Author's Note: I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter! Sad, I know. But necessary. Anyhoo, enjoy the next installment!

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

Chapter 8

When I woke up, it was quiet. There was no sound in the house.

I rolled over and lay down exactly where Edward had been last night. He was gone now, but there was a faint trace of his scent. It comforted me slightly.

When I came out of the bathroom and began my descent down the stairs slowly, I braced myself for what I was about to see.

Sure enough, the entire house was in shambles. Furniture was lopsided, picture frames shattered across the floor, and the curtains were in shreds. Glass strayed everywhere, and bits of vases and flowers littered the floor.

Pressing my lips together to keep the lump in my throat from getting bigger, I ignored the mess for now and made my way into the kitchen.

I stared at the broken leftover plates from last night's dinner. There was a knife sticking on the wall, and the forks were on the floor. And bits of glass, of course.

The refrigerator door was wide open, and it was empty. The food was scattered all around the walls instead.

I knew that my parents weren't home right now. They'd probably stormed out last night, each claiming that they were going to go spend the night elsewhere, and protesting that the other didn't have to leave. But because they were both equally stubborn, they were both gone.

Neither would have gone to the Cullens. Carlisle and Esme would tell them off, yet again, for giving me a hard time. I guessed that Charlie would've gone down to La Push to his friend Billy Black and his son, Jacob. Renee? She was probably cuddled up in cozy blankets over at her boyfriend's house.

And I would be the one to clean up their mess. Again.

I wasn't hungry. So I merely left the kitchen, picked up my bag and keys, and exited the house. I would clean up later.

Because I was so anxious to get out of the house, I ended up being one of the first ones at school. But to my surprise, his Volvo and her M3 were already parked in their usual parking spaces.

I slid in between them neatly and got out. They weren't around their cars, that much was certain. And I knew where they were.

The football team had early morning training this morning. So did the cheerleaders. With the game on Friday, they were training harder than ever.

I walked slowly to the football field. Several teachers walked by, and they nodded at me as they passed. I tried to smile, but it felt like more of a grimace.

The bleachers were empty. Alice wasn't there. And the football field was empty as well. Training must be over. They would be in the locker rooms, getting showered and changed.

I sat down at the top of the bleachers and gazed down at the green field. I felt especially heavy today. There was a burden on my shoulders.

After about ten minutes, I heard the faint noises of conversation coming from the parking lot. Students were arriving, and I was sure my friends would be back at their cars as well. They would be worried about me.

Slowly, I got up and made my way back to the parking lot. My eyes stayed on the floor as my feet dragged my body. I was in no mood to entertain anyone today.

"Bella, where have you been?"

I stopped in front of our cars. My friends were leaning on their cars, staring at me worriedly.

"Do you have any idea how worried we've been?" Alice asked. "We saw your car, but you weren't here. We were looking everywhere for you. Where were you?"

"The bleachers."

"If you missed us, why didn't you come back?" Rosalie asked.

I shrugged. "I didn't feel like it."

"Speaking of which," Emmett said. "Why are you here so early? You don't have early training or anything."

I took my time answering as I leaned on my Audi's hood. "I had to get out of my house."

"Why, what happened?" Jasper asked, immediately worried. When I had to get out of my house, it meant that my parents had had another fight.

I laughed once, humorlessly. "You should see my house. It's a mess. Everything's broken."

Jasper and Rosalie grimaced. Emmett and Alice looked sympathetic. And Edward squeezed my shoulder gently.

"Did you sleep okay?" he asked softly.

I nodded somberly.

"Where are your parents?"

I answered slowly. "I'm pretty sure Charlie's at La Push. As for Renee…" My face soured. "I can guess."

"I'm sorry, Bella," Rosalie said quietly.

"Are you going to have to clean that up again?" Alice asked disgustedly. "Honestly, that's so irresponsible of your parents. They're the ones that made the mess, and you're the one that has to clean it up. You've done nothing wrong."

The bell rang. I shook off Edward's hand on my shoulder and strolled away, my expression blank. None of them followed. When I was in one of these moods, they knew that it was better to leave me alone.

All my teachers asked me what was wrong at least once. I was relieved when it was lunch time. I could escape the adults for a couple minutes. I was getting sick of the mature ones at the moment.

I sat at the edge of the table today. While the jocks and cheerleaders all laughed and played around loudly, I played with my food quietly. Though I had skipped breakfast, I wasn't hungry.

Edward hadn't been able to sit next to, or across from me. A couple cheerleaders had ganged up on him and forced him to sit between them. But he kept glancing down the table at me, looking worried.

