Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A/N: Hello, people!

I don't own Twilight.

I have no regular beta.

ENJOY!

CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON.

~.O.~

SIDE A:

So reincarnation/transmigration is a thing. A thing that can actually happen to people and did in fact happen to me. Just now, to be precise.

The worst part about all of this isn't waking up as Bella Swan in the Twilight Universe. That is so far down the list of issues I'm having at the moment that it can be put off for now. Hell, of all the characters I could wake up as, Bella isn't quite so bad to be honest.

What hurts the most about this situation is that I died. The original me. I know this for a fact because one doesn't just get flattened by an eighteen-wheeler and walk away. Twenty-five-year-old me ended up in a five-car pileup that got rammed by a massive ass truck on the highway. My side was the one that got hit with full force. I didn't even have time to note where my leg was broken before the blaring horn drew my attention to the right.

I got a view of a filthy, however-many-ton vehicle coming at me before everything went dark.

Like, it was fast so I guess that's good for me… but the whole dying thing sucks. I lived through 2020 dammit. I was supposed to get better and go on with life as one of the miracle cases!

It's not just that I made it through without getting the virus. I got the virus. I was one of the lucky ones to survive it. I lost half of my left arm to amputation of course and then had to learn how to walk again, but I survived it! I was going strong and coming back from physical therapy when I died!

Technically, I survived the Swine Flu outbreak in 2009 and then the Coronavirus outbreak in 2020. Contracted and survived both of them; died because of an idiot on the highway. That is the biggest slap in the face for someone like me.

I was so fucking lucky to survive before a vaccine was even created. It was all going so well, yet I had to die young anyway. Deadly viruses couldn't do the job so it was left up to some fucking moron behind the wheel of a vehicle.

I'm going to be bitter about this for a while. I'm already tearing up over it. The unfairness is going to prematurely end me in this new body I'm stuck in. Why me?

So… onto the whole transmigrating thing. I'll have time to wallow later on, no worries. I had to take full note of everything going on first. You can't plan if you're too befuddled.

Bella Swan was never someone I would choose to be if I had the choice to become a fictional character and take their place. Charlie was a real G, but Renee kind of annoyed me if I'm being honest. With them as parents, I'm not sure how I would handle it. Especially since my parents were vastly different. Specifically, mom was both parents because my… heh-hem, was a piece of shit.

As for Bella, she was dainty. I guess. Like 5'4", super thin, and not physically imposing in any way. My first problem is that I don't want to be short! I've never been short a day in my life! I don't know how to be a short person. There was no real-life experience for this. I've always been half a foot taller than everyone my age. And now I'm short as fuck. I'm going to have to climb counters just to get to cupboards now.

The second issue I have is that Bella is far too nice. People were acting the fool around her and she was just too decent to tell them off. She was often equated to a wet doormat by myself and even my mom on a few occasions. It felt like people walked all over her because she didn't stand up for herself enough.

Like Edward being a domineering dick and having to control everything in her life. Alice fucking bulldozing everyone all because she can have subjective visions of the future. Mike, Eric(in the films at least), and Tyler needing to learn how to take a damn hint or just a blatant refusal. Rosalie deserving to be knocked down a peg or two so she'd pull her vain head out of her ass.

The list went on really.

Finally… Bella attracted a lot of danger, and I don't like pain. While Bella was a champ who could take all kinds of agony with a relatively clear mind and determination, I am a coward. And the thing is, I have a high threshold for pain after training myself to ignore my problems so my heh-hem didn't find out, but I still don't want to go through pain if I don't have to.

Oh! I should probably add on the fact that Bella never acquainted herself with Equilibrium. I don't know if that would transfer to me since I orient myself differently, but I've never been clumsy and I don't want to start now. I can walk normally again but for what? The price of tripping over thin air every two seconds?

So yeah, those were some issues I was currently facing.

The kind I can't really ignore right now because the now is my present and it is not a gift nor is it giving.

Next in the line of problems… it's fucking hot in Bella's bedroom. Meaning I'm probably still in Arizona. Kill me now. I was born in the North. I wasn't born for this shit. Dry heat is of the devil. Fuck that. I can't wait to go to Washington.

I groaned, hating everything in my current existence. The cactus on the far dresser. The painting of space on the wall to my right. Even the fucking chibi cat stuffy on the desk across the room.

...Okay, maybe not the cat stuffy. It was adorable after all.

So I'm not so sure I'm living again, or just dreaming in a coma. Who knows? What is real and what isn't? Is there truly any actual way to determine if we are asleep or awake? If we're alive or dead? The human mind is capable of many things we aren't even aware of yet. This could all be some elaborate ruse played on us by our own brains.

Nope!

No time for introspection. I don't want to fall into that kind of hole right now. No thought-provoking theatrics allowed, thank you very much.

"Bella!"

A knock sounded at the door on the far left of the room. Renee Dwyer's face appeared as it opened. She looked like her movie self. Did that mean I look like Kristen Stewart? If so… that's a problem.

She's hot. Like, she's not tall but somehow her legs always look like they're a mile long, and I'm weak for legs. Getting hot and bothered for Kristen Stewart when I look just like her would be a whole new level of fucked up. I don't think I could handle that if that ends up being the case.

"You haven't slept in since you were in elementary school!" Renee said in very obvious, amused shock. "I suppose it's good that you packed everything already so you don't have to rush for the plane." Her gaze moved to the large suitcases stacked by the door.

Oh shit. It was the day. The big move. The biggest change in Bella's life. The catalyst to the whole shebang.

Thank God I've been on a plane before. Imagine having all of this stress of being in a world that isn't your own, in a body that isn't your own, surrounded by people you don't technically know even if you know a lot of stuff about them. Now imagine all of that, but also having the knowledge that you don't know how to navigate an airport and don't know how to do things on your own.

I would have been fucked surely.

I sat up and stretched until my new back popped. My. New. Back. The back of the body that wasn't mine.

What happened to Bella?

Can't believe it took me this long but seriously, what happened to the real Bella Swan? Did I like… kick her out of her body? Did she die? Have I trapped her soul in the mortal plane with no flesh prison of its own? Is she stuck somewhere?

Having a conscience sucks.

Also, I just don't have time for a moral quandary right now.

"Bella?" Renee asked, looking a touch concerned since I never answered her question.

"I was tired," I chose to say since I didn't really know what else could work. Like, hey, I'm in your daughter's body but I'm not her. That wouldn't go over well.

Renee smiled, relieved. "I made you one of my special smoothies!"

From what I recall, Bella was the mom. Cooking, cleaning, being mature all the time. Renee and Charlie had no cooking skills. Is it wrong that I was concerned when she said she made me something to eat?

"Oh, there's no reason to look like you're about to get poisoned!" Renee huffed good-naturedly. "It's frozen strawberries, milk, vanilla yogurt, and Splenda. You can't mess that up."

God, I hope so. It's only four ingredients but oh Lordy do I hope that they can't be messed up somehow. Please, whoever put me here. Please go easy on me, these are some turbulent times for me right now.

"Get dressed. Phil will bring your bags down for you, don't worry about carrying them."

And then Renee flounced off down the stairs, leaving the door slightly open as she went. Was that a mom thing? Not being able to close the door they just opened? My mom did that all the time and it never ceased to aggravate me.

My mom… She was in the accident with me, but on the driver's side. Her side didn't get the full force of the collision so is it possible that she made it out? But if she made it out wouldn't the injury still be bad enough to warrant a long hospital stay?

The hospital bills from me were enormous and I still hadn't been able to pay them all off yet. She had even less money than I did, and even worse insurance. Would it honestly be better if I wished she had died in the crash too, just so she doesn't have to get hounded to pay my bills, my funeral expenses, and then her own hospital bills?

Is that callous of me? Am I a bad daughter for thinking this way?

I… am not going to think about her right now. I will have a long-ass flight to spend crying without letting anyone in on the knowledge that I'm grieving. So no… right now is not a good time. I don't want to think about this at all if I don't have to.

Okay, getting ready. I can do that. I can get ready for the day and pretend everything is fine for now. I'm good at pretending to be okay.

The first thing to note… I do not look like Kristen Stewart. Or any actress who is a brunette either. Going by what Bella should look like, versus what I look like right now, it's not that different I suppose.

Though I'm just going to say… was it ever announced that Bella is white? Like 60% of the world has dark hair and dark eyes. And even if her skin is canonically of a lighter complexion, that doesn't necessarily mean she's a white woman, does it?

I'm saying this because right now I don't necessarily look like the standard idea of a white woman. Like, I have a very common idea when I think a brunette looks like if that makes sense. You can put her in a shuffle of ten other white women with the same coloring and couldn't tell any of them apart basically.

What I'm getting at is that Bella's cheekbones are very high, her eyes are very thin and far apart, and she just doesn't scream 'average white woman' to me. Or maybe not like a Caucasian American woman specifically? Not really sure how to word this where it will make sense.

Bella's most obvious facial feature is her widow's peak. Very much there and very much pronounced and plays a part in the shaping of her face. Dark hair. Not necessarily what could be called black if it was in the sunlight, but not mahogany as many claimed. Brown eyes. The more average, dirt brown instead of uniquely flecked with gold or green or something nice. Not 'warm chocolate' or whatever food analogy is used often. The chin is more pointed which makes her face more heart-shaped thanks to the widow's peak.

Eyes aren't as wide as they were suggested to be, but they are further apart. The nose is not so thin either with the bridge being a bit flatter than expected. Not large though. Mostly indistinct. The lips did feel too big for the shape of the jaw. There was no arch to the brows, they were flat as fuck and lacked personality. Trying to twitch either had no effect on the shape even with the muscle raised.

Compared to what I look like, Bella is like a Victoria's Secret model who walks for the Fashion Shows. But compared to actual Victoria's Secret models, Bella is pretty plain.

Average might be a nicer way to say it. No offense to Bella intended of course.

If I was a superficial asshole who was asked to pick between a lineup of girls with similar features, Bella would be the last option and only if I had to pick her. No offense again. The amount of male attention she drew had to be because they simply had something new to look at because none of them were going for her because of her personality. They didn't try getting to know her enough for that to be the reason.

And no, she wasn't some kind of goddess in terms of looks. At all. No one could start a war over her beauty if that makes sense. Such an excuse would never fly with most people.

You know, if I knew how to use make-up and had a sense of fashion, I could probably be considered decently pretty with enough effort.

Too bad I had no such knowledge and won't be wasting money trying to learn. I'm also lazy. Is it really worth it in the long run? The time it would take to do that stuff every day could be spent sleeping.

"Hurry up, Bella!" Renee called from downstairs, reminding me that I haven't done anything yet.

Fuck!

Bella's choice of clothing is a bit of an issue. I'm not big on t-shirts like she seemed to be, but I do like the style of wearing a long-sleeved shirt under a short-sleeved one. That was something I never really stopped doing and refused to be shamed for.

Camis from Hollister. Long-sleeved shirts from Aeropostale. Graphic t-shirts of my favorite anime from Hot Topic. Jeans from Abercrombie & Fitch. Shoes from Payless. The standard for the average, early 2000s American teen.

I was more of a flats girl instead of a sneakers girl. Slip them on quickly and get going. I hate most kinds of shoes but will suffer through heels for aesthetic purposes. Especially if they're sexy as hell. If there had been one nice thing on my original body, it had been my legs. I'd liked it when they looked good.

Looking through Bella's luggage made me sigh. Most of her stuff was unappealing to me. Not necessarily unfashionable since I don't care about being in fashion or with it. I just care more about my comfort. Low-rise jeans had never been an interest of mine since I was chubby in the middle. I liked high-waisted stuff for obvious reasons.

I ended up swapping out some things, but mostly, Bella's wardrobe didn't consist of clothes needed for cold weather. So shopping would be a must. I left behind three pairs of Chucks though. The black ones were enough for fuck sake. And Bella did have a pair of black flats thankfully. Nothing dressy, though it wasn't as if dressy clothes were needed. My ass ain't going to church or anything and was school really worth being dolled up for?

Not unless I have someone to impress of course.

Phil, the step-dad who got next to no book or screen time, had come to take the luggage away. I took a final moment to look around Bella's Phoenix bedroom, to commit her things to memory.

Books out the ass. Lots of music in her library. Shit.

I grabbed my carry-on bag and proceeded to shove several familiar CDs and a blue CD player into it, along with the Walkman and some cassettes I found in the bedside drawer. I haven't used a Walkman in so long, and it had belonged to my mom when she was a teen.

Okay. Got the music. Got a notebook and some pencils with me so I can make some notes about shit. Got a copy of Twelfth Night on hand as well. Some extra essentials just to be safe.

"Bella!" Renee called from downstairs.

"Coming!"

Crying on the plane.

I got the window seat which is great for me. I can just angle my scrawny body toward the window and mope for all the things I've lost.

My life. My best friend. My mom. My books that I worked so hard to write and publish.

Everything is gone. I'm trapped in this new place so much like my own world but also not, because this is Twilight and supernatural things exist to an extent. I'm going to be going to school with vampires who do their best to not eat people on the regular.

I'm going to be the new girl who gets too much attention. Scrutinized at every damn turn. Rumored about no matter what I do.

Panic attacks aren't unfamiliar to me but it's been a while since I've had one. I could have gone with never having one again, thank you very much. Fuck my life.

I want to go home.

I want my mom.

Charlie looks like Billy Burke. I wonder if everyone will look like their movie selves. If so, that's a curious thing.

Billy Burke is hot by the way, so that's a bit weird. Charlie isn't my dad, but he views the body I'm currently residing in as his daughter. So this is a new level of fucked up. Seeing that familiar smile aimed my way when my mind is in inappropriate places is going to be hell on Earth, isn't it?

"Bells," the man greeted upon seeing me in my ugly ass parka, rolling two massive suitcases behind me.

"Hey... dad."

You know, since he's a decent dude, and already much better than my heh-hem I'm much more comfortable calling him such even if I don't personally believe it. He isn't a creep and he really cares about his daughter. I can deal with this.

"Are you hungry?" he asked a bit awkwardly as he bent down to take the luggage off my hands.

"I am," I admitted. I know he and Bella had a stilted relationship for those first few weeks but I'm not quite so awkward even if I'm an introvert. "It doesn't have to be fancy or anything. I could eat a Happy Meal and be fine."

He sent me a look. "You don't like McDonald's."

Well fuck. Thanks, Bella. The hell am I supposed to do in response to that?

"I like their sundaes… and nuggets." There. A sugary confection and coated chicken. "I only like specific things from specific places though. No brand loyalty here, chief."

He snorted. "So it still fries from Burger King and a Chocolate Frosty from Wendy's?"

Okay, maybe Bella didn't have such shit taste after all. "Exactly." Maybe I could do this without a problem?

The police cruiser he drove made me think of those taxis from the late 90s. I feel so old right now. I can't remember the last time I saw one of those either.

"Could we also stop at a Walmart? I don't have many, if any, long-sleeved shirts. I also only have this parka. I have a few hundred bucks saved up so I can handle it, no worries."

Charlie huffed. "I can pay for it, Bells. You're living with me now. Save that money for something special."

Special like what? What did 2005 have to offer a millennial who was spoiled by the technological boom of the twenty-first century?

"Thanks."

I am mildly uncomfortable having a man I barely know, buy me things, but I will suck it up and deal with it. I need a slight change in clothing. And maybe some Peds. I hate normal socks.

Skinny-minny Bella Swan wears a Size 2 on Walmart's size chart. So everything comes in my size and in more than the three staple colors.

I forgot how cheap things used to be! Only sixteen years since 2005 but the amount of clothes we just got cost maybe 1/3 or 1/4 the price they would in 2021. I was so stressed while walking through and grabbing things. Trying to get the cheapest of the cheap so the bill would be low. I forgot about being able to get a camisole for fucking $3.

We paid less than $50 in total when in 2021 I would've been pushing about $250.

While the early 2000s lacked most everything needed for the basic entertainment of a Gen Z/Millennial adult, the prices were at least nice.

