wage and live of welfare for the rest of her life, which we pay for he added angrily.

I always thought that that would never happen. I thought that she was smarter than that, that she would rise above everyone's expectations.

I guess I was wrong, she couldn't break free from the life she was born into. She just became another statistic.

I soon remembered a conversation we had had when she was a freshman in high school.

"Yeah, there are so many sluts at school" She smiled, "There's two pregnant girls."

"Wow, stupid people, they're still in high school and having babies, some life they're going to have." I replied.

"Yeah I know, I'll never be that stupid. I mean one's planning to drop out of high school. And the other is planning to finish high school, but she probably won't go to college, so they'll never get a good job and they'll never go anywhere in their lives" She laughed as she painted her pinky toe a lime green color.

"Yeah" was all I could say as I searched for a nice simple color for my nails.

"My college is already paid for. Before my dad died he made sure that Cynthia and I would have college funds, that our mom couldn't touch. Promise me Bella, don't be stupid like those girls, don't get pregnant."

"I'm not that stupid, but you to!"

"Of course!"

"Ok" I laughed.

She smiled, "then we here by swear that we will never be stupid and get pregnant during high school!"

I know that that was just a stupid promise made three years ago, but I still felt hurt.

She senior in high school! What was she doing! I wanted to cry.

"She's due in March, but she's already 18 so she thinks she's going to get married" Renee grimaced. She was probably thinking of how she got married to Charlie around that age and how it didn't work.

In another one of our late night talks…

"So, when you get married to Edward, can I be your maid of honor?" Alice asked with a sly smile.

"God Alice, Edward and I aren't even dating and now you're planning our wedding!" I screamed.

"Well you to are as good as dating, you're all each other talks about and the way you two look at each other, its like looking at an old married couple."

I blushed, I did that every time someone brought up Edward and I, "He looks at me the same as way he looks at any other girl. Anyway I'm not even in high school yet, he wouldn't want to be seen with me" I complained.

"You'd be surprised, he's changed over the summer. He isn't all rapped up in his friends and football. Have you noticed that he's been home a lot more lately? That's all for you, he wants to see you!"

"Yeah right, so how's Jasper?" I asked trying to change the subject.

"Oh, really good, you know that. We both love each other so much…hang on smooth there move mister. But I'm not changing the subject that easily, at least not until you admit that you like Edward."

"You know I like him Alice, it's just that he doesn't like me."
"You are so naïve, he likes you, A LOT!"

"Sure, sure" I mumbled.

"Ok, fine just promise me when you two get married that I can be the maid of honor."

"Of course! Well as long as I can be yours" I said with a greedy smile.

"Well let me think, I guess I could have you up there next to me, it would help if I had an ugly person next to me so that all the eyes were on me…"

"ALICE!" I cut her off, and punched her shoulder as hard as I could.

"Guez Bella, I was just kidding" she said as she rubbed her shoulder, "DUH! Bella you helped me when no one else cared and for that I am eternally grateful, the least I could do is let you be my maid of honor."

I smiled.

"I promise that the day I get married, I will have you standing next to me, helping me pursue the next step in my life, just like you have done a million times before" Alice beamed.

I blushed, "Yeah, me too." Alice gave me an annoyed look, but I just shrugged and she laughed.

Again, just another stupid promise broken. I know that I shouldn't care, but I did. I wanted to see her; I wanted to be there for her. I wanted to talk to her, to comfort her again.

I had denied it for a year now. I didn't want anyone to know how much she hurt me. I had let everyone see how hurt I was at first, but it just hurt them to and I didn't want that. So I kept it inside, but deep down I missed her.

I tried to call her multiple times a week but there was never an answer.

Renee continued talking and I would nod occasionally, but I didn't hear what she was saying. I was too wrapped up in my own thoughts.

I was saved when Phil came home from practice; he was a minor league baseball player, or at least trying to be. He wasn't very good though.

