A/N: hey.... thanks Missy.... Read. Enjoy. Review...

Chapter Six: "Separation"

Waking up at home seemed a little odd to me as I rolled out of bed to get ready. I grumbled a little about school, as usual, and scratched my head a little before retying my messy bun. I reached for my phone to check the time as my feet hit the floor when I realized I had a text message from Carlisle. I smiled as I walked across my room to get to my closet and read it.

'Hey,' he wrote, 'Good morning… have fun at school…'member seniors are supposed to have fun… xo'

I grinned happily as I texted him back.

'Good Morning to you too,' I texted, 'Have fun in class and try not to kill Jasper or Micah… however much they might tease you…'

I grabbed a pair of jeans off a hanger and threw them over onto my bed before picking out a t-shirt, and a necklace to mix it up a little. Then I took a quick shower before I headed out into the kitchen, all ready for school, with a cute text from Carlisle assuring me he wouldn't lay a hand on Jasper, or Micah. Then, by the time I was sitting at the table with a bowl of cereal, dad walked in, tying his tie as he walked.

"Tie today dad?" I said, dad worked as a cop in the city.

"Yeah," He said, "Heard you singing in the shower, what was that about?"

"Nothing," I said thoughtfully as I stirred my cereal into its milk.

"Really?" He said, knowing something was up as he headed for his own bowl, adding light heartedly, "You didn't meet a guy or something up at USC?"

"Dad, really?" I said, trying to sound skeptic as my phone went off again and I flicked it open.

"Alice getting an early start on the texting today?" He asked as he sat down across from me at the table.

"Yeah," I said glancing down to read the text, from Carlisle.

'Hey, sorry if I'm bugging you, but don't make any plans for after school ok?'

'K'

I walked into school a few minutes later, my phone now on silent for school, and walked up to Alice while we waited for the bell to go to homeroom. She was practically bouncing out of her skin as I walked up, and I re-shouldered my bag as I stopped a few feet in front of her.

"Hey," She said, "You going up to USC this weekend?"

"I want to," I said, "I don't know, why?"

"I wanna go, just for like Saturday though," she said and I smiled knowingly.

"And this wouldn't have anything to do with, say, Jasper right?" I said and she smiled.

"Maybe," she said and I chuckled.

"Sure, if I go," I said, "I miss him so much already."

"Carlisle?" said Alice, "Yeah, and I bet he's just as miserable without you."

"He texted me this morning," I said with a smile and Alice laughed.

"Oh, Mrs. J isn't here today," she said, "So we'll be in the cafeteria second period."

"Ok," I said as I groaned, noticing Edward making his way over.

"Hey, Bella," He said, and I couldn't help but gag, "How was your vacation?"

"Ok," I said politely, "Went to school with Emmett-"

"And she got a boyfriend, Edward," said Alice, "So keep walking."

"Boyfriend?" Edward said, as though he couldn't believe his ears, which turned red.

"Yeah," I said, I was way too nice, "Sorry."

"College guy?"

"Yeah," I said, biting my lip, wondering how fast it would spread through school, lucky Emmett didn't have contact with anyone but Alice and I from there.

"He has a motorcycle," said Alice and I blushed as Edward kind of gave a bob of his head.

"Never thought you were a settler," He mumbled as he walked away, I knew he would have some comment like that.

School passed at an annoyingly slow pace, and it was filled with useless studies, almost every other period. The day after Teacher Week as it was affectionately called was always a joke. Half the teachers in the school called in sick so they could have an extra long weekend. The freshman class was the only class that was nearly fully in attendance anyways, most, like the teachers, blew it off, while others, like myself, came so they could blow off a day in the spring. I checked my phone several times during my classes, skillfully hiding my phone in my bag or beside my leg, but there was nothing from Carlisle.

I occupied my otherwise unoccupied mind by trying to figure out why Carlisle didn't want me to make any plans with anyone after school. I asked Alice, but she couldn't figure it out either, though her thoughts were more consumed with worrying whether she should text Jasper or not. Her predicament was solved when I got a text from Jasper asking whether or not he thought it would be awkward if he texted Alice. I didn't respond, I just showed Alice the text and she started texting him.

I, however, knowing Carlisle's only classes were between noon and two on Mondays, it being his light day, waited to text him as I walked out of the building at around three. Alice and I walked out of the school I whipped out my cell phone as I opened a new message and was about to text him when Alice tapped me on the shoulder and pointed over by the street.

"Um, Bella," she said as we walked down the sidewalk with the crowd of seniors towards student parking.

"What?" I said, looking up at my phone, and stopping in my tracks.

Carlisle was sitting on his bike on the side of the street. He had on darkish sunglasses, and his helmet in his hand and a spare one on his handlebar. He smiled at me as I stood there, frozen, and I wasn't the only girl that was frozen as the whole group of us stopped to wait to be able to cross.

"He is so hot," whispered a junior girl behind me as Edward, in front of us, scoffed and I ran from the crowd, dropping my book bag on the sidewalk as I did.

Carlisle got off his bike and gave me a big hug, kissing the top of my head as he set his helmet on the seat of his bike. I pulled away enough to kiss him as Alice walked over carrying my bag and Carlisle let go, taking a step back as we formed a circle with Alice.

"Hey, Alice," He said, "Thanks for keeping it a surprise."

"Excuse me?" I said as I leaned into him, and he wrapped an arm around me.

"You needed an alibi so you could come for a ride with me," He said, "So, Jasper's meeting Alice at the mall so that we can say you're at the mall with her."

