A/N I am SO SORRY for the lateness! I know it's been hardly a day, but I feel so bad - this is the first chance I've had to get to a computer, but I hope you like this chapter enough to make up for it. XXOXOXOXOXOXOOX

Chapter Nineteen: Gossip

Two hours later, with a screaming headache, I dragged myself out of bed for the second time to chaperone a bunch of little nerds going to town.

"So not worth it," I groaned to Alice.

"Please. Of course it was!" she clucked. "You just have a selective memory, that's all. Of course you would forget the fun bits."

Jessica looked on in interest and attempted to eavesdrop as Alice in I spoke in as general terms as possible, referring to my drunken sex with Edward, and whether it had been good enough to merit the pain of this hangover. Since I could barely remember it, but was severely conscious of the consequences of my alcohol consumption, I claimed not. Alice, the eternal optimist, thought otherwise.

"So, when you slept over last night, did you sleep comfortably enough?"

I glared at her, warning her not to push it. Just because we'd given Jessica the story that I had helped Alice through guy issues all night didn't mean that she believed it. Alice's white teeth gleamed as she grinned at me, knowing just how far to taunt me before I snapped. She skipped up to Jasper's side, her little brood of campers trailing after her like a mother hen.

"So, I was wondering," Jessica sidled up to me in Alice's absence "do you think Edward would go for a younger woman?"

I nearly, literally, gagged.

"Um," I said, trying to muster some diplomacy "I really don't know who or what Edward would 'go for'. But, in any case, if we are hypothetically speaking of someone here at camp, student-RA relationships are strictly frowned upon."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, technically, yeah. But I mean, so are student-professor relationships, and look how many of those there are in college! And anyway, Edward isn't like my - I mean, a - professor, or anything. Besides, it isn't a ladder-climbing thing, either - in three weeks, what is there to do? Besides, it's only three weeks! If, um, someone didn't act now, it could be never."

True. Effing. Story.

"Firstly," I said, "You watch way too much tv. College isn't all Legally Blonde, 'kay? Secondly, way inappropriate. Go pick on someone your own size."

"But I want a man," Jessica complained. "Boys are icky. And Edward is so smart, and funny, and kind, and just...great. And HOT. Oh my Lord he is smoking hot. C'mon, Bella. You have to admit that much. Isn't Edward hot?"

"Yes," I agreed reluctantly. "I guess," I tacked on for good measure, in case anyone else overheard and tried to read into it.

After that, I quickly looked around to see if Edward was anywhere in the vicinity. He was behind me. Of course.

Not that he heard; there was the whole band of my girls between us. But if we had been any louder, he might've. This is what I hated about town trip. Trapped in a mass of people, flowing in an endless parade toward icecream and the park - forced to make conversation with the constant fear of being overheard.

Oddly, when I spotted Edward, I could have sworn that he was already staring at me, but he glanced away too quickly to be sure. It could have been because I was still wearing his hoodie. The pants had been too large, but I always loved oversized sweatshirts, so I hadn't thought to change out of it - my hangover nap had lasted until five minutes before Town Trip, so I'd barely had time to throw on a pair of jeans.

Realizing how it must look, that I was still wearing his hoodie, I blushed.

"Hi, Bella," Jake came over to say 'hi', and as much as I appreciated that, I couldn't help feeling that his timing was really, really poor. For one thing, Tyler dropped back too, I guess because he was feeling competitive, and I was sandwiched between unwelcome admirers.

"How are you feeling?" Jake asked sympathetically. I wondered if he'd seen Edward leave with me.

"A little headachy," I said with a sheepish smile.

"I bet," he grinned. "Stick to apple juice, next time."

"Naw, man," Tyler said "Let the lady live it up! You're only young once, am I right? In the scheme of things, what are a few hang-"

I punched him in the arm, aware that Jessica was still watching.

"-ups," he finished, fumbling for a reasonable-sounding cover. "I mean, just because you're allergic to orange juice doesn't mean that you have to avoid it for the rest of your life."

Meanwhile, Mike was admiring my ass. I saw Jessica's lip slip into a pout as his exclamations escalated in volume as he talked excitedly with his friends.

"Dude...Bella is so fine...I would so tap that."

"Respect your RA's," Edward growled.

"Hey, believe me, man," Mike said "I would love to respect that ass - "

Edward seized the scruff of Mike's neck and dragged him over to the side of the walk. I resisted the urge to crane my neck back around to watch their little heart-to-heart. As curious as I was, such an action would likely give the impression that I actually cared.

Unfortunately for me, Tanya was looking around with curiosity, too, and she took the opportunity to come have a little girl talk time with me.

"These teenagers are just like when we were at camp," she tsked.

"Mm." I agreed.

"Last night was pretty fun, wasn't it?"

"Yes," I said shortly, wondering what she wanted from me.

"You had a little more fun than the rest of us, I think," she laughed "It was so nice of Edward to take you home."

"Yes, it was. Who knows, I could have been sleeping on a park bench right now."

She laughed again, uncertainly this time, and I guessed that she was trying to get me to reveal whether we'd slept together. No such luck, Tanya.

"I've had my fair share of park benches," I joked "but nothing compares to a nice, comfortable, dorm bed."

I guess her strategy ended there, because she made a comment about the weather and drifted away, leaving room for Alice to park herself at my side in the parade of nerdlings.

"Thank God," I said tightly.

"Well, all I keep hearing is Bella and Edward, Bella and Edward," she said, her face brightening suddenly. "I should call you two Bedward!"

I groaned and squeezed my eyes shut.

"By the way, Tanya and Tyler think you slept with him, Jake is hoping you didn't sleep with him, Rose knows you slept with him, Emmett and Jasper are oblivious right now, and Edward has been staring at you for the past half hour. No," she pinched my arm when my head whipped around in reflex. "Never, never look when someone tells you that you're being stared at, are you stupid? Go get some gelato, and we'll make a game plan."

I stomped over to the gelateria to grab some coffee gelato goodness. That was the only medicine I could think of for my headache, my anger, my regret. Too bad I bumped into someone in the doorway.

Edward.

"I hate gossip!" I screamed at him.

He looked startled, and scared, and I was filled instantly with more regret.

"Sorry," I muttered, running to the ice cream parlor next door, deciding that coffee ice cream would do just as well.