Charlie looked very shocked at how little the bill came out to be. Enough to send me a look and go, "Are you sure you don't want anything else?" Perhaps he expected his teenage daughter to spend a lot more money than that? I don't know. Bella never came across as materialistic in the books. The whole issue with demanding that nobody buy her gifts made that very obvious.

"I'm set." The parka being black meant it would go with everything. No other coats were needed, but I did get a nice black cardigan.

The house was as it looked in the film. The first film specifically. It was nice. Homey. Something a small-town police chief would live in if it was passed down by his parents like I suspected it to be.

The kitchen was a horrendous shade of yellow though. The 70s wallpaper was appalling to the eyes. Why was that ever considered something cool?

Charlie showed me to my room which had been re-painted recently. Every other room in the house had the same eggshell blue paint save for the yellow in the kitchen. This room was white. Fresh enough that I could still smell the paint a bit. And there were specks of white all over the wooden floor toward the edge of walls.

"I figured you could do more with white than blue," Charlie said as he placed the suitcases on the stripped-down bed. "I got you purple bedding to tide you over in case you want something else later. You like purple still, right?"

Oh, thank God! "Yes." I love purple and the duvet folded on top of the bed was nice.

There was a bookcase built into the far back wall and a desk next to it with an old ass computer that was yellowing with age. And the window was more like the one Bella stares out of in the second film, but with a window seat. Nice.

It was good.

"Thanks, dad."

So doing this wouldn't be quite so difficult after all.

I got a truck! For free. Thank God I can drive a stick shift. My mom always told me it was important to know because her dad insisted on teaching her how to do it. Sometimes you need to have secret skills so no one can surprise you.

Of course, I got to meet Jacob and Billy Black.

Jacob looks nothing like Taylor Lautner. Billy looks like Gil Birmingham though. I have a theory but now is not the time to get into it.

I think Jacob must also be lacking in exposure to attractive girls because the interest in Bella is a bit confusing since he barely knows her. He had a nice smile though. That's something going for him.

School tomorrow. New truck. New threads. New body technically.

Oi. High school all over again. I swore I'd never go back and yet I'm stuck doing just that.

Okay. Gotta make some sort of a decent impression at least.

• Pick out my clothes ahead of time. Check.
• Shave everywhere. Check.
• Ignore how uncomfortable I am in this new body while it is unclothed. Check.
• Boot up the old monster in the bedroom to email Renee. Check.
• Praise the heavens that Bella keeps a tiny note of her passwords in her wallet. Check.
• Memorize the note of passwords and then eat the note so no one else can find it. Check.

Dial-up is still a relatively popular thing for fuck sake! I am suffering. I never wanted to hear that damn sound again.

Seeing as the internet is boring as hell though, this isn't that much of a problem. Once I am capable, I'm buying a laptop and a tablet though. I simply cannot avoid such things.

Onto other matters… hair. I missed having long hair. Bella's is hip length and only slightly wavy. I happen to be good with braids though, so the plan is to wash it, braid it very intricately, and then blow-dry it. I will sleep with it like that and then undo it in the morning and see how well her hair holds intentional waves.

This will help me plan for the future. If it's useless I might just cut it off. It would pain me of course, but if you can't style it, why bother having it, you know?

Hmm...

Oh yeah, Renee.

I gotta do that before anything else.

Bella's hair takes to braids very well! The waves are insane! And no, I'm not putting mousse or hairspray on my head. I never liked those and I also didn't waste money on getting any.

I stuck with the skinny jeans and a long-sleeved white shirt under a green t-shirt. The black parka was added on, and I finished it off with the black pair of flats that matched. It was a decent ensemble. I look like the average teen.

Charlie was leaving by the time I got downstairs. He had a moment to look me over approvingly and say, "There's a spare key under the eave for you to have. The truck's tank is full. The jar on top of the fridge is money for food if you feel like buying yourself snacks. I don't cook so that's all it's there for."

"I can cook just fine, don't worry. I'll go shopping later," I promised him. Introduce him to some spices. Flavor.

He looked doubtful for a moment and I sighed. "I am going to blow you away with my cooking prowess later on, chief. No worries."

"Okay," he said, still looking a bit scared. I'll just have to prove him wrong later.

Alright! Notebooks, writing utensils, food money now in my wallet, and the CD player with Destiny's Child's Survivor album. I am ready for the day.

Please, dear God in the heavens above, don't make this a cringe-fest.

It is a cringe-fest.

Okay, maybe that isn't very fair of me considering that it's fucking 2005 and most everything was cringey at the time.

Still… cringe.

First, Eric looks like he does in the film, which is further adding to my theory. I won't share said theory until I see the Cullens in person first. Then I will truly know if it's smart enough to truly acknowledge.

Bella's schedule is killing me. I never learned Trigonometry. I do speak Spanish though, so I don't have to worry about that shit. I hated Biology simply because it was boring. I also hated doing grammar work. Not my cup of tea.

Seeing as I haven't tripped over anything yet, maybe Bella's two left feet didn't translate over to me. So Gym might not be a bad thing.

Overall though, the building - as in one single building instead of several like in the book - is pretty large and easy to get around. All of my classes are on the same floor. No stairs for my ass! I am going to be thriving in this environment! It's already better than I could hope for.

Angela Weber is a sweet bean. Jessica Stanley is a gossipmonger. Lauren What'sHerName? is a bitch. Mike Newton is like an overexcited puppy. Tyler Crowley isn't too different from him. Eric What'sHisName? is nerdier and a little less outgoing than his peers. All of them, sans Lauren since she wasn't important enough to be in the films, look like their films selves.

I don't remember how Lauren should look since I didn't care about her, but she's a blue-eyed blonde girly girl. Not necessarily valley-girl, but one can pretty easily imagine what she'd look like.

For a town of a few thousand people, there are a lot more teens than I would have expected. Like damn.

The Lunch Period for Juniors was pretty damn full. I hate crowds. I also hate it when everyone is looking at me like I'm something interesting. When that happens, they pay too much attention, and then no peace can be found anywhere.

The options for lunch were… options at least. All looked disgusting. The pizza was so greasy on the bottom but the cheese was rock solid on the top. But the chicken tenders looked horrible. There was a salad bar like in the movie, which was nice. Probably some kind of attempt at introducing healthy options to the teens of Forks.

I opted for a massive salad covered in Thousand Island.

Lauren looked disgusted when I sat down with Jessica. "Do you even know how many calories are in that?"

'That' in question was a big bowl of lettuce, spinach, cabbage, peas, corn, olives, croutons, imitation bacon bits, and blue cheese crumbles, all drenched in dressing. In my opinion, it's pretty healthy considering the options available to me.

"Do I look like someone who cares about calorie content?" I asked Lauren as I stabbed my fork into the salad and shoved whatever it picked up into my mouth.

I ate toast this morning since Charlie's fridge and cupboards are empty as hell. I'm hungry. I want food. I spent five dollars to get a salad and I'm damn well going to have whatever the hell I want on this thing for such a price.

No, the salad bar was not free. Everything else was, but I guess it was considered more of a privilege than a necessity? I got the biggest bowl option which is probably where the price came in. It was meant to hold a lot of food for a reason.

Lauren and Jessica were disgusted by my eating habits, but Jessica was a lot more chill about it. Meaning she got over it pretty quickly because she wanted to gossip to someone new.

I got to hear all the deets. Most of it was, surprisingly, not problematic. It was like who was dating who, and who had a crush on who, and who to go to if you wanted to buy an empty hall pass or a pack of gum. That kind of thing. There was one rumor about a pregnant sixteen-year-old, but since she'd been upfront about it from the start and still attended school and didn't care what people thought of her upcoming birth, I'm not sure if it's rumored or not.

Only when Jessica had exhausted everyone in the room did she nudge me in the side, making me choke from how unexpected it was. I inhaled while going to swallow and the food went down the wrong pipe!

"Oh my God!" Jessica gasped, patting my back madly, "Please don't choke and die on me!"

A single, good thump on the back added to a nice, full-body cough, fixed the problem. Thank God. That could have been very ugly very quickly.

"I could kiss you," I told her gratefully as I just focused on breathing normally. I'd kiss her hands, her feet, and even her mouth if she wanted it.

"Umm…" Jessica hummed, looking flustered as everyone at the table gaped at me.

"My mouth tastes like Thousand Island dressing though, so it wouldn't be a very good kiss. And I wouldn't do it without consent, never fear," I assured her before taking a swig of water and returning to the remains of my salad. "You wanted my attention for something?" I asked, hoping to get her back on track.

It took a few more seconds to reboot before she was right back on her bullshit. "Okay! So don't make it obvious, but I want you to look toward your right, toward the back of the cafeteria."

I did so, through the many wavy locks of hair blocking the side of my face. I spotted the Cullens instantly. It was hard not to if I'm being quite honest.

Also, my theory is correct. Everything is fashioned after how I would prefer it if that makes sense. Like Eric being Asian. Jacob being an Indigenous American. Forks High School is in one building and the salad bar being a thing in said building.

What could support this?

How the Cullens looked.

Let's start alphabetically. Alice Cullen looked as she did in the New Moon film. Like an actual pixie. Her hair in the first film just didn't feel right to the image in my head even though it was pretty spiky. I preferred the second film Alice, the most out of all of them.

Though it should be noted that Ashley Greene is like 5'5" and Alice isn't even five feet tall. So this Alice looks like Ashley Greene in New Moon, but shorter. Much shorter. According to the Twilight Saga's canon type of short specifically.

Moving on to Eddie boy. Robert Pattinson's handsome face was as crystal clear as expected. He had the appearance of Edward in the first film. The best portrayal of him. On a side note, I hated how everyone looked so fucking different with each movie. Like, Chris Weitz, David Slade, and Bill Condon forgot about the 'unchanging' thing and made no effort to keep them similar at all.

So yeah, Edward looked the way I preferred him. I can't see his eyes from this far but they should be golden.

Emmett is much bigger, as he should be. Looks like Kellan Lutz but like half a foot taller and much more buff. Does not look like a teenager at all. When sitting, he is very much bigger than everyone else at his family's table. Takes up a lot of space. Looks like he could snap me in half.

I approve. Emmett was like the only Cullen to not change drastically throughout the films. There wasn't much to be done about him, to be honest. Tall, muscular, short hair. Not much to do.

Next, we move on to Jasper. Specifically, Eclipse-Jasper. The one where he looked hot as fuck. He was at his most appealing in that film. The lighting and makeup did him some justice. Jackson Rathbone had it going on and it was good for him. And me.

Finally, we move on to Rosalie. The Queen Bitch with Snape Syndrome. By that I mean, was assaulted terribly in her youth and now takes it out on everyone else. I don't hate Rosalie and I like Severus Snape, but the choice to take their trauma out on others who weren't even involved in it is fucking annoying.

Trauma doesn't excuse shitty behavior, even if it makes such behavior understandable.

Anyway, Rosalie. Eclipse-Rosalie. She was prettiest in the third film. I know Nikki Reed went through hell to get her hair bleached for the part, but the third film was just the best presentation of Rosalie. Before, I hadn't seen the earth-shattering beauty in Nikki's face. Not until she was put in an almost platinum blonde wig. That one scene where she and Bella talk was like an awakening of sorts if you know what I mean.

So yeah, my theory. Everything is more in line with my personal preferences within the various canons of the Twilight Universe. If Carlisle and Esme are what I expect, then I am right.

And if so… is this like some sort of cosmic payback for killing me so early on? Is it the power of manifesting destiny? Does Aro look hot like he did in New Moon? I kind of want to know and kind of don't.

I whistled low and slow to show that I had indeed done as Jessica ordered and saw what she wanted me to see. "Hot."

Someone choked on their drink. I'm not sure who since I didn't bother looking, but there was choking happening at the table.

"Don't get your hopes up," Jessica murmured. "They might all be adopted by Dr. Cullen and his wife, but they're all together. Like together-together. Alice Cullen, the small one, and Jasper Hale, the tall blond, are a thing. Then Emmett Cullen, the big one, and Rosalie Hale, the blonde goddess, are a thing. And then there's the god known as Edward Cullen."

"What? Does he only have his bouffant for the company or something?" I asked, unable to help myself. "No one was adopted for him? He's stuck being the third wheel thrice over?"

That sounded kind of lonely. Of course, Rosalie was technically turned since Carlisle thought she'd be a good partner for Eddie boy. That didn't work as planned.

Edward's placement in the family/coven is kind of hilarious though.

Even with the distance between our tables, I was able to see the entire table of vampires smirk as one unified being. They all heard what I said and were staring at Edward, who was looking up at the ceiling as if he was rolling his eyes.

Angela was giggling into her bottle of water while Lauren was looking sourer than ever. She needed to learn to chill.

Jessica took my words as an opening to talk more. "Maybe not. All I know is that nobody here is good enough for Edward." She sounded so annoyed by that fact.

"Has everyone asked him out already?"

"Oh yeah," said Lauren. "We girls just can't help ourselves. We see a hot guy not taken and we swarm him."

I frowned. "Did the boys approach him too?"

The table went silent.

Oh. This was 2005 and things weren't quite so open right now. Well shit. I'm not going back into the closet all because of hetero norms of the current times. I did that shit once and I will never do it again. Introversion be damned!

"No. Ew," Lauren sneered, looking like the textbook homophobe one would imagine.

"I'm not so sure how men liking men is considered to be 'ew' but don't let me get in the way of your limited and outdated view of the world," I said sweetly even if my eyes screamed murder. "Anyway, Angela, did you ask Edward out?" I asked, showing Lauren that her intolerance was shitty but that she wasn't important enough for me to debate with.

Angela shook her head while Lauren fumed.

"Well then, not everyone has approached Edward Cullen with romantic intentions. So we don't know if anyone here is good enough for him or not. And even if it ends up being the case, the world is massive and love can be found around any corner, not just the ones you're used to seeing every day."

Look at me, dropping profound shit on the sheltered youth of 2005. I need an award for this.

I chanced another glance at the Cullen table to find Edward staring right at me. And like, he could probably see me just fine even through the wall of hair, but I wasn't quite so fortunate even with Bella's improved vision. He was smiling a sweet smile, probably not used to someone being so nice about him and his family.

That was sad.

The first bell rang. I managed to get through the whole Lunch Period without letting Jessica get to the part where she would mention Esme's inability to have kids. Good on me!

I'm craving coconut for some reason.

I just ate but I want coconut.

Mike had Biology and was able to show me the way. Eric had it too but he hadn't been as fast in offering to walk me so he trailed beside us, trying to insert himself into the conversation.

Here is where shit gets real. I'm going to sit next to Vampy McVampFace and he is going to go all emo and disappear for a week because he doesn't want to murder me and by extension, a whole class of kids. What a fucking hero.

I don't mean that sarcastically either. It takes a lot of effort to remove yourself from a situation where your battle against addiction can be interfered with. While many saw it as running away and being a coward, he did the right thing. 'Sometimes to run is the brave thing' as Taylor Swift once said.

Edward realized there was a problem and took steps to neutralize it in a safe and morally upright manner. Props to him for it.

The emo part of my comment focused more on the brooding and blaming himself for everything and viewing himself as a soulless monster. He'd no doubt go through some intense emotional turmoil in the following week. Poor dude.

The Biology room was as expected of a class for science. I hated it immediately. Never do I ever want to be reminded that science is a thing.

There was the fan as expected. There was hair flying all over the damn place as expected. There went Edward's body, tightening up like a coiled spring… as expected.

I reiterate, poor dude.

Mr. Banner was the cool version from the first film, thank God. He got me a book, signed my slip from Mrs. Cope, and had me park my ass right next to the dude trying not to kill me.

I should be more scared, but I think my good showing at lunch made a good impression on him so he'll probably try even harder to not kill me now. So yeah, I'm not all that concerned at the moment.

That doesn't mean I'm going out and doing dangerous shit. It's just at this moment that I don't feel worried.

