The Learning Curve: Chapter 86

Forks High School Cafeteria

"How did it go last night?" I asked Alice when we had a moment at lunch. We were the first ones to the table; Edward had offered to get me something to eat so I could talk to her.

Alice shrugged miserably. "They agreed to stay home on Thursday, but they want me to see a psychiatrist."

I hugged her. "It's going to be okay. At least they understand how scared you are."

She nodded. "They just don't see how I could possibly have dreams that tell the future – and it is impossible, so I get it, but...it happens anyway. I don't think any shrink is going to believe me, either."

"Edward said maybe his dad could recommend a psychiatrist for you that would be against putting you in a hospital."

Alice's eyes flashed to mine. "Edward?"

"I'm sorry," I said quickly. "I should have asked you before I told him, but I was so worried for you, and he's not going to tell – he totally believed it when I told him how you saw me having an accident. And he wants to help."

Alice scowled. "I'm glad he's cool with it, but really, Bella. How would you feel if I spilled your deepest, darkest secrets? What if I told Jasper about the time you got your tampon stuck in middle school and I had to come to the bathroom to talk you through it?"

I gave her a hard look. "You did tell Jasper about that. Remember?"

She had the decency to look sheepish. "Oh. Right. But it was such a funny story."

I rolled my eyes. "The important thing is that we're not going to let anything happen to you."

"Thanks, Bella," she said, forgetting her earlier annoyance. "I don't know what I would do without you."

Edward showed up then with a tray piled for two, and he smiled hesitantly at us. "Everything okay?" he asked, obviously asking about more than Alice's situation. I'd warned him that Alice might not be happy that he knew.

"Fine," I assured him with a smile. "We might need your dad to give us some names of therapists, though."

He looked a little nervous. "I, uh, kind of already asked him. I didn't tell him it was you," he rushed to assure Alice. "I just said a friend might need to talk to someone who would have an open mind and wouldn't jump to meds or hospitalization."

He reached into his bag and pulled out a list on a sheet of notebook paper, written in his neat hand. He'd given names, office addresses, and phone numbers. He handed the sheet to me, and I passed it to Alice. She looked at it pensively and then folded the paper and placed it in a pocket of her bookbag.

"Thank you, Edward," she said, obviously feeling a little shy and awkward.

"Anytime," he said, and because it was Edward, we all knew he meant it.

A/N: Time for more author's note antics.

Thank you to everyone who said they'd vote for Bonne Foi. I appreciate it - especially since it's been a long, long ride.

Someone asked me whether I was waiting for marriage or holding out for the right person. Another reviewer pointed out that I'm still young enough to snag Robert Pattinson. Alas, you've figured me out. I'm saving myself for Rob.

Kidding. I'm just waiting for someone attractive to want to have sex with me. That's all I need to get started, and unfortunately, it hasn't happened yet. For now, I'm focused on being a better version of me and hoping one day I'll have the confidence to put myself out there - and by out there, I mean on eHarmony or somesuch. ;)

I have a bazillion private messages to respond to, and I promise I'm not ignoring them! I've read them all, and I appreciate them all, and I'm going to reply over the weekend, or maybe Friday. For the next day or two, I'm going to spend any extra time I have on Bonne Foi.

Love you to bits, you guys.