"Alice?" I said, shocked as Carlisle passed me his extra helmet, "And you're ok with this?"

"Yeah," said Alice, "It's fine, I'm not that much of a goody goody."

"We let you hang around with Jasper too much," I teased, as I felt Carlisle's soft lips press to the top of my head.

"I think I hang out with you too much," said Alice and she smiled and waved as she crossed the street to her car, "Have fun!"

Carlisle wrapped and arm around my back and slid his hand in my back pocket as he leaned up and kissed me.

"You want to get on?" he asked with his irresistible smile and I kissed him again before putting on my helmet and jumping on behind him, "Hold on tight."

With that, he slid the eye shield down and I did too before wrapping my arms around him and he took off. The feeling of the wind was exhilarating, and it was amazing to feel him in my arms. I felt the adrenalin running through my veins as he steered the bike, at a slower pace than he usually did, down the street in the general direction of the hotels. I squeezed him a little, just because I wanted to more than anything else.

He slowed as he reached a little slushy shack near the boardwalk the locals usually avoided, and I saw his reasoning behind it. It wasn't unusual for people who knew my family to be at the local one, it made sense to go to the one less occupied by people who wouldn't be in town the next week. I realized I had to let go of him and I did, as I climbed off and he did too.

He took off his helmet before gently tugging my helmet off and kissed me quickly before setting both our helmets down on the seat of his bike. He turned back around, and took my hand in his, lacing our fingers together as he led me toward the window. Once he had gotten us both a medium slush and we were sitting on a bench watching the waves, we started to talk again.

"So," I said as he wrapped an arm around me, and he sipped his slushy, "What do you have planned?"

"I was thinking we could catch a movie," He said, "Unless you have anything else you want to do."

"Can we walk down the beach a little?" I asked as I finished off my slushy, "We can still see a movie, just can we?"

"Sure," said Carlisle as we threw our empty slushy cups in the trash and he leaned down and untied his shoes.

"What're you doing?" I asked.

"Can't wear shoes on a beach," he said teasingly as he set his shoes down on the bench and tucked his socks into them, "You can't feel the sand between your toes."

I laughed as I bent down and took off my shoes and put them next to his as he helped me up. He held both of my hands in his as he gazed into my eyes, smiling as my feet hit the sand.

"See?" He said, with an adorable crooked smile, and he led me off down the beach by my hand, "So, how was school?"

"Ok," I said as we walked, both of us looking down at the sand watching our shadows, "I'm kind of wondering how long it will take for Jasper and Alice to get together."

"Oh, you should have heard Emmett going off on him last night," said Carlisle as he let go of my hand to roll up the bottom of his jeans, rolling up mine as well, "It was scary, he was almost screaming at him, but then again it's understandable. Jasper has a tendency to be a little fickle with his emotions. However, he does seem to really like her. I'm glad Jasper's a pretty loyal friend, anyone else would have named me and told Emmett just so that he would get off his back. I came to his defense of course, but Rose advised me to shut up."

"Advised you?"

"Well yeah," He said chuckling as he led us towards the water and we walked in the shallow water, "She yelled at me and told me to shut the hell up actually."

I laughed as he smiled and showed off his dimples. We walked along the shore line, talking and laughing, for a few minutes before we headed back to the bench for our shoes. The sun was starting to go down and Carlisle groaned.

"What time do you usually have to be home?" He asked as he slung an arm around my shoulders.

"Before dinner, in like two hours, unless I eat wherever I am out," I said and he sighed.

"Ok," He said, kissing my ear.

"What?" I said wondering what was going on in that pretty little head of his.

"I was thinking I could take you out to dinner," he said, "But that leaves you eating two dinners. And I don't want you to get in trouble for being out too late."

"I can just tell them I ate at the mall," I said and he smiled.

"That would work," he said, as we stopped in front of a casual little Italian place.

"Italian?" I said.

"Italian," He replied as pointed to himself and led me inside.

After dinner he drove me back to the parking lot at the school so I could get my car. Alice had put my bag in the front seat through the sunroof for me. Carlisle stopped the bike right in front of my car as the sun set behind us and he kissed me all too briefly.

"You coming up this weekend?" He asked and I nodded.

"Most definitely," I said and he smiled as he fixed a piece of my hair and opened my car door for me.

"Good," He said, pressing me lightly against the side of the car and pressing his lips to mine.

His hand rested on the back on my head as he intensified it and captured all of my senses. His tongue pulled out of my mouth slowly, and he gave me a little peck on the lips before he stepped back. He caressed my cheek lightly with his hand before he turned and walked back to his bike.

"See you Friday night," He said and he was gone.

I pulled into my driveway a few minutes later, and walked into the door with a smile still on my face. Dad, Mom, and Jimmy were sitting down in the dinner table when I found them to tell them I was home.

"You look like you had fun," said dad and I nodded.

"No bags?" Mom asked.

"Naw," I said, I hadn't thought of getting anything to support being at the mall, "Didn't find anything, Alice made out like a bandit though. It was so much fun."

"That's good," said Mom and she motioned to the table, "Sit, have dinner."

"No thanks," I said as I ruffled up the top of Jimmy's head, "I got food at the mall. I think I'm going to go do homework and head to bed."

"Ok, honey," said Dad and I didn't move, so he looked at me weird.

"Would it be cool with you guys if I went up and slept over at Emmett's for the weekend?" I asked.

"What do they have a year round carnival up there?" Dad asked smiling and I shook my head.

"It's just fun hanging around with Emmett and his friends," I said, trying not to put too much emphasis on 'friends'.

"Ok," said Dad and I just about danced out of the room.