The class went by normally. It was pretty easy to ignore Eddie since he wasn't even looking at me or facing me. He brooded to himself at the farthest corner of the table while we worked, and I sat and was physically reminded of why I hated science classes when I was in school.

And yet nothing beats fucking math and grammar.

As a queer individual, I'm am supposed to naturally be bad a two of three things. Math, Grammar, and Driving. Since I am an excellent driver, I suck at the other two(or just strongly hate them). Note: I suck super hard at grammar but my math skills are decent if the teacher is competent enough to explain what the hell is going on.

Class ended without fanfare.

Edward was out the door in a flash and Mike escorted me to Gym. Here was the true test of whether Bella's fight with Balance extends to me.

Newsflash… it doesn't!

I can run without falling, and play volleyball without making a fool of myself. Thank God!

Also, it is super great that Gym is the last period of the day. I think I'd die otherwise. The sweat would be a gross thing to carry with me everywhere and there's no time for a quick shower here.

Coach Clapp wasn't a jerk like many of the Gym teachers I've had, so that was nice.

The only downside was some guy named Clayton came up to me while we were doing warm-up stretches, and asked me out. Deadass. No hesitation. Even Tyler had to wait for a specific moment in the books to ask Bella out. This dude just went for it.

Clayton Bir-something-I-didn't-care-to-remember was the standard jock type. Even for a school without a sports team. Blond, blue-eyed, pretty sharp jaw, and a little jacked, but not much. Not the Emmett type of built, but still decent.

I'm not attracted to super-muscly men. And I've only ever been attracted to one natural blonde before, and that was Taylor Swift. Also, Clayton had this kind of smarmy air about him if that made any sense. The moment he swaggered on over with his friends watching in the background, I felt uneasy.

He wanted to date less for the chance to get to know me, and more for what was probably an attempt at getting in my pants. No thanks.

Which I said. Flat out. "No thanks." I didn't even want to say thanks if I'm being honest, but I also felt compelled to be nice so he didn't potentially become violent. The dude is much bigger than I am and he has a very male-Karen kind of vibe to him.

Clayton didn't look deterred by my refusal. I foresaw a rocky future between him and me. I'm not looking forward to it either.

So… the first day of school again. Not as bad as I thought it would be.

Did the promised shopping for the next two weeks of meals. I like to plan ahead.

Charlie will be soon acquainted with homemade chili, enchiladas, lasagna, okonomiyaki, curry, gumbo, dumplings, hand-pulled noodles, and a myriad of desserts. I refuse to go without these things just because Forks is tiny and doesn't have any restaurants for foreign cuisine.

Also, I'm so proud of myself for learning how to do certain things on my own because they'll benefit me now.

I should probably work on a sourdough starter, huh? I love me some good bread done the homemade way.

I can't wait!

SIDE B:

Today's the day! Alice's thoughts rang out as she slid into the back seat with Emmett and Rosalie.

I sent her a look in the rearview, waiting for her to elaborate.

The Swan girl arrived yesterday, and she'll be in school today! I've seen that she's going to be a real laugh.

I'd forgotten all about that. I'd been too busy focusing on Jasper's issues to pay that much attention to what day it was. But yes, Chief Swan's daughter was moving to Forks, and everyone talked about it for weeks. The man himself had been very excited, judging by the thoughts of many people in town.

During the school day, I saw nothing but her face flashing through people's thoughts. She was pale, dark-haired, brown-eyed, and seemed to be very frank. She could have been a long-lost vampire cousin ironically, and it didn't take Alice long to make 'long lost twin' jokes.

Finally, someone who looks like me! she insisted with a grin. Despite how she, Emmett, and I were supposed to be blood related this time around, we just really don't look much alike past our complexions and eyes. Of course the humans were still fooled but that didn't matter.

It was during lunch where I finally got to see Isabella Swan with my own eyes. And I hadn't even been looking for her, I would like to point out. I'm just attuned to certain voices more than others, so when they say my name so loudly, my attention is grabbed before I can stop myself.

Jessica Stanley's thoughts were loud, unlike many others. She was excited about the new girl, half because she wanted someone new to gossip with, and half because she liked the attention Isabella Swan was getting from everyone. It was less interested in Isabella as a person and more about what she could gain from making an acquaintance out of her.

She was regaling Isabella - just Bella, as she'd been telling everyone all day - with the details of their fellow students. Mason Garner was dating Alicia Spinelli. Morgan Mallory was dating Ernie McClain. Archie Varner wanted to date Penelope Smith, but she was dating Clyde Banner instead and it was a love triangle that everyone enjoyed the dirty details on.

That sort of thing.

It was all boring in my opinion. I'm not interested in those things. While I, unfortunately, know about all of it thanks to mind-reading and ridiculous hearing distances, they aren't exciting, nor are they dangerous to anyone. Why should I care about the sordid details of some teen love triangle?

Then Jessica got on to talking about how Mark James sold gum out of his trenchcoat, and Addison Johns was the best person to get an unused Hall Pass from. On the side, she also sold energy drinks right out of her locker, but fewer people were interested in those.

"You should know about Ally Monroe. Yes, she is pregnant at sixteen. No, she doesn't care what people think. She's also chosen to give the baby up for adoption once it's time to give birth. No, she regrets nothing, so talking about it won't get any kind of response. Don't bother giving her situation any attention."

Bella Swan didn't reply, but I did hear Lauren's nasty thoughts coming through very quickly.

I wish I didn't have to hear her thoughts at all. I wish I could block certain people out entirely. Or even just one person at a time. That would be lovely.

After a few minutes, I heard Jessica think my name for the millionth time, except it was extra loud this time.

I looked over, unable to help myself since she'd always been so loud mentally. She looked away hastily and elbowed Bella Swan in the side. Bella, who had just shoved a forkful of her salad into her mouth, began to choke as she ended up inhaling her food in shock.

"Oh my God!" Jessica gasped in horror, mentally pleading for help. "Please don't choke and die on me!" I really can't handle that!

She thumped Bella on the back hard, which seemed to do the trick. Bella's airway cleared, and she coughed a bit to save herself further from a relapse. She then took a drink of water.

"I could kiss you," Bella said, allowing me to hear her voice in person for the first time. It was very smooth for a human voice. Even. Confident in a sense, unlike her peers. And now that I have a voice, I can familiarize myself with her mental voice as well.

Jessica had frozen in place though, unable to move on. Her mind was repeating Bella's words over and over. Kiss me? Jessica asked herself mentally. Would she kiss me? For real?

I would have expected not precisely that kind of reaction from her, but I am pleasantly surprised at being proven wrong, if only slightly.

Bella patted Jessica's shoulder and smiled. "My mouth tastes like Thousand Island dressing, though, so it wouldn't be a perfect kiss. And I wouldn't do it without consent, never fear. You wanted my attention for something?"

It took a few seconds for the girl to return to the present, her mind still caught up in Bella's words. She'd kiss me if I asked her to. Wow.

Eventually, she managed to shake off her confusion to focus on other things. Like the mysterious Cullens and all the drama surrounding them, for example. "Okay! So don't make it obvious, but I want you to look toward your right, toward the back of the cafeteria."

Exactly where we sit, to be specific. It was time to see what the new girl thought of the Cullens.

I waited for some kind of comment. Something to tell me that she was seeing us. Something to let me get a grasp of her personality.

As I was focusing on Jessica's table so intently, I could hear Bella whistle in time with the vision of her doing so in Jessica's mind. "Hot," she decided after staring at us long enough. Her entire table was overcome by a wave of embarrassed thoughts at how forthright she was about her opinion on our looks.

Alice laughed, proving that she too, had been listening in on the conversation and found the assessment to be amusing.

I was still caught up in the fact that I hadn't heard a thought from Bella yet. Not a mental peep. Not a sound. Not even a picture formed by her inadequate human memory. Absolute silence, which was unheard of in my hundred years of experience. That had never happened before no matter how much effort my family put in to being quiet around me.

"Don't get your hopes up," Jessica warned Bella once she was mostly over her embarrassment. "They might all be adopted by Dr. Cullen and his wife, but they're all together. Like together-together," she confided secretly, like she was eight years old again. "Alice Cullen, the small one, and Jasper Hale, the tall blond, are a thing. Then Emmett Cullen, the big one, and Rosalie Hale, the blonde goddess, are a thing. And then there's the god known as Edward Cullen."

She called me a god. Oh, to be a damned being cursed to roam among my prey but have a face meant to draw them in. It amused me and disgusted me in equal measure. I despise being like this in many ways.

Bella's response wasn't what I expected, to be fair. Usually, people were scandalized by the relationships of my siblings. And usually, they had something to say about it. On Bella's side of things though...

"What? Does he only have his bouffant for the company or something?" Bella asked, tone incredulous. "No one was adopted for him? He's stuck being the third wheel thrice over?" The way she worded that was so pointedly accurate it was kind of embarrassing.

My siblings all smirked, Emmett, going the extra smile with snickering at my expense. I rolled my eyes at them.

Poor boy! Emmett snorted. Always doomed to be the third wheel thrice over!

That wording was undoubtedly unique. I can tell that this is going to be an inside joke in the family from now on. Just add it to the wall of graduation caps and the old rugged cross that could give a vampire splinters.

Jessica was momentarily silenced by Bella's words, trying to sort through them quickly. However, she wasn't distracted for long. "Maybe not. All I know is that nobody here is good enough for Edward." Her jealous thoughts made me sigh, remembering when she'd been brave enough to make a move, and I'd rebuffed her advances in the month following.

It was very awkward for me because I could also hear her thoughts on top of it all. She hadn't let herself become downhearted until the twentieth attempt. I felt terrible for making her doubt herself, but I'm not obligated to date anyone. The whole thing is just worse for me than my siblings because at least they aren't hounded by their admirers' thoughts.

"Has everyone asked him out already?" asked Bella curiously and she stabbed some more spinach with her fork.

"Oh yeah," Lauren Mallory said with a nod. "We girls just can't help ourselves. We see a hot guy not taken and we swarm him." Unfortunately, none of them can be swayed, which sucks, she mentally grieved.

Bella didn't answer right away, but when she did, her words caused quite a stir. "Did the boys approach him too?"

Their table went silent. My table went silent. We were all fixated on Bella and Jessica's conversation now. My siblings were all flicking through their own mental responses to her question.

On my end, I was shocked at just how open she'd been about it. Most humans don't feel comfortable addressing homosexuality. They'd rather pretend that it doesn't exist. However, she is from a big city so that could just be the difference in upbringing shining through.

Alice thought it was great. She believed wholeheartedly that Bella Swan was going to be a fun student and every time she opened her mouth, she proved Alice right. I just want to ask her so many questions! Alice sighed.

Bella's table had finally gotten their bearings. "No. Ew," Lauren Mallory sneered. Her internal monologue was very unpleasant and I tuned her out as much as I could, not wanting to hear such vitriol. Instead, I focused on Jessica only. She seemed to be the pack leader of the group right now and was being less annoying than usual.

"I'm not so sure how men liking men is considered to be 'ew' but don't let me get in the way of your limited and outdated view of the world," came Bella's frosty reply. The edge to her tone suggested danger, which I found fascinating. What kind of danger was she capable of creating? "Anyway, Angela, did you ask Edward out?"

Angela Weber, a very sweet girl and probably one of the purest minds I have ever encountered, shook her head. She hadn't ever been interested in any of us and didn't participate in any gossip about us either. She sat, minded her own business, and was kind to everyone. She deserved nothing but good things.

"Well then, not everyone has approached Edward Cullen with romantic intentions. So we don't know if anyone here is good enough for him or not. And even if it ends up being the case, the world is massive, and love can be found around any corner, not just the ones you're used to seeing every day."

Her words were so profound for a teenager that I was unable to stop myself from looking over at her table for the first time. Just to see her with my own two eyes. Just to try and understand how she could think so differently from the others.

I was also touched in a sense. Her approach to the topic was interesting, and I appreciated how calmly she'd handled the information dumped on her by Jessica. I sort of wished other humans could be more like that. Be more understanding or just completely uninterested in the personal business of others.

And then she turned to look at our table again, and our eyes met through the waterfall of her dark hair. They were a very deep brown. With my advanced eyesight, I can see each individual striation and the varying shades of dark brown together were fascinating. A human would just say they were brown, but the details I could see showed more than that.

Eyes had always been interesting for me ever since I was changed into a vampire. The detail has always been beautiful in all colors for me. Eyes have inspired many pieces of art from my hands. I like the idea of them being the windows to the soul. It feels true, especially in my case.

I smiled at Bella Swan because she made the day less monotonous and because I appreciated her candid attitude.

That was something else, Alice remarked.

It really was. I think I like her. Even if I can't hear her thoughts, she seems like another decent soul. I hope she and Angela Weber get along well. They would be good friends.

The warning bell rang.

We all stood, disposed of our uneaten lunches, and went our separate ways. A murmured 'good luck' passed to Jasper, who nodded and rolled his eyes and went toward his next class. Alice stayed behind for a moment, eyes a bit unfocused.

He'll be fine, she decided before turning a flitting away toward her own class.

I made it to Biology first. Mike Newton's thoughts projected his excitement over having the class with the new girl, very loudly. Eric Yorkie was a bit behind them, looking very much put out. As for Bella, she just seemed minimally interested in whatever flirtations both boys were trying to use.

She arrived quietly, but everyone still seemed to take notice. The excited thoughts of the other students filled the space around me. Once again, I tried to find some sort of inkling of thought coming from her, but she was silent. So strangely silent.

I've never not been able to hear someone's thoughts before.

Is there something wrong with me? Vampires can't become ill, so I know I'm not sick. Can our advanced senses deteriorate with time? Carlisle was far older than I and yet he was still in perfect condition. Maybe something is wrong with me because unlike him, I'm not happy? I haven't been truly happy in a long time.

Can depression affect vampire health?

Not having any answers for this strange phenomenon made me uncomfortable.

Bella Swan walked in front of the fan Mr. Banner had on to cool the room down, and I was hit squarely in the face with her scent. My prior discomfort felt like nothing in the face of this!

Now, I would never claim to have the level of control that Carlisle does. He's been a vampire for centuries and a doctor for almost as long. He's no longer fazed by the scent of human blood. That's how he can perform such intensive surgeries and be unaffected. His self-control is impeccable and admirable.

While I don't have such control, I do have thoughts. The thoughts of others that I can always hear no matter what I do. I also have morals and compassion to an extent. And both things are affected by my ability to hear people's thoughts.

Much like how Jasper grew to hate killing because he could feel the emotions of those whom he killed.

With all of these things combined, I'd never had the same troubles with blood that Jasper does. I know the burn and the ache and the need for relief, but I've never been brought to Jasper's level of desperation, and I think I took that for granted. I think I became arrogant in my self-control.

For years his thoughts and desires were mine to share, but I could never fully understand him… until now.

The venom pooled in my mouth instantly the moment I was struck with Bella Swan's scent. The persistent burning in my throat became parched and demanding, searing me from the inside out. I wanted to satiate such thirst but knew I couldn't do it.

I couldn't ruin everything our family had worked toward all over a lapse in control.

And I couldn't murder this poor girl in cold blood, plus the surrounding humans, all because I couldn't control my body's desires. The very desires that I deliberately denied. I spent years going against my nature for the well-being of the humans around me. I couldn't throw all of that effort away now.

And wouldn't it just be specifically pathetic? I get taunted by only one girl's blood and end up caving to my baser nature, but Jasper who is taunted by every human he comes across, manages to hold himself back every single day? My pride wouldn't be able to handle it.

But the burn!

I counted myself lucky that Bella made no attempt to speak with me. She didn't even look in my direction or seem interested in doing so. Yet... the space between us didn't feel awkward. I can't explain the depth of my relief but relieved I was.

It made it easier to hold my breath and do nothing. It made it easier for me to remember that she is a person and not just food. I began counting up from one in hopes of distracting myself even further.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10...

The throbbing of her pulse was loud in my ears. It was calm though. Like a steady drumbeat.

110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120...

The fan remained on all class, a low groan in the background combining with so many other noises.

