Ok, this is not my longest chapter, but I thought that you'd rather have a short chapter than none at all. School has started again, and things have been quite mad around here. Anyway, on with the story…

Still don't own twilight, but definitely enjoy playing around with it and getting all your wonderful reviews. Keep up the good work!

16

Bella's POV

I had really been shaken by Jasper's behavior the day before – I had no idea why he was so angry with me, and why he would behave so threateningly. I was scared by the way he had looked, almost inhuman, and the hard way he had pushed me. From what I gathered during Charlotte's phone call, he had somehow got it into his head that I was together with Edward, which made him madly jealous. I am not sure I want to be with someone so possessive, no matter how flattering it would be to actually cause such deep emotions in anyone. So at first I was relieved when Charlie threw him out. When I looked at his face however, I changed my mind. There was so much pain, and I cannot bear the thought of him being hurt and me not able to comfort him – how would do that when he is as spitting mad as he was, I don't know.

I was approaching the next day with apprehension. What would he say about what had been bugging him, and how he had gotten into the house in the first place? And would he finally tell me what was on his mind about me? I know how I feel about him, completely irrational, every rational fiber in my body tells me to stay away from the man, but the thought of doing so, scares me and causes a stinging pain in my heart. In the end it turned out that he was not at school at all. Neither was Edward – strange. When I asked Alice about it, she simply ignored me. I have the feeling that she is slightly unstable, nice one day and hating me the next. Is that why they are supposed to be difficult? It's a shame Charlotte suppressed her number when she called me last night, now I can't even call her back and make her tell me what's going on.

At least the problem of the Spring Dance invitation is solved. Mike asked Jessica, and it looks as if Angela has found someone as well. They talked about going to Port Angeles after school to have a look at some dresses there during the lunch break.

"Oh, would you mind if I came along?" I asked, having decided to try again to get my social life going.

"No, that would be great. Who are you going with?" Jessica asked at once. She had been a bit edgy with me the last few days, but is fine now hat Mike has asked her.

"I'm not going… I…" Basically I wanted company and I had also not been to Port Angeles to check out the bookstores.

"Of course you're coming", Angela beamed at me. "I need your opinion on everything I try. I'm so nervous to look like a beanstalk."

So the matter was settled, and I called Charlie to let him know where I was going. "You're not meeting that Hale guy, are you, Bells?"

"No, I just told you, I'm going shopping with the girls. Clothes shopping."

He huffed, but did not say anything about it if he was still suspicious. I guess it's in the nature of his job not to be too trusting.

Being out with the girls was fun for a while, but when it turned out that Jessica was determined to try on every dress there was at the only clothes store in town, I became I a bit impatient. Angela of course noticed it first and gently prodded me along to do my own shopping and meet back up at the Italian for dinner as planned.

It took me quite a while to find the bookstore I wanted, and when I did it turned out to be something so stuffed with all kinds of esoteric stuff that it was no use to me after all. I did not even go in, I could see from the window it was not my kind of shop. My long search however had caused me to lose the little sense of direction I have; in other words I had no idea how to get back to the main shopping area, much less to the restaurant where we had parked the car. I stumbled around for a while, hopelessly lost, and it was quickly becoming dark when I finally admitted to myself that I had gone completely off the map. Around me were only industrial buildings, and the only people I could see, were I couple of young men, who I had noticed earlier. They had seemed quite loud and rowdy then, carrying around six packs of beer and hollering across the road. I was not comfortable talking to them, and during my attempts at regaining my bearings I had instinctively been trying to lose them. When I still found them near me I realized they had been following me around. My breath caught: they had been herding me into these unpopulated streets, where now I found myself without support. Great. I fished in my pocket for my cell phone, but when I had got that out and going, they had already come close, forming a ring around me. This was not looking good. I tried to remember what I could from a course in self-defense Renee had made me take back in Phoenix, but though I knew I was supposed to scream and run, I was not sure which would be more effective – if any – in this situation.