He wrapped his arm around Renee's middle and kissed her gently. I took it as my queue to leave. I as I walked to my room, I pulled out my cell, looking through the contacts. I saw Alice's name.

I wanted to call her, to ask her what the hell was going on, but I knew that I would it would be the same as usually, just her voicemail.

At the moment I wanted to scream at her. I wanted to know why she had run off the way she did. I wanted to find out why she had been so stupid and gotten herself pregnant. But mostly I wanted to know why she was going to get married to this guy. I wanted answers.

She may be in love now, but it's a high school romance. If she remembered anything about me, I wished she would remember that this kind of relationship doesn't work out and it hurts the child more than you think.

My mom was pregnant when she married my dad and their marriage lasted a whole two years. They probably wouldn't have even stayed together that long if it wasn't for me. I told her how hard it was and still is for me.

"Alice she's pregnant!" I cried. Renee and just told me that she's three months pregnant.

"It won't be that bad, you won't be any only child anymore" Alice advised.

"Yeah Bella, you'll have a baby brother or sister who you can dress up" Rosalie added.

"You guys don't understand. Babies break up marriages, they make everything so much more stressful" I blubbered.

"Bella what are you talking about?" Rosalie asked instantly.

"The only reason my parents got married was because Renee was pregnant with me"

"What does that have to do with this?" Rosalie inquired.

"You don't see, Renee and Phil haven't even been married for a year! I don't want this baby to go through the same things I have had to. Having kids right away ruins a marriage, there is no time for them to get to know each other better."

"Bella what have you had to go through? And your mom and Phil dated for five years before they got married. Your parents dated during high school. This is different, it will be fine" Alice encourage.

"Being shipped back and forth between my parents like a package is not fine. I get on a plane to go visit my dad in California for two or three weeks a year. My parents never see or speak to each other, ever!" I cried, "There are so many things in a kid's life that you want both parents to see. Or if you go over to a friend's house and see their parents sitting on the couch together watching TV peacefully, it's hard. I don't ever remember my parents together, when I was little one of my friends once asked me, 'Why doesn't your daddy live here?' and I didn't know why, it hurts. Divorce hurts; it hurts kids even if they don't show it. It hurts them more than you know."
"Bella, Renee and Phil aren't getting a divorce. My parents had me a year after they were married. It worked out. This child will have two of the most loving parents and a great sister to take care of it. Not to mention two amazing personal shoppers." Rosalie winked at Alice.

I laughed.

"It will work out Bella, believe me" Alice assured me.

And that it did. Cole was almost two now and thriving. Renee and Phil didn't loose their love for each other, they grew in it.

They were a little scatterbrained sometimes, but you could always tell that they loved each other and their son.

Alice was making the mistakes everyone always thought she would and it made me angry. She could do so much better.

That night I tried to call Alice again for the millionth time and with no surprise I got her voicemail. But for the first time I didn't just hang up, I waited for that dreading little beep. I needed her to know that I was here and trying to contact her.

It was the first message I had left, I kept it simple and sweet, "Hey Alice, It's Bella. It's been so long; please call me back I have so much I need to tell you."

She never did call back. But it made me feel better to know that she knew I was still here for her.

From then on little things started to fall apart in my life. I began not caring about school or other friends. I couldn't trust others anyway.

Edward must have noticed to because one night I found a slip of paper under a pile of shirts in my room.

All that was written on it as a simple quote in Edward's perfect handwriting:

"You can shed tears that she is gone, or you can smile because she has lived. You can close your eyes and pray that she'll come back, or you can open your eyes and see that she left. You heart can be empty because you can't see her or you can be full of love you shared. You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday, or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday. You can remember her only that she is gone, or you can cherish her memory and let it live on. You can cry and close you mind, be empty and turn you back. Or you can do what she'd want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on."

That's what I was trying to do but I was so confused that it was hard. I was in a state between the depressed numb feeling of before and the happier that I had made myself, but that all changed the day that I arrived in the Seattle Hospital maternity ward.

This isn't why Bella is in the hospital with Alice now for anyone wondering…