210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, 218, 219, 220...

I could hear birds in the forest nearby. At least four different species were inhabiting that bit of land together, judging by the different calls they all had. Ninety-four birds in total.

310, 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 316, 317, 318, 319, 320...

Bella shifted, and my eyes automatically tracked the fall of her hair over her shoulder, trying to see the paleness of her neck somehow. I saw nothing but hair and fabric. She folded her arms and leaned against the desk in obvious boredom.

I leaned even further away from her, trying to keep myself under control.

550, 551, 552, 553, 554, 555, 556, 557, 558, 559, 560...

I had reached two thousand by the time the bell for the next class rang. When it did so, I was out the door instantly, glad to be away from such temptation. I thought repeating high school over and over was a purgatory of a sort, but that entire class period put all these years of suffering to shame. I hated it. I never want a repeat of the experience either.

My mind even betrayed me, conjuring up all sorts of tricks I could use to get what I wanted without anything being traced back to my family or me. I have the resources.

Shame on me. On my mind. On my disgusting nature and what it makes me crave. I am despicable. Wretched in every way someone can be so.

I hate this.

I barely had the patience to wait for everyone else. I wanted to go, but I also wanted to stay. In going I would avoid a lot of trouble, but in staying I would be able to explain what was wrong. But if I stayed, I could cause them all so many problems as my treacherous mind dreamed up ways to get what I wanted.

They easily picked up on my mood. I wasn't even faking breathing. I didn't want to chance it.

"Edward?" Alice asked, sounding concerned. "I Saw you leaving."

She probably Saw many other things as well. I felt guilty over that. Poor Alice had it just as bad as I did. I've Seen through her eyes some of the grotesque scenes she's had to witness. It's not a pleasant ability, being able to See the future and all its variables.

At her words, everyone's thoughts immediately turned to questions.

Why?

The hell?

Do we need to worry?

I gritted my teeth. "I need to go. I don't know for how long, but I have to."

Alice nodded. "It's best that you recuperate and prepare yourself better. She's Chief Swan's daughter. Losing her would ruin him entirely, and both of them are innocents."

Yes. Innocent. Bella Swan was just an innocent girl who was unfortunate enough to be my Singer. She didn't deserve to die just for that. Her father didn't deserve the suffering it would cause him. Her mother didn't deserve to learn that the daughter she sent off to Washington, died within a day of arriving.

I needed to control my urges. I needed time alone from everyone. I needed to hunt and prepare myself. I needed to plan.

"I'm sorry," I told them all as I sped back to our current home.

~.O.~

A/N: The first is done!

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Chapter Text

A/N: Hello, people!

I don't own Twilight.

I have no regular beta.

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CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON.

~.O.~

[SIDE A]

Edward was gone for the rest of the week. Nothing new.

In the time he was gone, I got further acquainted with the rhythm of Forks Washington. I learned where all the stores are. All the small, family-owned shops and restaurants. All the 'attractions' that are aimed at teenagers. There weren't many of those. Port Angeles was the nearest place with real entertainment. It had a Blockbuster. Blockbusters are still a thing. I feel so old.

I remember when my local Blockbuster went out of business and they sold everything in the store. I spent $5 and got like fifty different movies and games. Some were worth a quarter, others worth a dime. It had been a steal. Hell, the VHS tapes they still had were dirt cheap since most people didn't have VHS players anymore or the safe means to rewind said tapes.

Every single day I was reminded of the fact that I am in 2005. It's not as bad as I thought it would be.

Jessica must have had some kind of talk with Lauren because she barely spoke to me or at me ever since the first day, and no further homophobic remarks were made, which was nice. I say Jessica because she seems to be the only person capable of controlling Lauren to some extent. Supposedly they'd been friends their entire lives whereas the rest of the group became a thing in high school.

In a small town where there are only like a few hundred teens, can you really be picky with who your friends are? Especially when the internet hasn't become... what it became by my time?

Also, Clayton What's-His-Name has asked me out every single fucking day of the school week. His posse has been with him every single time too. It's annoying. Not even Mike is this bad, and he's pretty bad for a teen boy with a crush and the inability to pick up the vibes I'm putting off.

I am twenty-five by technicality. It feels weird that a teen boy has some kind of insistent hope on bedding me. Like it just feels wrong all around. Even if Bella is a fellow teenager, it's still so very weird for me to experience. I didn't get hit on even when I was a teen myself. How am I supposed to handle this shit?

Ew.

So yeah, Clayton [Insert Name Here] is a problem. We're going on six instances. I've said no in several different ways too. The very first day was 'no thanks'. The second day was 'not interested'. That also counts as a refusal! These were followed by, 'nope', 'nah', and 'no, I don't'. Also, various ways to say no to someone.

The hint-

Nope. Not even a hint. It's text. Not subtext, just text. Plain speech, no hiding. No glossing over it in hopes that he grasps the refusal via osmosis or some shit. I refused him a lot, okay?

So for other matters… Charlie has learned that I am a great cook and looks forward to dinner every night. I also made my sourdough starter and will probably be able to make bread Wednesday afternoon. I intend for this starter to last for quite some time which is why I got a shit ton of flour at the store.

Homework has been a lot easier than I expected. Except for Trig, but that was the only thing I never took in school. I had to take Calculus and Algebra II. A bit different. Not too much though so some concepts are familiar even though I hate them.

I retained a lot of information from school and I graduated when I was seventeen. Youngest of my year. Almost ten years since I've been in a classroom and I'm doing this well, I'm so proud of myself. If only I did this well when I was in school the first time, there would have been so much less stress on my shoulders.

Forks High School offers some clubs. I'm interested in none of them. Like, I wouldn't subject myself to socialization all for the meager clubs they offer. Chess bores me. I'm not into book clubs because they always tend to read things I can't force myself to bother with. And anything music-related is iffy right now because I'm not sure how Bella's dinky hands will handle a piano, or if she can even carry a tune.

Maybe I should just get a job. Bella worked at Newton's Olympic Outfitters in the books.

That doesn't sound interesting though.

Maybe I can start re-writing my books! I have more experience now than I did when I started writing them. I can make them even better than they were. Hell, I beta'd my works so much I memorized entire paragraphs of work! You look at something enough and you just can't help but remember it. Enough to miss your own mistakes because your eyes just rush over everything you've already become familiar with.

Yeah, I should probably do that. Keep the documents in my Gmail for safekeeping until Google Docs becomes a thing.

More to think about.

For a moment I thought about getting a rabbit. I don't know why, but I just really want a white rabbit. I would call it Haku and it would be mine. And it would be my snowy rabbit.

See what I did there?

Anyway, on one hand I want a pet but on the other, would it be smart to get one? You know, considering Eddie Boy will probably be a creepy stalker like in canon. Animals aren't into vampires very much and Eddie is on the Bunny Foo Foo diet.

That would be pretty fucked up now that I think about it.

Okay, no rabbit for me. I wouldn't want the poor thing to be terrified for any reason.

"I'm saying that Shikamaru is the superior member of Naruto's Genin graduation class," I told Mike as we sat at the chosen lunch table of the day. Around us, the rest of the group sighed because once again, we were arguing over manga, and once again, it would surely take up the entire lunch period.

"He's lazy. There's no way he's going to be as special as you think," Mike argued back. See, his favorite was obviously Naruto. While Sunshine & Ramen was a great person to look up to, Shikamaru is better by far. No cap.

"Lack of motivation does not equal lack of skill," I parried back. "Shikamaru is the kind to wait and watch before doing anything. He's a planner first and foremost."

He was, of course. I have the benefit of future knowledge on my side, but I would like to say that he has always been my fav Naruto character right from the jump. There's just something about his laziness that speaks to me. And when he actually gets off his ass, he's impressive as hell.

Intelligence is attractive.

Mike scoffed at my determined reasoning. "Eric, you know more about anime and manga," I cringed at his incorrect pronunciation of the word 'manga', "what do you think about Shikamaru Nara from what we've seen of him so far?"

Put on the spot, all Eric could do was look back and forth between us in horror. Obviously he didn't want to take sides in this argument, especially since Mike and I feel so strongly about this topic. "Umm…"

"Well who's your favorite character then?" I asked, hoping to encourage a new branch into the conversation.

Eric flushed. "I really like Rock Lee. What we've seen of him is very likable."

Understandable. "True," I agreed. "Even Naruto said he obviously works hard. Far harder than Sasuke."

"I don't like Sasuke," Mike said, trying to emulate my pronunciation and failing horribly at it. "He gives me the wrong vibe. His attitude's annoying."

"He's a trauma survivor with no one helping him. He doesn't have Naruto's luck in having an Iruka on his side to lessen the depression he no doubt felt growing up. For some reason these people left a seven/eight year old on his own to deal with what happened to his family. There is no way he's okay after all that."

Off to the side, Eric was nodding pensively, looking a bit downhearted. "His situation is a mess."

"Yeah. Poor kid."

"Wait, how do you know all that?" Mike asked, sounding confused.

Oop! Shit.

Thankfully I'm great at pulling excuses out of my ass. "You fiddle around enough online and you can find places that have raw scans of the manga. I'm decent at reading Japanese and they're almost at Volume 30 of the series by now. It's a doozy!"

Both Mike and Eric groaned.

"I wish I could read Japanese."

So Monday rolled around. I braced myself for the inevitable awkwardness that was Edward Cullen's introduction of himself. I was not looking forward to dealing with it because the secondhand embarrassment would kill me.

The snow was falling in large clumps. It was overcast all day too. There was a fog that had settled over the mountains and lingered for far longer than I would have expected. Seeing the trees from the classroom windows was pretty cool.

I had opted for a more helpful outfit. Since Eddie would be going through some shit with his self-control all for my sake, I can be nice in return as thanks for not killing me. A few layers in the cold weather weren't going to make me suffer or anything.

A white cami under a dark red turtleneck. The layers created a white lace stripe at the bottom of my shirt. Over that, I wore a black cardigan one size too large for more comfort. I then had the black parka just in case. Some black skinny jeans and black flats to complete the ensemble. Everything had been washed already and bore a fresh linen type of scent.

I had also gotten some cotton candy-scented car fresheners for the truck and made certain to shove one in my bra just for good measure. My theory is that manufactured scents smell a lot less appealing to the advanced vampire senses. I'm pretty sure Edward said something along those lines in the first book but I honestly can't recall where or what exactly was said.

Like scents found in nature as waterfalls or strawberries would probably be more tolerable. But the cotton candy was so abnormally sweet to even my senses that it was almost too much to deal with. The bare bones of it was that I was trying my best.

The day was boring for the most part. If one ignored the epic snowball fight that happened during lunch where people should have been eating instead of out in the cold. See… someone I didn't know looked like he was going to shove snow down my shirt, but one severe look in his direction rendered him immobile.

Bella might just have a terrifying face when used for anger. I don't know, but all I'd been thinking was, 'hoe, don't do it', and then he didn't. I'd even been proud of myself for avoiding the potential attack. I scared a teen boy so much he managed to not do something stupid!

Of course, that doesn't mean everyone was affected. Someone else decided to get me with a snowball, but this one was aimed for the back of my head.

"Ooooooh!" rang through our section of the cafeteria. My poor hair, which I'd worn down to better shield my neck from Eddie's poor thirst, was now wet from melting snow. The back of my head throbbed just a little from the connection of the snowball.

I have never vaulted over a table before but I'm certain it was epic as hell because I didn't trip or stumble once while I chased the perpetrator outside through the doors on the far left. Yes, there were several exits in the cafeteria in case of a fire.

Anyway, I'd used my hand for leverage while hauling myself over the table and I think my elbow clipped Lauren's head in passing. I'm not sure. I don't really care either. There were more important things going on.

Basically, I ended up a part of the snowball fight. Angela was a sweet bean who guarded my stuff for me.

Thank God I wore the parka the whole time so at least my cardigan didn't get wet. That shit isn't fun because it gets heavy and then begins to smell if not dried properly. I would like to smell unappetizing but not in that way.

I got Mike in the face with a snowball. The dude guilty of getting my hair wet got a snowball to the crotch. And yes, my petty ass lingered on that ball for some time so it would be very hard and very big. Even Jessica joined in a bit.

Most of us didn't eat as a result of our shenanigans.

I honestly don't mind. I have chili sitting in a crockpot at home. I started it last night, left it on low for several hours, put it in the fridge before coming to school, and all I'll have to do is heat it when I get home. And I will be eating a lot so it's fine. Charlie prefers pasta to rice as a side though...

By the time we returned to our things, the first bell rang. Angela, the darling that she is, handed me my bag with an exasperated shake of the head.

"What? It's not like I could just let such disrespect go unchallenged," I said defensively.

"You're silly."

I have never been called silly a day in either of my lives.

Mike and Eric escorted me to Biology, both still pretty pumped over the showdown that had just occurred. My face and hands are cold as hell, but the rest of me is nice and warm. Good thing Mr. Banner is one of the real Gs who has a coat rack in his classroom. Maybe the parka will dry a bit in the forty-five minutes of class we have.

Edward Cullen had yet to arrive but I knew he'd come to school since I saw him briefly before getting my revenge.

This was, according to the book, the lesson on the phases of Mitosis. I once did this in school. I even helped my friend's little brother do it when he got to it in school. I feel like I've taken Biology twice already so this should be a fucking cinch.

The other chair at my table squeaked as it moved and I experienced the strange feeling of being watched. But also the alarming realization that Edward had walked past my right side and I never even registered his presence. He would have had to pass me just to reach his seat, meaning I am unobservant as fuck.

A problem I need to work on for sure.

Since he's around humans he has to move at human speeds. There is no excuse for me not noticing him until he was sitting down.

"Hello."

God damn, his voice is nicer than Robert Pattinson's. Like, it was kind of his Edward-Voice, but a bit more whimsical I guess. Like it felt otherworldly. Supernatural. Dun, dun, duuuuuuuun.

I swear I could hear a choir of angels singing in the back of my mind. A calm swell of sound that didn't sound like it would crest anytime soon. This was ridiculous. Vampire appeal was so unfair.

"My name is Edward Cullen," he continued, looking pleasant and not at all on the verge of death like last week. "I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself last week, I wasn't feeling very well."

Understatement of the century. Also… he went off-script. Hella sus in my opinion. I don't like that very much.

"You're Isabella Swan, yes?"

"Yeah. Isabella. Bella. Bells. Iza. Allebasi. Whatever you want, I don't care."

None of them are my name anyway, so whichever people use, I really don't care.

Edward blinked, obviously not expecting me to be so… me. "I think I will go with Bella if that's alright with you?" He sounded unsure, which was probably a new experience for him.

"Sure. Charlie uses Bells so maybe it'd be best if people didn't use that one."

"Alice gave me the card you made," Edward said with a charming smile. "Thank you for going to the trouble."

I blanked mentally for a moment, wondering what he was talking about. What card?

Then it hit me. Tuesday, during Biology, I'd jokingly doodled a GWS card for Eddie and handed it to Alice on Wednesday morning before class started. It was more for laughs than anything. I'm surprised she actually gave it to him and that he actually mentioned it. I'd forgotten all about it since it took barely any effort on my part and I hadn't cared that much.

"I figured it'd be nice to know someone was thinking about you," I told him, since that seemed like a decent answer to something I wasn't expecting.

Though now that we're on the topic of his 'illness'...

"Also, please don't take this the wrong way, but you're not sick anymore and are in no way contagious, right?" Just being safe, you know. I might be a bit paranoid after Covid and would like it to get out there that I'm not a big fan of sickness. So people should stay away from me when they're sick.

"No, I'm not contagious." He looked completely baffled by the turn of the conversation, and also a bit amused since he's a vamp and can't get sick. It was best to keep him on his toes though. Or the edge of his seat really, even though he was already doing that on his own.

I sighed in faux relief. "Good. No offense, but ever since this one kid in grade school sneezed on me and I got the worst flu I've ever experienced, I am a bit cautious around sick people. I don't want to be quarantined again. That was not a fun time." God, wasn't that the fucking truth. I hated quarantine so much! It felt like being punished for someone else's actions.