The men kept coming closer to me, and now they had me circled, laughing at each other and making dirty jokes, only half of which I understood. They reeked of alcohol and smoke, and something I could not name. By now they were so close that I could almost touch them – not that I wanted to. Even though it looked like they were not primarily interested in my handbag I thought I might try one last thing. I decided to throw my handbag at them if needed – they were welcome to the bit of cash I had put in there – and make a run for it, when the dark alley was suddenly lit by the headlights of a sleek dark car that fishtailed toward them. It stopped an inch from the tallest man's toes, and a tall figure got out. "Don't touch her!" he hissed in a voice so angry that I almost did not recognize it as Jasper's.

My attackers started giggling and sneering at the lone man who had come to disturb their idea of fun, but stopped when they were suddenly pulled aside and thrown across the alleyway. I had not even seen Jasper move, but here he was, in front of me, and between me and the guy who seemed to be the leader of the group. "Bella, get in the car!" He told me curtly, and I was about to do so, when the leader pulled out a knife.

"Now what? Are you in this fight or not?" he taunted Jasper.

Jasper shook his head. "You don't want to be in a fight with me."

"And why would that be, pretty boy?" It was obvious that he felt in control of the situation, and I was getting scared for Jasper.

"Jasper, just let's go, they did not hurt me." I tried pulling him along, but found I could not move him at all.

He was crouched and looking at his opponent through slit eyes. When the other man lunged at him, knife first, I was sure he was going to slice Jasper open, but the only sound I heard was that of metal touching stone. Then I heard a growling sound, like a lion, which was coming from inside Jasper. At that sound - and presumably Jasper's look – the other man finally backed off. He was not fast enough though, because Jasper jumped and was on him so quick that he toppled over. Now my former attacker was beneath Jasper, who was still growling, his lips pulled back from his teeth.

I swallowed. "Jasper, no. Don't hurt him, he … is not worth you getting into trouble again. Just let him go!". I was not going to stand by while Jasper murdered that man, which he was sure to do, though he had no weapon I could see.

He started and turned to me, and his face softened. He let go off the man and got up, still straddling his opponent though. "I thought I had told you to get in the car."

"I will if you do."

He shook his head and smiled crookedly. "All right." He knocked the man out and was sitting next to me in the car the next second. "Where to?"

"Whose car is this?" I asked. It was a car I had not seen before, and even I knew it was expensive, more expensive than what the usual foster child could pay.

"Mine", he answered. "Darlin', tell me where to go from here or I might head back to those… bastards."

"I… eh… I was supposed to meet with Jessica and Angela at a restaurant." I gave him the name and address, and he started driving so quickly that I was pressed back into the seat. "But… I'd rather arrive there alive, if that's ok", I said once I had got my breath back.

He snickered and slowed down. "Sorry! I'm a very safe driver, you don't have to worry."

"Mm, famous last words", I mumbled to myself and was surprised when he snickered at that as well, but at least he slowed down and came to a halt next to the restaurant I had been looking for without success.

Jessica and Angela were just coming out and stopped in their tracks when they saw us approaching. Jessica looked at me full of reproach while Angela smiled.

"I'm sorry I am so late, I got lost…"

"I helped her out", Jasper said at once and turned his killer smile on them.

"We have already eaten, we waited for an hour, but we were hungry… and …" Jessica clearly did not know how to respond to the situation.

"If you need to get home, I can drive Bella back myself. I just want to make sure she gets something to eat as well."

I could see my friends melting under his smile and they were gone without so much as a glance to me.

"Can I invite you for a meal at this restaurant?" Jasper asked, turning his smile on me now.

I sighed. My belly had started grumbling at that moment, and besides there was no way of getting home other than accepting his offer or calling Charlie to get me, which I would rather not do.

"Yes, but I'd like some answers from you."

"I will answer every question you ask, I promise." Jasper's face was serious, and he held the door for me. "Besides, I would do anything for an evening with you, Darlin'." He seemed quite giddy, and the promise of finally finding out what was going on must have been the last thing that kept me going, because once we were seated, my legs felt like jelly.