Tanya looked at right at home with us. She had passed the audition yesterday, and she was now a member of the pep squad. She was one of the girls sitting next to Edward.

I didn't want to sit here anymore. While the others erupted into hysterical laughter at a joke Emmett had just told, I used the distraction to quickly get up and sneak out.

I headed for the library. The librarian nodded at me, smiling, as I passed. I weaved through the narrow aisles and finally arrived at my favorite study spot.

Except…someone was already there.

"Hi, Angela," I greeted her quietly as I sat down next to her.

Angela Weber looked up, startled, from her Biology book. "Oh, hey, Bella." She smiled. "How long has it been since I last saw my study buddy during lunch?"

I smiled ruefully. "Sorry. The others wouldn't let me come study during lunch."

"Then why are you here now?"

I shrugged as I took out my own Biology book. "Too noisy."

She laughed. "I guess so. But you look kind of upset. Did something happen?" She looked genuinely concerned for me, nothing like what the cheerleaders would've looked.

"I'm fine," I said. "It's just… I'm a bit tired."

She didn't believe me. I could tell. Still, she accepted my excuse and nodded. And for the remaining lunch hour, we studied in silence.

"Where were you?" Edward asked when I sat down next to him in Biology. "I look away for ten seconds and you're not there."

"Sorry," I said. "I was at the library."

"Alone?" His eyebrows furrowed.

"With Angela."

He paused, then nodded. "That's good, I guess. Angela's a good person."

I merely nodded and looked at the teacher pointedly as Banner started his lecture. Edward understood and didn't bother me for the remainder of the period.

Sixth period dragged, and it was a relief to be walking across the parking lot again. I breathed in the fresh, cool air, and felt as though the dreary weather was trying to fit into my mood. I welcomed the loneliness in the air like an old friend at the moment. Though it didn't help my depressed mood, it still felt nice to share it with at least something. At least the weather would understand.

"Are you coming over?" Edward asked, no hope in his voice. He knew that I would refuse.

"I should go home," I said quietly. "I'll call you."

He watched, looking slightly frustrated and angry, as I got into my car and drove away.

When I arrived home, the first thing I did was change into more comfortable clothes. And I began to clean up.

Two hours later, the house was spotless once more. Except there were a lot more empty spaces because I'd had to throw out most of the props that had been decorated around the house.

I was exhausted, but I trudged upstairs to do my homework. Within another hour, I was finished, and I plopped down on my bed.

I stared at the ceiling blankly. I wasn't thinking about anything at all. And then, Edward's face floated into my mind.

Who did he like? I wondered. I'd known him for years now. If I didn't have the slightest hunch, then how had his siblings and the Hales found out about his crush? It didn't make sense.

I thought about what Charlie had said last night. Had Edward been flirting these past few years? With me?

I could understand it though. He'd been gaining tons of attention from girls. It was only natural that he flirted with me too.

Though I felt strongly about him as a brother and a friend, I did sometimes wonder what it would be like if I had been something more to him. Whether it was mere curiosity or actual desire, I didn't know.

But I did know this. Even if I did feel as though I did see him as a boy at times, Edward probably didn't see me as a girl. It just didn't make sense to me. I couldn't see it; I couldn't imagine it.

I was so lost in thought that I started when my cell phone began to ring. Sighing wearily, I answered it without looking to see who it was. "Hello?"

"Hi, honey," Renee's voice said cheerily. "Where are you?"

"Home," I replied in a dead voice.

"I'm coming to pick you up right now. So be ready, okay?"

"Be ready…for what?"

"Silly!" Renee laughed. "Remember, I told you that we were going out on a girl's night tonight? We'll go to Port Angeles and maybe catch a movie. We'll have dinner as well."

I sighed. "Mom, I'm a bit tired right now."

"Is this because your father disapproved last night?" she asked. "Don't be silly! He can't stop us from going out on our own. This is a free country, isn't it?"

"That's not it," I said. "I really am tired."

"Please, Bella? I really want to go to Port Angeles with you. It was a hard day at work today."

I closed my eyes. I really didn't want to go. What I really needed was a warm shower and a shoulder to lean on. And automatically, I thought of Edward. I needed him again. I needed him like air to breathe.

"Please, Bella?" Renee asked again.

"Okay," I said slowly. "Be careful while your driving."

"I'll be there in five minutes. I hope your homework's already done."

"It is. See you later."