Eddie was silent for a moment, staring but obviously not really seeing me as he focused on his thoughts. "Which Influenza Type?"

"A?" I said, though it sounded more like a question. Only because I didn't know why that mattered. It shouldn't matter, right? It's the flu. The flu is the flu, did it really matter what type?

"And the sub-type?"

Deadass, I almost said H1N1, but managed to catch myself since that wasn't supposed to have any cases in the US until 2009. "I… was told not to share that bit. But it wasn't good, that I can tell you. I almost died if that helps you understand the severity of the said virus and my further concerns on getting sick because of other people."

When I say that the absolute selfishness of certain people over masking during the Coronavirus outbreak made me want to scream, I mean I contemplated violence. Since they saw no issue with violence if it's performed a certain way, how would they feel if such violence was directed at them? I was so very close to snapping several times.

And then I got Covid and couldn't act out like I wanted to.

Mr. Banner came in and began our class assignment. It was as expected. I hate having to repeat stuff I've already done. It bored me the first time and it bores me even now.

"Ladies first?" Edward said, openly pushing the microscope toward me.

I sent him a look. "Why do I have to go first? Like, who came up with the 'ladies first' thing anyway? Women are ignored in every other aspect of life so it's not like this is a thing people actually uphold."

I have baffled him once again.

"Sorry," I said, grabbing the microscope and looking quickly. "I'm not being contrary to be rude or anything, I'm just a lil' shit that way. Also, it's Prophase."

Edward was thankfully in his element and began writing on the paper even though he still looked confused. I had swapped slides by then and said, "Anaphase." Another slide. "Metaphase." Another slide. "Interphase." And the final slide. "Telophase."

They hadn't been in order technically. Maybe Mr. Banner did that deliberately to see if people paid attention?

To be his version of the contrary, Edward cycled through all of the slides on his own, much faster than I did, to double-check. I was right of course.

I decided to doodle in my Biology notebook to pass the time and shifted a bit since the air freshener in my bra was scratchy as hell. I should've put it in my pocket or something. All the vigorous exercise during lunch made it scratch against my chest and it wasn't pleasant.

Mr. Banner loomed over our table suddenly, looking at Edward's lovely writing on our paper. "Mr. Cullen, did you not think Ms. Swan would like a chance to participate in this assignment?"

I waved off Edward's sudden defensive look by saying, "I'm a bit of a go-getter when it comes to work, sir. I did all of them in like a minute and then he double-checked my claims just to be safe. He has better writing than I do."

And since I've handed in three homework assignments since moving here, Mr. Banner knows this very well.

"Did you take AP classes in Phoenix, Ms. Swan?"

"Yes, sir." Bella did have advanced courses.

He sighed. "At least you both got each other." I know he said something along the lines of the other students doing work for a change as he walked away because I read Midnight Sun. Specifically the illegally shared chapters and then the book when it was released.

I ended up drawing most of Uzumaki Naruto before Edward decided to try and strike up a conversation. "It's a shame the rain melted the snow already, isn't it?"

Hm?

My whole being swiveled to look out the window and sure enough, the snow was gone. Less than an hour ago I was pelting fools with balls of snow and now the rain had come to take most of it away. Though I suppose that's better since it's not quite so easy to drive in snow. Especially stick shifts on hills. No thanks.

"Meh. I had my few minutes of fun. I can wait until November before I see it again. Now all I have to worry about is black ice."

I'm gonna park somewhere different in the coming days. I will get to school early and I will not be on asphalt ever just to be safe. No way will I end up in the hospital.

"Do you like snow or rain more?" Edward asked.

"The older I get the less I truly care about either. I used to spend hours trying to make igloos on my own, or riding my bike through massive puddles in a downpour. Now I'm just like, 'don't cause me trouble' which usually tends to have me avoiding either. Aesthetically, both are nice to witness in a safe environment."

"I thought you lived in Phoenix. They don't get snow."

Shit. Thankfully… "Charlie and I started spending time together in California because I wasn't too interested in coming up here these past few years. I used to come up here a lot. The snow was rarely packing snow though so it didn't stick very well on its own." And since the Cullen's moved down from Alaska like a year or two ago, he won't know any better.

Satisfied with my lie, Edward moved on to a new question. "If you didn't want to come to Washington, why move here?"

He'd been the most direct about it. Gotta give him props for that at least. Everyone else tiptoed around the question.

I smirked. "Renee got remarried recently. Her new husband is a Minor League baseball player so he tends to travel a lot for work. Newlyweds should get to spend more time together in my opinion, so I decided to move in with Charlie so they can be together more."

"That doesn't seem very fair."

I shrugged. "Life is rarely fair, but I don't mind that much. Renee is a sweet bean and she tries her best, but I do feel like I'm the parent in our relationship. With Charlie, he feels more like a parental figure than a friend I hang out with, though he's still a swell guy to be around."

As I recall, Bella felt Renee was more like her best friend than her mom. The woman sucking at most maternal 'duties' probably made that belief a reality.

"Has the sudden change been kind to you?" asked Edward, looking dead interested. More so than anyone else has been. Since he can't read my mind, which is located in Bella's brain, I get the benefit of Bella's inner shield so he doesn't know shit about me but what he's heard me say from afar, and whatever he's gleaned from the thoughts of others.

"I was more concerned than I needed to be," I decided. That was the best way of saying it. "Things are going well and that's what matters."

And not once has Charlie assumed I'm an imposter in the body of his daughter. Maybe he just saw her so little in recent years that he didn't question my sudden spike of supposed extroversion.

I still dress relatively the same, don't wear jewelry or makeup, and have several similar interests. I'm just more outspoken about certain shit and I don't trip over thin air.

Bella could cook, so can I. Bella was in AP classes and had high grades, and I can match that just fine here. Bella didn't like going to dances or like people buying her things. I am the same. As a character, she was created to be a sort of blank slate that many young girls could relate to if they wanted to imagine themselves in her place.

That was very useful for me right now.

"You've made some friends, yes?"

I'm not exactly like Bella. The only thing that could potentially draw him in is the silent thoughts thing. For either Bella or me, his interest in what we have to say is so weird. If Bella looked like Kristen Stewart in actuality, then I would understand all the attention from boys, but as I am right now… it baffles me.

Most teen boys(and a lot of adult men even) tend to be very superficial. They'd go for people like Jessica and Lauren and Rosalie. You know, gorgeous on the outside and shit. Though I think Lauren's attitude ruins her entirely.

"I hope so. But it's fine if they're just being nice to the new kid. I know I'm a tough cookie to handle."

Before any more questions could be tossed in my direction, I hunched in on myself, letting my hair fall to create a nice curtain blocking his full view of me. I don't need him seeing my face while I do this. "Is anyone looking at me right now?"

"No?" he said quietly. The questioning lilt to it made me snort.

"Good." I lifted the many layers I was wearing just enough for my hand to slide under and up until I could dig under the wire of my bra and pull out that stupid air freshener. It was pink and blue cotton candy on a stick. No way of mistaking what it was supposed to be. It still smelled strong as hell even though it was really warm.

Edward was staring at me like I'd grown two heads. I gave him my best customer service smile. "Yes, I was hiding it. I was curious."

Oh, but do I feel so much better with it out! That scratchy bitch was hell to deal with. Dumb idea. I'll think of something else to distract Eddie from how edible I seemingly am.

In the end, Edward simply looked more confused as time passed and his attempt at 20 Questions was interrupted by Mr. Banner who officially began his review on what we were supposed to be doing with the assignment.

Eddie wasn't quite as stiff as I expected when he left as the bell rang.

I resigned myself to Gym and the expected offer for a date from Clayton DudeBro. How Mike managed to be up my ass for all of Gym except the forty-nine seconds where I'm getting asked out, I have no idea.

Oh! I refused again btw. Of course, I will keep refusing because Clayton gives me the heebie-jeebies and I'm not interested in getting to know him at all.

During my escape from my many potential stalkers, I found myself making hard eye contact with Edward Cullen, who was standing at his shiny Volvo awaiting his siblings. He looked more calm being at a good distance from me and out in the fresh air.

Poor dude. It probably didn't help that he was surrounded by hormonal teenagers every single day, and then had to hear their thoughts on top of everything.

I sent him the peace sign and got into the behemoth that was the Chevy.

Chili, here I come!

Okay, so it snowed and then rained, and then fucking snowed again. So like, it got warm enough to be all wet and become muddy slush, and overnight, the slush went and froze solid when the temperature dropped again. Then it snowed on top of all of that, packing it all further down and making the roads treacherous as hell.

I like snow, but this is a bit much. Either stay cold or stay warm. None of this flip-flopping bullshit. That's how people get colds and then get their entire lives interrupted because of sickness. I don't want to get sick.

Charlie was gone when I got downstairs, and I went down twenty minutes early too. I guess even though he's used to this, he wanted to be safe in such conditions so he left early because he would be driving slow to get to work on time.

I consumed a plain bagel with cinnamon-apple marmalade on my way out the door, and smiled when I saw the chains on the tires. Charlie was a good dad. Probably the best character in the entire Twilight Saga. We stan a thoughtful king whose actions spoke louder than his words.

The Chevy was much bigger than almost any other vehicle on the road at present. I could see everything so much better, which was why I always loved big trucks. I like having time to react. People in tiny cars were at a disadvantage.

Okay, so today was the day from what I recall. Tyler will spin out on black ice in the school parking lot, and he'll crash. Since this is the school from the film, I know where Bella parked and I will not be parking there. I will park elsewhere.

This is me tempting fate a little. I show up early, park early, and get off the parking lot early. If it is required of me to be put in a life or death situation(because I'm in Bella's body) for this story to play out, fate will somehow put my ass in danger even when I've taken the steps to protect myself.

The crash scene was pretty much a staple point in the first book. It caused like a month of avoidance between the future lovers, that both had hated. The drama also snowballed to affect Bella's personal life. Enough that she had to make up a lie about going to Seattle all because she felt like she couldn't just tell some pushy boys, 'No'.

The parking lot was pretty empty by the time I arrived. I parked across the lot from the place where the crash happened in the film. The truck was up against the wall people liked to sit on while waiting for school to start. Some students had arrived by then and claimed their spots on the wall. It was such a teen thing to do, honestly.

I did it too because I like to feel tall and in Bella's body, this is my only chance to be tall outside of heels.

Forks doesn't seem like a place where heels would be a smart choice for one's wardrobe, unfortunately. Lots of rain makes lots of mud. I'd probably still try just to see if I could, but I understand it wouldn't be smart.

My bag was placed on top of the wall and I had to get a running start to be able to jump and heave myself up. I earned myself some snickers from some nearby students.

"Laugh it up!" I told them cheerfully. "I have succeeded despite your mockery!" I announced with double peace signs from atop the wall. This only made them laugh harder.

So while waiting for school to start, I decided to listen to some music to pass the time. I must say I have high hopes for this universe. Since Destiny's Child is a thing, that means Beyonce exists. And if Beyonce exists, then surely Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga also exist.

Please?! I can't live in a world where I know nine albums worth of Taylor Swift songs but can't sing any of them because she doesn't exist and I wouldn't want people to think I wrote those songs. I am many things but a plagiarizer is not one of them.

I was aware, for once, of when the Cullens arrived. I'm usually pretty unobservant about things like this, I don't know why. I think I just get caught up in my own thoughts and plotting.

Today was a day for me to be proud of myself though! Eyes sharper than a hawk's. Watch out Hawkeye, I'm coming for your brand!

However… now that I think about it, in the film, the Volvo tended to park alongside this wall. But I'm at the wall today and Edward wouldn't chance it by getting too close. So he parked on the other side of the lot. In the place Bella had parked in the film.

Fucking weird. I mean, the area I'm in right now is all full so they wouldn't have been able to park here anyway, but that's strange as all hell.

It's like things have flipped in a sense.

A high-pitched scream alerted me to the drama. I paused my music as I looked around for Tyler's van. He came flying around the corner, into the parking lot. Other cars in front of him parted as the drivers panicked, unsure of what to do when such a big vehicle was skidding madly on the ice.

It was like everything slowed down at that moment.

An SUV veered left and crashed into a parked car in the center of the lot. A Subaru spun right too fast and went spiraling into a different parked car not too far from where I was parked. And Tyler's van ended up slamming right into Edward's Volvo, destroying the entire driver's side.

So I'm not the one in danger this time. And yeah, I know vampires can't get hurt, but still, this was weird as hell.

The student body all had the same idea, people rushing to and fro screaming the names of those involved in the crashes. I turned off my CD player and tossed it in my bag. Tyler supposedly got pretty hurt in the book and had to stay in the hospital for a few days. Now while he annoyed me a bit, I didn't want him hurt.

I saw Mike running toward the van, much closer than anyone else had gotten. Teachers were rushing from the school building. A girl off to my left was already bawling. I have no idea where the Cullens went but no doubt they won't be expected to go to the hospital.

I was halfway across the lot when I heard the screeching of tires on the pavement. After what just happened, no one should be driving in the parking lot right now.

I got perhaps three seconds to see the old Toyota swerving dangerously toward me before my whole body practically threw itself out of the way. Or rather, my ass dove into the space between two parked cars and prayed for the best. I swear my body moved on its own as I rolled and prayed that I didn't get hurt too much.

Facedown on the wet pavement, hands wrapped protectively over my head just in case, I laid there. There was more screeching and then a grating sound of a crash as the car on my left was slammed into and the back end was forced to collide with the car on my right, trapping me slightly as glass shattered and covered the ground.

Before it could get any worse, I could hear the most disgusting sound surround me for a second, but only a second, before everything seemed to go dead quiet.

Not for long though since more screaming started up seconds later.

I became aware of the cold under my legs, seeping into my jeans, and the sudden weight on my ass. What the fuck?

Rolling overtook more effort than it should have, but I found myself staring up at Edward Cullen, who was kneeling over me a bit too close, with his shoulders being the only thing to stop the cars from fully colliding and trapping me under them. The metal had seriously curved inward in the shape of his profile.

"Bella, are you okay?" he asked, hands fluttering over my head as if searching for some kind of injury he'd no doubt be able to smell. He was a vampire, hello.

"Um… I think I'm just in shock. How the fuck did you get over here so quickly? You were nowhere near me. You parked less than a minute ago and your car just got totaled in front of all of us."

His butterscotch eyes seemed to darken slightly. "I wasn't as far away as you may think, Bella. I wasn't near any of the first three crashes, but I was near enough for this one."

I'm not sure I can call him a liar on that since his family probably did their little running bullshit to avoid danger. He could have been anywhere on the lot.

But he still came to save my ass from getting flattened like a pancake.

So… I tempted Fate and that bitch was like, Let's see you try and fight me.

If not death, I could have been seriously injured like all the other students. Even with all of my planning, Tyler still caused an accident. He caused many. Many that didn't happen in canon...

...Was it my fault? I knew what would happen if I parked there, so I decided to avoid that but by doing so, I completely fucked up the whole order of things this morning. People were in places they shouldn't have been. More crashes happened when Tyler drove into the parking lot.

Did I cause this all because I didn't want to end up in the hospital?

I felt cold in a way the ground couldn't make me feel. All this time I'd just been rolling with the punches and taking things as they went. I hadn't experienced any problems or hardships and nothing had felt very real up until now.

But if it really is real, then I hospitalized a few people because of what I did.

Things just got a lot less fun.

"Bella?" Edward said slowly, looking concerned. "Did you hit your head?"

"I wish," I groaned. I'd love to not be awake right now. Sleep would be better than this.

"Bella?" he repeated in concern.

I simply rolled back over and pressed my face into the ground as I groaned. I'm going to become one with the earth without having to be buried in it.

As I wallowed, Edward took it upon himself to… massage my back? I don't know what he was doing but I could feel only a little bit of the pressure from his hand through the parka. Was he trying to soothe me or something?

