There was no doubt in my mind as to who had taken the diary. It was obviously Sam and Embry. Sam had asked me for the diary earlier, and he wasn't going to stop until it was in his hands.
I would have liked to get in my car and drive to La Push right then, but it was one of those rare times when my father was home, and there was no way he'd let me leave.
I sighed in frustration. Tomorrow, I would get the diary back after school.
The next day, as I entered school, Ben Cheney caught up with me as I walked. "Hey," he said.
"Hi."
"Did you study a lot for finals this weekend?"
"What?" I said blankly.
"Finals," he said, looking at me strangely.
"Shit!" I exclaimed as I realized what he meant. With Bella's death and the diary, I had totally forgotten we had finals next week.
The rest of the week was spent cramming. I didn't find any time to go down to La Push.
Finally, when the school year was finally over, I drove to La Push, and stormed into Mrs. Call's store.
"Is Embry here?" I asked.
She shook her head. "You just missed him. He left to hang out with some friends."
I thanked her and continued to drive aimlessly around La Push. I was determined to get the diary back.
After an hour of driving around, I didn't see Sam or Embry. I parked on a random street, leaned back, and closed my eyes. I needed the diary. I would get it back no matter what. It was my only way of finding out more.
There was a tap on my window. I opened my eyes to see Embry and- in his hands- the diary. I jumped out of the car.
"Hi," he said.
"Can I have my diary back?"
"Bella's," he corrected.
"Whatever."
He handed it to me. "You're giving it away just like that?" I said, flipping through to make sure it was the right diary.
"Sam was the one who took it, not me," he said. "He's being paranoid. You should have it back."
"Thanks," I said hesitantly.
"But…" he said. I sighed. I knew there was a catch. "You can't tell anyone what it says. It's too dangerous, and I don't want you to get hurt."
I looked up at Embry. I could see the genuine concern in his expression. It made me feel guilty for all the times I had snapped at him.
"Who would hurt me?" I asked him.
His lips twitched, as if he wanted to tell me but couldn't. "People who don't want you to know about the Cullens," he said finally.
"So it's true?"
He just gave me a small smile. "Bye, Alice," he said, and jogged away.
I was going to call out for him to stop, but a new scene formed in front of my eyes.
It was just a quick flash, but I saw myself...swimming? I wasn't swimming in a pool, but in an ocean, with a determined expression on my face.
The vision blurred then faded. I frowned at what I had seen, but didn't make much of it.
I climbed back into the car and opened the diary to the next entry.
Edward told me his story. He was born in Chicago in 1901, and was bitten and changed by Carlisle in 1918 while he was dying of the Spanish influenza. Then, Esme and Rosalie joined the two of them. Rosalie found Emmett, who was dying of a bear attack, while she went hunting, and brought him home for Carlisle to change. Jasper joined lastly, after his mate, Emma, had been killed. Jasper had special powers, too. According to Edward, he could manipulate emotions.
He also said that most of his kind were nomadic, only coming near humans to feed. His family could stay here in Forks because they didn't feed off humans and the clouds protected them from the sun.
Edward revealed that he came into my room every night and watched me sleep. I know I should have been angry, but I was actually flattered.
That night, Edward told me more about his family. He said that the Cullens hunt animals to feel more human. Also, according to Carlisle, all vampires brought their strongest traits into their second life. Edward and Jasper had powers beyond normal humans, which is why they now had powers beyond a normal vampire's.
The next day, Edward wanted me to meet his family. I was nervous- not because I was going to a house filled with vampires, but because I was afraid they wouldn't approve of me, the clumsy, average human.
The house was beautiful. It was graceful and old-fashioned, yet still timeless. I met Carlisle, Esme, and Jasper- Rosalie seemed to have taken a dislike to me, so she and Emmett stayed away. Of course, they weren't really in college like everyone thought, but Rosalie's clear disapproval hurt.
Edward assured me that it was because she was jealous of my humanity. I found it strange- I would've given anything to be a vampire.
He gave me a tour of the house, and we stopped in Carlisle's office.
I slammed the diary shut. Bella had said she would've given anything to become a vampire. So could it be that she wasn't really dead? That Edward had transformed her?
I tried to quash this hope, but I couldn't. The chance that Bella could be alive, however small it was, was still there. She could be sitting in the Cullen mansion right now, living happily with them.
I gasped as I realized something. In the Cullen mansion...she could still be there.
I turned on the car. I was going to pay the big white house in the woods a visit.