I knew it would be cold later in the evening, so I chose jeans, a long-sleeve, and a dark hoodie. The black hoodie was the exact same one that Edward had worn when he'd sneaked into my room last night. We'd gotten it at the University of Washington this summer, when we were on a tour. He and I had gotten into an argument because we'd both wanted black. Finally, we'd ended up getting the same color, and claimed that it was a couple hoodie when people asked about it, as an inside joke.

A car honked downstairs, and I hurried down the stairs. I locked the door securely before running through the slight drizzle. I slid into the car's passenger seat, and Renee floored the accelerator.

"Hey, kiddo," she said cheerfully. "Thanks for agreeing to go out with me tonight." She peeked at me to see my reaction.

I didn't say anything.

"How was school?"

"Slow."

She chuckled. "Me too." She hesitated. "Listen, Bella. I know that you must have been extremely upset with us last night. I'm sure you heard the screaming and throwing… I'm sorry we scared you."

I pursed my lips. "It's fine. I'm used to it."

"I'm sure you are," she said ruefully. "But really, Charlie and I…we can never be sorry enough. You're so young and innocent and kind, and you shouldn't be caught in the middle of this. Sorry, Bella. Really."

I nodded once.

"Did you clean up the mess again?" Renee asked suddenly.

"…yeah."

She was silent. Then, she said, in a smaller, wearier voice, "Sorry. I was going to do it."

"It's like my job, isn't it?" I asked. "You guys fight, and I clean up."

Renee sighed. "I'm such a bad mother, aren't I? I can never tell you how sorry I am."

"The house is pretty empty," I said, trying to sound a bit more cheerful. It was hard, and I knew that she wasn't fooled.

"Which is why we're going shopping," Renee said brightly. "We'll go catch a late movie, eh? Shop around, watch a movie, then we'll go eat dinner. Sound good?"

"Sure."

Suddenly, my phone rang.

"It's Edward, isn't it?" Renee asked teasingly, laughing. "Tell him that I'm sorry I'm stealing you away tonight."

I rolled my eyes before picking up. "Edward."

"Bella," Edward said. "Can you come over? I'm bored."

I smiled slightly. "I'm not your toy."

"Close enough. You're so small."

"Say that to Alice."

"You seem in a better mood," he noted, sounding relieved. "Will you come over? Alice is driving me nuts, and Emmett's driving me even nuttier because Rose is here. They're making out in his bedroom, but it's getting a bit noisy. I need a distraction."

"Sorry, but I can't. Mom and I are on our way to Port Angeles for a girl's night out."

He paused. "It's been a while."

"I know."

"But I miss you already," he complained, reverting back into whining mode and making me laugh softly. "How am I going to endure for the rest of the evening without seeing you once? You didn't even come over today."

"I know, and I'm sorry. I'll see you tomorrow at school."

"Will you call me when you get in?" Edward asked.

"Do I have to?"

"Bella…" he whined.

"Okay, stop whining."

"Good. Have fun."

"That boy really is crazy about you, isn't he?" Renee asked conversationally when I'd put my phone away.

"Mom. Don't start that again."

She chuckled. "I can't help it. Besides, who was the one that comforted you last night while Charlie and I were raging at each other?"

I turned my head to look at her, horrified. "How did you…?"

Renee grinned. "I'm not an idiot either, Bella. He's been sneaking into your room for two years now, hasn't he? I hope you two haven't been doing anything inappropriate."

"Mom!"

"Well, actually, I wouldn't really mind now," Renee said, continuing as though she hadn't heard me. "You're seventeen – nearly eighteen – and I suppose that's a reasonable age. Still, I hope you use protection. I trust you."

"Mom," I emphasized. "I told you. Edward and I aren't like that. I just needed someone there for me while you guys were screaming and throwing things. And Edward was nice enough to be patient and comfort me."

"True," she sighed. "I really am thankful to Edward. Really I am. I hope he'll always be there for you. You may not think that way now," she added when I opened my mouth to protest again. "But believe me, you'll feel differently soon. Very soon, I think. He's probably getting desperate."

"Desperate?"

"Because he wants you so much." She winked.

I groaned. "You're impossible. What would Edward say if he heard you?"

"He would agree, of course. And ask me for your hand. And I would say hand you over. Willingly."

I groaned again. Parents. They were impossible.

AN: I have to say, I'm so, unconditionally thankful to each and every fan that reviewed for this story. We already reached over one hundred reviews, and it's not even the tenth chapter yet! So thank you, thank you! ;) And keep 'em coming! Thanks so much, guys!