Eventually, after much 'soothing', I finally made an effort to get up. Edward was already on his feet and had a hand wrapped around my arm to balance me. While he was helping me stand, I took the time to assess myself.

Dull aches. From the sudden dive I took to avoid danger. I didn't roll correctly and landed oddly on my right shoulder. Probably would have been worse if I wasn't wearing like five layers presently.

My palms hurt but weren't scraped or anything, but the jarring did make my wrists ache. My knees were throbbing and my pants were wet, making my legs cold as fuck. There was a slight twinge in my left ankle, but nothing too bad. I got off easy.

Edward caught my hand before I could feel my head. "There's glass in your hair from the shattered windows and lights. I wouldn't touch it if I was you," he said.

I'd probably cut myself. Smart thinking. The dude couldn't afford that.

"Bella!"

And here come the screams now that people have noticed that I'm the one who almost got squished.

I'm not going to be able to avoid going to the hospital, will I? All this effort and it didn't even work out in my favor. I just made things worse.

"Try not to make any sudden movements with your neck," Edward advised. "Just to be safe."

"Dude, you were in the crash too," I murmured. "Just 'cause your shoulder left a dent in the car doesn't mean you can't get hurt."

That sounded utterly stupid coming out of my mouth, and me blatantly calling out the obvious body-shaped dent in the car on my left, made him stiffen.

"Good luck explaining that," I told him. "I'll be interested to hear the excuse you come up with, He-Man."

I then turned to greet the swarming students, ignoring the fact that the sound of an ambulance was getting ominously closer and closer.

I hate hospitals. That shit is always expensive as hell. I am seriously the least injured out of everyone involved in the crashes and yet I'm getting nothing but concerned nurses regaling me with how long they've known Charlie and how he'll be by soon.

Dude has to get interrupted at work over all of this.

So even though I did shit differently, a crash still happened and Tyler still ended up at the hospital. This is just something that has to happen in the story, it seems.

It doesn't feel quite so open-world anymore. Like I can deviate but not that much if certain events have to occur.

Tyler was also in the emergency room with me, looking far worse and apologizing profusely every fourteen seconds. Someone can only apologize so many times before they become annoying.

Sure, he basically started the whole thing, but it wasn't without assistance from yours truly.

I got the full treatment which I was kind of grateful for to be honest. Getting an X-Ray got me away from Tyler for a moment. As expected, I was okay and Tylenol would solve my problems just fine.

Unfortunately, I couldn't sign myself out, I needed Charlie for that. And before that, I had to see a doctor, not a nurse. So I had to meet Carlisle before I could even leave.

At least I could use this as an opportunity to see if the Manifesting Theory of mine is still going strong.

When I was returned to the ER, Edward was sitting on the end of my assigned bed, trying his best to calm down Tyler's repeated apologies.

I walked in just as Edward was saying, "We won't be taking any legal measures. We have plenty of cars at home and can get another. Besides, it was on warranty anyway. Please simply take a few courses on how to drive in the snow once Chief Swan allows you on the road again."

That was… very nice. Like, not to praise the privileged for showing basic decency, but it was surprising. I think I saw somewhere that Carlisle Cullen is one of the richest fictional characters ever. I swear I saw $45 Billion as the suggested number which made him rich-rich. Having a mind reader and a seer in his family let them navigate money very well.

So the destruction of one car wasn't going to hurt the Cullens at all. Ever. Suing the Crowley family for restitution would only make them seem greedy. And it would be a fucking dick move. Especially since Tyler was considered guilty of putting five people in the hospital. The other four were worse than me, and the damage caused can all be traced back to him. His family was fucked enough as it is.

I was allowed to retake my position on my bed. Edward maintained his distance from both Tyler and myself.

A nurse came over to fiddle with Tyler, putting him through the bullshit and letting me have a moment somewhat alone with Eddie.

"So are you getting another Volvo or will you try for something more interesting?" I asked since I found Volvos to be rather plain as far as cars go.

Edward smirked. "That remains to be seen. Until then, we'll simply use Rosalie's BMW convertible."

I whistled. "Candy-apple red?"

"Yes. How did you guess?"

"That shade makes a statement. That and canary yellow. But I've seen Rosalie wear many shades of red and have yet to see her don yellow-colored anything." That was the best reasoning I could come up with considering I read the fucking Twilight books which is how I know about this shit in the first place!

"Have you seen a doctor yet?" asked Edward, moving on to a new topic.

"No, but since they found nothing, I'm obviously fine and should be allowed to leave. I was going to make hand-pulled noodles tonight and I've already been here for three hours."

My words seemed to interest Edward. "You cook?"

"Yeah. I like doing it. I like food." Love food more like.

"What have you made since coming here?"

He doesn't even eat food. Why is this so interesting to him?

"Um… I made Meatloaf as a sort of comfort food. Chicken Cordon Bleu because Charlie had never had it before. Smoked Trout because there's a lot of fish in Charlie's freezer. Beef Empanadas because he'd never had them and I was feeling some type of way. Homemade Waffles and Fried Chicken because I can. Blueberry Cobbler which was pretty easy to do. Macaroni Mess since I was feeling lazy. Sausage, Gravy & Biscuits because it fits any time of day. And last night I made very mild Chili. Oh! And I made my Sourdough Starter last week and can begin making bread tomorrow, so I'm very excited about that."

All the while, Edward stared at me like I held the secrets of the universe.

Thankfully, the god that is Carlisle Cullen, Peter Facinelli's face to be precise, walked through the door before Edward could come up with anything else to say.

My theory is still true!

He's hot and it's not fair. Carlisle looked his best in the first film. The constant changing of everyone's appearances as the tale progressed aggravated me. He got worse and worse as the films came out. By Breaking Dawn Pt. 2, everyone seemed to have the same hair color and it killed me inside.

Carlisle smiled a smile that could rival one of an incredibly air-brushed Instagram influencer. "Ms. Swan, how are you feeling?"

"Fine," I said as he put on a pair of latex gloves and began feeling my skull for a more personal determination of how I felt. My heart was fine. It was not trying to beat out of my chest or anything.

"They cleared all the glass from your hair," he said softly, shifting strands back and forth in search. His superior vision would let him know if I was in danger of cutting myself while brushing my hair. What a relief. "You should be able to style it however you want without issue."

"A relief, I assure you."

He smiled before moving down to assess the situation with my shoulder. I did wince then because it had gotten rather stiff in the hours I've been trapped in this shitty bed.

"How is your ankle?" he asked, gently grabbing my left foot and removing my shoe. I was so glad I wore Peds under my shoes, and I was super glad I had shaved the night prior since he had to push my pant leg up a bit. Bella's dark ass hair made body hair look so obvious and I hate body hair. I hate being reminded of body hair. I need a wax pronto.

"Fine," I said as he made it bend forward and back, acknowledging the little twinge I felt when I winced. "I walked back to the room so it's not like I can't live with it."

The cold of his hands was nice.

"It sounds as if you were very lucky," Carlisle said with a smile, placing my shoe back on like I was Cinderella or something. It was all very charming and I might have swooned a bit inside.

"Lucky that Eddie Boy over here saw fit to leap to my rescue," I said, just to be a little shit. I was going to make sure everyone knew Edward saved me just so I can get an amusing reaction out of him. Unlike Bella who spent so much time second-guessing her thoughts and memory, I knew the truth already.

Watching Edward flounder for an excuse was hilarious!

Maybe I shouldn't tease the vampire capable of crushing me too much.

Carlisle took my words with a somewhat stiff smile, that thankfully melted into a more genuine one over Edward's offended, "Eddie Boy?!"

"Ms. Swan, your father is here to take you home. Please take some pain relievers and get a good night of rest. If you experience sudden headaches or vision issues, come back immediately just to be safe."

"Sure thing, doc."

He patted my hand and moved toward Tyler, taking off the gloves he was wearing and discarding them in a nearby bin. From his pocket, he withdrew a new pair of gloves that he put on before addressing Tyler specifically.

I looked down at the hand Carlisle had patted before moving to focus on Tyler. His touch was so cool and smooth, and his smile was panty-dropping. He was legit like a fucking god. No wonder the nurses seem so flustered around him. I have never understood the fetish for Doctor/Nurse play, but I'm gettin' it now.

"What?!" came Edward's mortified voice from beside me.

A lance of mortification speared through my soul as I realized that I had said that last bit out loud, while I was in a room with two vampires with super hearing. And one of those vampires was the subject of said thoughts. And his son was seated on the hospital bed next to me.

I. Am. Dumb!

I made sure to send Edward my casual customer service smile. "Any chance you can forget I said that?"

"No."

Vampire memory sucks ass.

"Well… I regret nothing. You're dad's hot and that's just a fact."

With that, I stood and did my best to saunter from the room without a backward glance.

Of course Edward caught up to me easily. You know, unfair vampire speed and all. "You aren't the only one to think so."

"Obviously."

Before I entered the waiting room, I sent Eddie a smirk. "I can't wait to hear the reason you come up with when the whole town learns that you saved my life. Hopefully, you've got some explanation for that massive, profile-sized dent you left in that car."

I didn't give him a chance to speak, going to join Charlie before he could get all dramatic on me.

Charlie, who wasn't a very tactile individual, had no problem pulling me into a hug. "Bells, I'm so glad you're alright. You safe to go home?"

"Yeah. I had no problems. I can even go to school tomorrow."

He huffed. "Maybe you should stay home for the day and rest."

"I'm going home and getting extra rest right now, chief. It'll be fine."

"You have to email or call Renee too."

I sighed. "Of course."

"She's your mom, Bells. She deserves to know how you're doing."

I reiterate, Charlie is a good dad. Too bad I'm too attracted to him to think of him as a father figure. Now as a DILF? Yes.

This is so weird for me.

Hey mom,

Dad told me he called you and told you about the accident. I'd like to specify
right now that I was the only person involved, who was not actually hurt. I
was the only one allowed to leave the hospital today and I have no problems.
Tyler has also apologized a thousand times and is a total wreck. He made a
mistake and he regrets it terribly.

It's fine. I don't hold a grudge or anything, so you shouldn't either. He is a
teen after all. Teens make mistakes all the time.

Anyway, Charlie wants me to stay home tomorrow which will give me time
to make some homemade bread. My sourdough starter will be ready by then.
I'm thinking of making a lot in preparation for the following week of meals.
It'll just save me some time later on.

Classes are going pretty well, though Trig is a nightmare. Something I never
want to repeat ever again. I really hope Seniors have a different math class
otherwise I feel I will expire. I am suffering, you don't understand.

Math is so boring. I'm good at it but I detest it.

Hope you're doing well. Don't stress yourself, and make sure you take some
time to relax. I will know if you don't.

Bella.

[SIDE B]

I spent the entire week in Alaska with our sister coven. Thankfully, they'd all been very welcoming and allowed me to basically haunt their hunting grounds the entire time. When I wasn't gorging myself on blood, I was laying wherever was spacious enough, letting the snow pile on top of me, knowing I won't be affected.

With personal experience with weakness under my belt now, I can admit that I got too cocky about my self-control. I had held myself to a standard above the rest of my siblings because I wanted to emulate Carlisle. As he is someone worth emulating, I felt that I was doing the right thing.

Now I must acknowledge that I am nowhere near as good as I thought, and that hurts.

Falling prey to my pride wasn't something I made a habit of doing. I had very few things I was proud of after all. This hit me pretty hard though, I won't sugarcoat it. I wasn't doing well mentally over this.

My attention was pulled away from my self-hatred and shame as I heard Tanya approach. She was over a mile away, but her thoughts and steps were as clear as day to me. I braced myself for dealing with her upcoming flirtations. It always happened, and she never deviated from her attempts before so why start now?

Was it too much to hope that she'd just give up?

She descended upon my location, her beautiful form morphing out of the cold fog above me. Her landing was silent and graceful, just as expected, and she looked calm and inviting. Hello, Edward, she thought at me.

"Tanya," I greeted quietly, shifting to watch the snow as it was falling down. The snowflakes had clumped together to form bigger shapes. I could still see the individual details, but they slightly melted together to form new shapes. Messy and yet cleaner than they'd be if we were near a city.

Snow was fascinating. The atmosphere and how it affected snow even more so.

"Alice called. She said she Saw you returning soon."

Good Alice, keeping an eye out for me and knowing my decisions before I even do.

"Yes," I agreed. I feel sufficiently prepared to face Isabella Swan again.

Once, back when I was newer to the vampire way of life, I'd experimented with fasting. I wanted to see how long I could go without taking in blood of any sort. Since I wouldn't die, the burning would just get progressively worse and worse as time passed. I wanted to see how long I could manage before I caved to the thirst.

Nine months was the answer. I performed my social duties to make Carlisle's life easier, but I did not consume any blood for nine months, three days, and ten minutes. It had been an eye-opening experience and a test of my limits that had reaffirmed my self-control in my mind.

Eventually, I couldn't take it any longer and hunted down an entire park full of Black Bears. To this day I still feel terrible about that.

Anyway, the point is that I can 'fast' for that long without going mad. Exposing myself to one girl for less than an hour every single day should be nothing compared to that. Even if she was unlike anyone I'd ever encountered. Even if the fire burned worse than ever before within her presence.

I don't have to breathe. I can greet her with the only breath I need, and then do nothing after that.

I can handle it.

Tanya looked displeased with my answer. Mere seconds had passed as my mind went through its various issues. She obviously wanted me to stay in hopes of me returning her feelings finally. That would not happen, however. I was not interested in Tanya, and her thoughts about me made me as uncomfortable as the schoolgirls of Forks did.

Alice had seen my resolve.

I was going home, and nothing could change that.

Esme didn't hesitate to greet me at the door. Her mind was a flurry with concern over my well-being. Are you sure it's safe for you to come back so soon?

I smiled in that disarming way I knew I was capable of. "I'm much better now." I can't exactly say that I'm fine because it wouldn't be the truth, but I do feel much better compared to last Monday. If anything, I'm much more prepared to face Isabella Swan now than I was then. That has to count for something.

Turning slightly, I toss the keys to the Jeep in Emmett's direction. "Thank you." It was so much better in the snow than the Volvo would have been.

He nodded. No problem. Just tell me if you need it again.

Alice appeared at the top of the stairs, eyes bright with excitement. Come upstairs! I've got something for you, and then some Visions for you to work through.

I sighed, "Okay."

Not even a second later, Alice passed something into my hand. A piece of 8.5 x 11 inch lined paper folded in half. It had been trimmed dramatically on the edges and on the front were the words, 'GET WELL SOON' in big, hand-drawn block letters. The words were shaded in with blue and red crayons.

On the inside was a picture of a red balloon with a yellow smiley face on it.

"It's from Bella Swan," said Alice, amusement tinting her words. "She handed it to me on Wednesday and asked me to make sure you got it."

We both stared at each other until Alice broke into a fit of giggles. Emmett got a kick out of it! He didn't stop laughing for hours. Even Jazz thought it was funny.

On my end, I was shocked, seeing as I could barely smell her on the paper. It was like she'd barely touched it despite no doubt creating the card herself. I also hadn't expected her to do anything beyond tell her new friends about how rude I'd been. I know my attitude wasn't normal that day.

She was so very strange. I barely knew anything about her and already I'd determined that she was a strange one.

Alice snatched the card back. "I'm putting it in a photo frame and then hanging it in your room. While I do that, I have to catch you up on all the Visions I've had this past week."

I already know what said visions will be about, and I know that I won't like them.

I was correct, of course. I didn't like them.

Maybe you should take some more time, Alice suggested to me. You don't have to rush things.

"I missed four days. If I'm not careful, I won't have enough days for excused absences when it's sunny." We can pull a lot because of Carlisle's reputation and the money we have, but even the school district would look too close at someone missing so many days.

Also, I might be a little resentful of the fact that some human girl managed to make me flee my home. I acted so out of character for myself, and for what? A girl that poses no sort of threat to me? Ridiculous.

Embarrassing.

Even with my affirmations, my family was firmly focused on helping me. Emmett and Jasper were both very willing to wrangle me out of the school building if they felt it necessary. Alice was keeping an eye on the future and how it could shift at literally any moment. Rosalie kept up an internal mantra of critique over my personality in order to annoy/distract me.

I was fine. All I had to do was not breathe. Simple. I've been not-breathing for about ninety years.

On the ride to school, Alice regaled me with more of what I missed in my time away.

Bella Swan has left a mark on the school at large. She's a city girl and comes with city girl views, which she has no problem inflicting on everyone else. She says what she wants and means it, and she seems to be a positive influence on those she chooses to interact with. Even Lauren Mallory is less rude these days.

That was a bit difficult for me to believe but I took her word for it. I hadn't really expected anything to change even with a new student joining the student body. Human teenagers were all the same in my eyes, and I've been faced with enough of them to generalize safely. Hell, my specific kind of exposure to them gave me more of a right to generalize.

We arrived at the school just when Bella Swan did, her massive Chevy beating us into the parking lot. She took no notice of us however. She was caught up in singing to herself as she looked for a parking space. Her body was swaying to an invisible rhythm and her voice was very even. Not remarkable but decent and capable of holding a tune. Also mimicking a southern accent as well.

I couldn't help but listen in, wondering if maybe the first day had been a fluke and I could hear her thoughts now.

"'-te wasn't there, Tuesday night at Olive Garden, at her job, or anywhere. He reports his missing wife, and I noticed when I passed his house his truck has got some brand new tires! And his mistress moved in. Sleeps in Este's bed and everything. No, there ain't no doubt. Somebody's gotta catch him out!'"

She parked, collected her bag, and headed toward the school, still singing the whole way. I'd never heard the song before and had no idea who it could be by, though with the twang it wasn't difficult to assume it was a Country song.

The current popular women in Country music aren't really my area of expertise. I couldn't even begin to speculate who the song was from. Though an interest in Country music was surprising from a city girl who didn't come from Nashville.

The Swan girl was still singing to herself, voice not loud enough to carry very far. I found myself amused rather than annoyed as she carried on her way, unaware of my focus. Uncaring of anyone's attention. She was lost in her own world and was perfectly content there.

Or so I thought until someone she passed said, 'Nice voice' and she froze in place for a moment.

"Thanks," she said quietly, face morphing into a frown as she continued on her way.

"Fuck," she murmured to herself with a shake of the head. "I gotta stop doing that shit. Songs from pre-2000, you moron!" She smacked a palm to her head for good measure, confusing me.

I… was intrigued, I'm not going to lie. That didn't seem to change in the week I had been gone.

Alice smiled as if she was the one capable of reading minds. She's delightful.

I went through the motions of the day, using most of my concentration to prepare myself for Biology. It was only forty-five minutes. That was an unbearably fast time for a vampire. I could survive that much five days a week.

At lunch, I focused heavily on Alice's internal recounting of the battle at Normandy. She had an assignment on it and was going through all the facts she knew. It was tedious and yet useful in keeping both of us distracted.

Edward Cullen.

I looked over at the sound of my name and found Jessica Stanley staring at me. Beside her, Bella Swan was eating an apple and listening to Angela Weber describe her chore list while also giving advice on how to do things more easily to save time. When she saw me staring back, Jessica looked away, thoughts a mess of flustered embarrassment.

How can Bella not be obsessed, she groused internally. When the Cullens moved here everyone was obsessed with them for at least a month. Yet she doesn't even care. Hasn't asked about them. Hasn't even looked at them.

Jessica's observations were beneficial for me, seeing as I didn't have access to my normal methods of acquiring information when Isabella Swan was the subject. So she hadn't asked about the family or said anything about my strange behavior last week.

Why? I'm not unaware of how odd it had looked. I know she hadn't paid me much attention last week but there's no way she didn't notice, right?

Are the boys in big cities just hotter? Jessica wondered. Are the Cullens average compared to big city people?

I almost laughed at such simple thinking.

Of course my mirth couldn't stay uninterrupted forever.

Carl Stoole, a Junior with a rather unremarkable obsession with cicadas, tried to sneak up on Bella from behind, a snowball in hand. His thoughts made me wince as they revolved around shoving snow down the front of her shirt, and his imagination was wild with it. I found it to be vulgar.

Thankfully, Bella noticed him and sent him what could be described as a death glare. I would give anything to know what she was thinking at that moment. Surely it was something quite threatening and profound to create such an expression. If looks could kill, Carl would be a full fathom under and no one would be able to find his corpse.

Unfortunately for her, while Carl experienced a sudden stroke of fear at her look, Isaac Crane wasn't quite so afflicted. From a safe distance, he took aim and whipped a ball of snow right at Bella's head. It made sickening contact, covering her head in white and making her stare into space for several seconds as she processed what had happened.

Isaac was already running for the outside doors by the time she reacted, his mind a whirl of, Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit! I'm gonna die! She's gonna kill me!

And Bella reacted by dramatically pushing her body over the lunch table with one hand, all in a single leap. It was a relatively smooth action for a human in my opinion. Bella gave chase and initiated a snowball fight that lasted the rest of the lunch period, where she gave as good as she got, and where everyone walked away a little bit enamored with her.

Including Jessica Stanely, who had only partially participated because Mike Newton was participating.

Jessica's thoughts about Bella were much different from her thoughts on Bella's first day. Last week they'd been centered around gossip, digging for information, and basking in Bella's popularity from being new. Now however...

She's so pretty! I don't understand how she's this pretty! We have the same coloring for God's sake! Oh my God, she's smiling at me!

In her mind, Bella's face was almost perfectly clear, and Bella was indeed smiling. She did look very pretty when she smiled. Though it should be noted that through the eyes of someone enamored, their crush can appear a bit unrealistic due to personal bias.

I hadn't noticed how decently pretty Bella was until Jessica's thoughts struck me. Many boys had thought her pretty but I'm actually aware of what they're thinking and fantasizing about in regards to their attraction to Bella, which usually puts me off terribly and encourages me to avoid such lines of thinking myself.

Jessica's declaration was actually genuine disbelief and not born out of a desire to put another notch in her bedpost or have bragging rights over being Bella's… temporary significant other.

Compared to most of the boys interested in Bella, Jessica noting how pretty she was didn't feel greedy or selfish or fueled by some strange need to establish dominance.

The group of humans finally came in from the cold and collected their things as the warning bell sounded. Angela Weber, who had guarded everyone's belongings while they fooled around, was smiling at Bella. She shook her head and thought wistfully, Oh, Bella.

"What?" Bella demanded, feigning offense. "It's not like I could just let such disrespect go unchallenged," said Bella dramatically, hand over her heart like she'd been physically struck by some perceived critique to her person.

"You're silly," Angela told her fondly. Never change, she added internally.

And still, I couldn't hear a thing from Bella's mind. How frustrating.

My siblings looked at me, all mentally voicing the same concern.

"I'll be fine," I assured them, because I actually felt it. To an extent. My curiosity was battling with my thirst and only one of them I could sate in a healthy manner.

I hadn't just been moping in the snow all week. I'd hunted a considerable amount. My eyes were the lightest yellow they'd ever been. I was, in the best way I could describe it, full.

Alice hummed for a moment as she gazed into the future for the truth, before nodding. "I'm about 93% certain things will work out just fine."

That was enough for me. Rounded up, that was basically a one hundred percent chance of everything going smoothly.

I waved my siblings off and followed after Bella and her friends.

She was already seated at our table by the time I arrived, doodling on the back of her notebook. I glanced at it in passing and found a very detailed rendering of a domesticated feline mid-stretch. Freehand with intense focus. I was impressed. She had an eye for detail.

There was no reaction as I settled in my seat beside her. Like she genuinely didn't care that I was there.

I gathered my wits about me and spoke to her for the first time. "Hello."

She looked over at me, brown eyes widening in shock. I could hear her pulse rising instantly. Was it out of fear?

"My name is Edward Cullen. I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself last week, I wasn't feeling very well." That was a sensible lie that could possibly be the truth since I know, through the eyes of my siblings, that I had looked horrible. She no doubt noticed that. Others definitely had.

"You're Isabella Swan, yes?" I asked, running out of the air I had stored up on the more I spoke.

She was nodding. "Yeah. Isabella. Bella. Bells. Iza. Allebasi. Whatever you want, I don't care."

She seemed like she was in a rush to get her words out. It's frustrating not knowing the reason for that. Was she like this naturally or just because of me? Was she scared of me? Did she notice something I didn't? Would she tell her friends about it?

"I think I will go with Bella if that's alright with you?" I suggested it because it was the most natural nickname out of all of them. It was also the one everyone else was using and she'd never corrected anyone on what to call her.

"Sure," she said with a shrug. "Charlie uses Bells so maybe it'd be best if people didn't use that one."

That made sense.

"Alice gave me the card you made," I told her, since it was only right to mention it. "Thank you for going to the trouble." She didn't have to make me anything, but had decided to take time out of her day to do so.

She shrugged. "I figured it'd be nice to know someone was thinking about you."

Such a strange girl she was. None of the other students had ever cared when someone was out sick. Usually they were jealous that they didn't get to skip as well.

"Also, please don't take this the wrong way, but you're not sick anymore and are in no way contagious, right?" She looked wary then, eyes guarded. As if the knowledge of me still being sick somehow would ruin her day.

I was so curious to know why she seemed worried about me potentially being ill. A common cold wasn't quite so terrifying thanks to the many advancements in science and technology. I hate not understanding someone's line of thought. After years of being used to knowing what others around me think, this is the most frustrating thing I've had to deal with as of yet.

Her eyes, so dark and mysterious, seemed to demonstrate her worry just fine. However, that isn't good enough. So they can tell me that she's worried, but what exactly is she worried about? There is a never-ending list of things that could be the cause for her concern. Not even half of them have to do with me!

How do normal people live like this? This is terrible.

"No, I'm not contagious," I told her, hoping my answer would spark some kind of response.

Bella sighed in obvious relief and sent me an easy smile reminiscent of the one I'd seen in Jessica's mind earlier. "Good. No offense, but ever since this one kid in grade school sneezed on me and I got the worst flu I've ever experienced, I am a bit cautious around sick people. I don't want to be quarantined again."

Fear of sickness perhaps? The flu passed around during flu season wasn't usually a traumatic experience. It came, lasted a few days, and then left. The human body could fight it off pretty easily on its own even. But she mentioned being quarantined.

Quarantining someone was a very serious matter. I can think of many health-related things that would require taking such action, but in the United Stated in the twenty-first century? I am a bit confused, I'll admit.

Why would she be quarantined because a child sneezed on her?

"Which Influenza Type?" I asked, feeling an unfamiliar amount of concern well up inside me.

"A?" It sounded almost like a question. Either she wasn't sure which type or wasn't sure how it was relevant. However, to me it was very relevant.

"And the sub-type?"

Her mouth formed the shape of an 'H' before she looked away and said, "I… was told not to share that bit. But it wasn't good, that I can tell you. I almost died if that helps you understand the severity of the said virus and my further concerns on getting sick because of other people."

I did not imagine her mouth forming an 'H'. I'm very good at reading lips. She was, most likely, about to say H1N1. And if she'd contracted H1N1, it would make sense that she was told not to spread that information around. A potential outbreak would cause panic no doubt.

That would also explain why she had to be quarantined. Something like that getting out and causing an epidemic would be a disaster. Especially if it spread too quickly and went too far.

She had 'almost died' from it as well.

Yes, I am confident in my assessment.

Bella Swan survived the very virus that had basically killed me. Good for her. Perhaps herd immunity in her ancestry had built up well enough to give her immune system something strong to fight it with?

Any further conversation was interrupted by the lab assignment of the day. Onion roots. Great.

"Ladies first?" I suggested, pushing the microscope in her direction.

She frowned. "Why do I have to go first? Like, who came up with the 'ladies first' thing anyway? Women are ignored in every other aspect of life so it's not like this is a thing people actually uphold."

What? Where did that even come from?

I'm so confused.

"Sorry," Bella murmured, face flushing as she checked the slide. "I'm not being contrary to be rude or anything, I'm just a lil' shit that way. Also, it's Prophase."

I hadn't even written out the answer before she was moving on to another slide. "Anaphase." She proceeded to identify all of the phases of mitosis without hesitation.

There had been no effort on her part. I was slightly wary though and decided to quickly double-check all of them just to be sure. I was pleasantly surprised to find that she had indeed been correct. Had she done the lab assignment before or was she just that intelligent?

Mr. Banner noticed we'd stopped working by the fact that Bella had gone back to doodling and I was staring out at the foggy forest near the school. "Mr. Cullen, did you not think Ms. Swan would like a chance to participate in this assignment?"

Bella interrupted me before I could explain myself. "I'm a bit of a go-getter when it comes to work, sir. I did all of them in like a minute and then he double-checked my claims just to be safe. He has better writing than I do."

Mr. Banner's mind pulled up an image of a very messy scrawl that belonged to Bella Swan. It was indeed, very unappealing to look at. His relief over her letting me do the writing was almost palpable.

I laughed quietly to myself.

"Did you take AP classes in Phoenix, Ms. Swan?"

"Yes, sir."

So she was extremely intelligent and has most likely done the lab assignment before because of it.

He sighed. "At least you both got each other," he said as he headed toward Mike Newton's table. "So the other kids can work for a change," he added near-silently.

She went back to her drawing and I tried to come up with a topic to talk about. The silence coming from her mind unnerved me very much. "It's a shame the rain melted the snow already, isn't it?" I asked, hoping that was a safe route to take.

Bella paused and looked out the window, eyes going wide. She then shrugged. "Meh. I had my few minutes of fun. I can wait until November before I see it again. Now all I have to worry about is black ice." Her tone got darker there, and I was certain there was a story behind her words. I wanted to know the story.

"Do you like snow or rain more?" I asked, wanting to know more despite how every new breath I took just so I could continue speaking, burned my throat. It was the closest thing vampires had to heartburn and I hated it.

My question didn't seem to faze Bella all that much. "The older I get the less I truly care about either. I used to spend hours trying to make igloos on my own, or riding my bike through massive puddles in a downpour. Now I'm just like, 'don't cause me trouble' which usually tends to have me avoiding either. Aesthetically, both are nice to witness in a safe environment."

Interesting.

Wait… she's from Phoenix, which is bone dry almost all year long and hotter than hot.

"I thought you lived in Phoenix. They don't get snow."

Bella snorted. "Charlie and I started spending time together in California because I wasn't too interested in coming up here these past few years. I used to come up here a lot. The snow was rarely packing snow though so it didn't stick very well."

That made perfect sense actually. "If you didn't want to come to Washington, why move here?" Why come all the way here to taunt me and haunt me? Why become the very thing causing me so much stress and pain?

I tried not to be bitter about it. She couldn't help what she was in regards to what I am.

Bella abandoned her drawing in favor of giving me her full attention. "Renee got remarried recently. Her new husband is a Minor League baseball player so he tends to travel a lot for work. Newlyweds should get to spend more time together in my opinion, so I decided to move in with Charlie so they can be together more."

Her mother remarried and Bella felt like she was intruding. That was sad. And her decision to come to Forks was a very selfless one. Something told me that she was the mature one between her and Renee.

"That doesn't seem very fair," I remarked, unable to help myself despite the burn.

She shrugged once again. "Life is rarely fair, but I don't mind that much. Renee is a sweet bean and she tries her best, but I do feel like I'm the parent in our relationship. With Charlie, he feels more like a parental figure than a friend I hang out with, though he's still a swell guy to be around."

I was correct. Bella was more the mom and her mother was more the daughter.

That was sad.

"Has the sudden change been kind to you?" I asked, changing the subject to something less heart-breaking.

"I was more concerned than I needed to be. Things are going well and that's what matters."

That was good. My atrocious manners on her first day aside, I'm glad she's been getting along well. As someone well acquainted with being a new student, it's not fun. She was lucky to slot into a friend group so easily too.

"You've made some friends, yes?"

Angela certainly viewed her as a friend. And Jessica was coming around, though she seemed to be developing a small crush as well. All the boys considered her their friend but also their potential love interest at the same time. Only Lauren Mallory seemed to hold a form of dislike for Isabella Swan.

"I hope so," Bella sighed, "but it's fine if they're just being nice to the new kid. I know I'm a tough cookie to handle."

Before I could say anything more, she looked around covertly and shoved her hands under the front of her shirt. "Is anyone looking at me right now?" she asked, voice low so as not to draw attention.

"No?" What was she doing?

"Good."

Her hands moved under her shirt a bit and my imagination did me no favors at that moment. I decided to focus solely on her eyes and tried to ignore what my traitorous mind had suggested. It was inappropriate to think such things about a young lady.

Thankfully, whatever she was doing stopped when she pulled a cotton candy car freshener out from under her shirt. The sweet, incredibly fake scent that had covered her, which I'd assumed was perfume, was wafting off the item.

She'd had that… under her shirt. Somewhere that it wouldn't move around or be noticeable.

My mind supplied the answer instantly and I was so grateful for the lack of blood in my body. No blushing for me, even if I felt mortified by the direction that my thoughts went in.

"Yes, I was hiding it. I was curious," she explained without really explaining.

In her… bra. She had it in her bra. Why? I wish I could know, but I don't have the courage to ask about it!

I'm in both parts suffering and amused. I don't know how to truly feel about this.

I wish I could have asked her more, but Mr. Banner had officially started class by then.

One thing I know for certain… Even with this pain as a constant companion, she was too interesting to avoid. I wanted to know more.

This could be very dangerous for both of us.

I made it out. I also ended up with more questions than answers.

When my siblings arrived at the Volvo, they were all expressing varying degrees of wonder and worry.

Alice smiled at me though, the least worried of the lot. "So… how was she?"

Maybe I should have thought my answer out more carefully, but I couldn't stop myself from saying, "She had an air freshener in her bra." I was still completely thrown off by it, that I couldn't stop thinking about how she extracted the item from her clothing and then smiled like it was a normal thing to do.

Emmett exploded into laughter. "What?! Like those ones you'd hang in your car?"

I nodded. "Cotton Candy."

"Why?" asked Jasper, just as confused as me.

"I can't read her mind, I don't know!"

They all gaped in their own ways. I must not have shared that bit. Rifling through my memories of last week, I concluded that I'd been too caught up in my treacherous thoughts to give them enough details. Alice had managed to share what she could from the Visions she had, but I hadn't really explained myself.

"Yes," I said with a nod. "I cannot hear what she's thinking. Not a sound. I don't understand anything about her and her answers to my questions just confound me even more."

"Questions?" Alice prompted, curious.

I debated on what to share. It was still private information. Though I'd made some assumptions, I didn't know the full facts.

"I'm reasonably certain she survived H1N1. Specifically, because she seems to have a phobia of sickness or disease, and was worried I'd get her sick after being out for so long. She said she didn't want to end up quarantined again. Apparently, she contracted the flu when she was younger and almost died from it. She isn't allowed to share which sub-type it was either, but her mouth had formed an 'H' before she caught herself."

Of course, this meant that someone was probably going to go through her medical history to get the full details. It might be Alice, or it might be Jasper. Maybe even Carlisle if he feels pressed to do so.

Alice sent me a sad look. You feel a connection to her because she suffered through what you suffered through. She didn't even need to make it a question, she already knew what my answer would be. There was a bit of a connection there, however small it may be.

Rosalie decided to break the silence in the car by saying, "That girl is strange."

We all nodded in agreement.

Tomorrow came surprisingly quickly.

On the way to school, Alice's concentration disappeared as she was accosted by a Vision. Bella Swan had arrived at school early and had parked opposite to where she would usually park. I'd already taken minor note of where she chose to park in conjunction with everyone else. It was a small thing to remember in passing.

She'd parked in the same place every day since her first day here. Why the sudden change? That didn't make sense to deviate from a set routine so suddenly.

I ended up parking where she usually did and found her sitting on the far wall. A little focusing allowed me to hear the music she was listening to. Destiny's Child. She liked pop music as well as country music.

Bella's head was bobbing as she sang to herself and doodled on her notebook. "'I don't think you're ready for this 'cause my body's too bootylicious for ya, babe!'"

To be honest, I found her antics to be charming.

We were barely five feet from the Volvo when Alice had another Vision.

Tyler Crowley flying into the parking lot and skidding on a sheet of black ice. His van ramming into my Volvo while his reckless driving caused others to crash in an attempt to avoid him. And just when the panic would die down, another person would come rushing in as well, slide on the same patch of black ice, and crash into another car.

This took only a moment to understand.

"Jasper, hold your breath," I warned just as Tyler turned the corner into the parking lot, van swerving side to side and forcing others to swerve as well.

Alice gripped her mate's hand hard to keep him in control. Rosalie and Emmett pressed tighter around him to box him in.

While fast to the humans, we were all perfectly capable of moving out of the way in time. I had to watch the almost slow motion of the large, black van crushing the side of my car. There were other accidents happening at the same time too. Blood had been spilled from three different humans already, and I'm reasonably certain that someone's legs got crushed.

I winced in sympathy. Everyone else thought the chaos was over, but they were unfortunately wrong. As they rushed to get the injured some help, they weren't aware of the next car.

Said car, a blue Toyota, veered off to the right when it hit the ice, and my unbeating heart thudded when I realized that Bella Swan was right in the way. I moved before I could stop myself, registering how she'd quickly thrown her body between two nearby cars in hopes of minimizing the danger she was in.

My own body slotted between those cars as the Toyota made contact with the first, forcing the back end of it into the second car. Both cars molded around my shoulders and stopped moving. The breaking glass rained down on Bella's head, covering her completely like some morbid recreation of the recent snowfall from yesterday.

Silence filled the parking lot once more as the danger finally came to a stop. A final stop hopefully. The humans were trying to decide where to divert their attention. Who needed help immediately? Several people were calling for an ambulance, others were screaming for teachers. The scent of blood was in the air, and my body locked up in fear as I tried to ascertain if any of it was coming from Bella.

Bella rolled over, eyes unfocused even as she stared up at me. Her face was flushed red, either from the cold or the sudden movement, I'm not sure. Her breathing was ragged and I was very much aware of the fact that I'd practically straddled her in order to prevent her from getting squished. Such a position was very… compromising.

With great effort, I allowed myself to take in a deep breath to see if she'd been cut anywhere. Three deep pulls of air told me she was externally fine at the very least. No broken skin to worry about.

"Bella, are you okay?" I asked her, wondering if there was an injury I wasn't aware of. I didn't smell any blood but she could be hurt internally for all I know. Internal injuries were just as concerning and should never be overlooked just because they weren't obvious.

I reached down to gently feel her skull, searching for anything that might be off. Her skin was hot under my fingers, and seemed to throb with her blood flow. I had to force myself to focus on her well-being and not my cravings.

From refusing to breathe in her presence to sitting on her and fondling her head. How things can change so drastically in so little time is terrifying. I'm worried over how they might change even more after this.

Thankfully I felt no damage there at least. Hopefully that extended to beneath the surface. The thought of her suffering from brain damage hurt my heart in a way I haven't felt in years.

"Um… I think I'm just in shock," she said quietly, blinking up at me rapidly. "How the fuck did you get over here so quickly? You were nowhere near me. You parked less than a minute ago and your car just got totaled in front of all of us." There was an accusation in her tone and it made me nervous.

How much did she see? And how much could I convince her that she saw? I just risked our secret all because… I didn't want her to die. Her very existence might inconvenience me, and her bloody death would surely cause me some problems, but I didn't want her to die.

"I wasn't as far away as you may think, Bella. I wasn't near any of the first three crashes, but I was near enough for this one." My reasoning sounded safe. Realistic in a sense. There was no way to challenge me without looking mad. She didn't have enough information to make a solid judgment.

We stared each other down, Bella's dark eyes flashing through several emotions as she was stuck in her head. I longed to understand what she was thinking so I could know the reason behind each and every expression she made. Was she sad, angry, confused? How could I tell the difference between them when I didn't have the added advantage of her thoughts to help me?

Eventually, her eyebrows scrunched together and her eyes became glossy. She looked like she was about to cry. I could smell the salt in her gathering tears.

What am I supposed to do?!

"Bella, did you hit your head?" I asked, reasonably certain I'd ruled out any damage there. At least on the surface. What if there had been something I hadn't noticed?

"I wish," the girl moaned out.

"Bella?"

Without further words, Bella rolled back to her front and splayed herself on the pavement. She didn't respond to anything else and simply breathed deeply. Was she trying not to cry? I didn't understand what I was supposed to do at that moment.

Eventually, I settled for awkwardly patting her back. That was an acceptable human show of support, right?

It was several minutes before she decided to stand. I was on my feet easily and ready to assist by holding her arm. Her arm was so thin and frail compared to my strength. The contact elicited a hissed breath from her. She rotated both shoulders and winced again. There were injuries, they just didn't break the skin.

Lucky for her. For so many reasons.

When she went to touch her head, I caught her hand as gently as I could manage in my panic. I can't afford for her to cut herself on the glass trapped in there. All this effort to keep her alive would go to waste. "There's glass in your hair from the shattered windows and lights. I wouldn't touch it if I was you."

She nodded dazedly and looked up at me with her big doe eyes. I think I'm beginning to understand Jessica and Eric's obsession with Bella's eyes now.

"Bella!" Mike Newton's voice carried to us, bringing me back to the full scene. Multiple collisions in the school parking lot. Several injured humans around me. Blood in the air. My family and their thoughts piercing through my skull at a rapid pace. Judgment. Rage.

Damn.

Bella sighed, catching my attention as she tried to… pop her neck? I'm not sure, but she definitely shouldn't do it.

"Try not to make any sudden movements with your neck," I told her. "Just to be safe." For both of us.

"Dude, you were in the crash too. Just 'cause your shoulder left a dent in the car doesn't mean you can't get hurt."

I froze in place, panic rising a bit as I turned to look at the dent she was staring at. The outline of my body was left in the framework of the vehicle. It was very obviously there and I doubt that could be explained away so easily.

"Good luck explaining that," Bella said cheerfully. "I'll be interested to hear the excuse you come up with, He-Man."

I have decided that Isabella Swan isn't normal. There should be wild accusations, not playful banter. I don't understand this and I don't understand her.

As the son of Carlisle Cullen, I'm allowed some privileges that others normally wouldn't get in the hospital. Since I'm his son and was involved to some extent in the crash at school, I was able to get the nurse to allow me into the ER to check on my fellow classmates.

I was perfectly aware though that everyone but Tyler Crowley was off elsewhere. This allowed me to prepare myself for Bella's return. Her assigned bed smelled faintly of her and I allowed myself to breathe deeply, taking in the burning pain once more, while also absorbing the sterile scent of the hospital.

So many scents in one place actually made it easier to handle Bella's scent. Pine-Sol, Bleach, Windex, salt, steel, sweat, various bodily fluids, energy, burning paper, a cinnamon apple candle, tap water, saline, gasoline, oil, fire, dirt, and many other scents. The muddling of them all actually made it bearable.

Tyler Crowley saw me enter the ER, eyes wide. His head was wrapped in bandages and he looked a bit worse than he actually was. "Edward, I am so sorry about your car. Is your family okay? No one knows anything."

He might have been irresponsible in making the choice to drive so fast when the roads were covered in ice, but he wasn't a bad person. He was just a child. Children make mistakes all the time. Unfortunately, this mistake had a horrible avalanche effect that would be on his conscience for a long time.

I smiled at him in hopes of soothing his worries. His mind was awash with guilt and concern. He didn't know much about what was going on and was scared. Scared that he might have killed or irreparably injured the other students involved in the accident.

On top of that, he was worried about how much legal trouble his family was now in because of him. He was already panicking about his hospital bill, plus the bills of the other students that would no doubt cause him problems when their parents took legal action. Finally, he was scared to even hear any answers. He kind of wanted to be suspended in the moment where everything was both bad and good so his hopes couldn't be dashed.

"It's fine," I told the boy.

"I'm sorry," Tyler said again, looking to be on the verge of tears. I'm not used to crying humans and I've made two cry in one day.

"We won't be taking any legal measures," I assured him softly. "We have plenty of cars at home and can get another instantly." In fact, we already are, so there's no problem on that end. Esme is taking care of it right now. "Besides, it was on warranty anyway. Please simply take a few courses on how to drive in the snow once Chief Swan allows you on the road again."

His relief was palpable, but I wasn't satisfied enough.

While most of my attention went to Bella as she entered the room, I made a mental note to talk to Carlisle about handling the hospital bills of the other students and potentially helping them with the repairs to their cars as well. It seemed like the least we could do to help.

Bella took a seat on her bed, her hair a bit of a mess as it had no doubt been picked through to get the glass out. She looked tired, though since she'd been in the ER for a few hours already, I can at least understand that. The whole process was bothersome and boring.

"So are you getting another Volvo or will you try for something more interesting?" she asked as she adjusted her position for more comfort. She looked amused by her own words. There was some kind of secret joke there that I'm missing. I wish I was in on it. I want to understand.

"That remains to be seen." I really like the speed of the Volvo, but I also appreciate that while it's obvious that it's an expensive car, it's not too outstanding that people would gather around it in curiosity. "Until then, we'll simply use Rosalie's BMW convertible." Which means people will be gathering around it, which I dislike.

Bella gave a long whistle. "Candy-apple red?"

"Yes. How did you guess?" Seriously… how? Could humans see the future? Was that a possibility? Alice's past was completely foreign to all of us so we didn't know if she had been able to do what she does now, back then.

Carlisle insists that our extraordinary human talents are empowered by the vampire venom and improved upon to give us these extra abilities we possess. But Jasper hadn't been able to manipulate emotions, he'd just been manipulative enough to get people to follow his line of thinking while believing they were in charge. And I was intuitive enough to guess what people thought but I couldn't actually hear their thoughts.

The science behind vampirism frustrates me. Especially its lack of existence and the fact that most vampires aren't interested in learning about how it's possible for us to exist. Carlisle's experimentation extended to all the ways we can't die and that was a very morbid experiment in and of itself.

"That shade makes a statement," Bella said, drawing the rest of my attention back to her. "That and canary yellow. But I've seen Rosalie wear many shades of red and have yet to see her don yellow-colored anything."

Her observation was spot on and also pretty impressive. The way her mind worked fascinated me. There was just so much to understand and it felt like I didn't have enough time. I wanted more time with her. I didn't want to her to graduate and then move away to attend college in some state I couldn't follow because the climate wasn't agreeable.

"Have you seen a doctor yet?" I asked, knowing full well she hadn't, but needing to move on to a different topic.

"No, but since they found nothing, I'm obviously fine and should be allowed to leave. I was going to make hand-pulled noodles tonight and I've already been here for three hours."

Those words piqued my interest. "You cook?" For how long? And what was her favorite thing to cook? Did she take a class? Did she learn from her mother? Her grandmother perhaps? Did she randomly pick up a cookbook and decide to try her best to make what was inside?

So many questions.

"Yeah. I like doing it. I like food."

"What have you made since coming here?" What could she possibly have time for when she was still getting used to the move to Forks?

"Um…" she thought for a moment, "I made meatloaf as a sort of comfort food. Chicken cordon bleu because Charlie had never had it before. Smoked Trout because there's a lot of fish in Charlie's freezer. Beef empanadas because he'd never had them and I was feeling some type of way. Homemade waffles and fried chicken because I can. Blueberry cobbler which was pretty easy to do. Macaroni mess since I was feeling lazy. Sausage, gravy & biscuits because it fits any time of day. And last night I made very mild chili. Oh! And I made my sourdough starter last week and can begin making bread tomorrow, so I'm very excited about that."

It was a wide variety of foods she'd chosen to make for her father and herself. Some of them required more than average skills in the kitchen. I'd been expecting pasta and meatballs as a suggestion, or maybe even the meatloaf idea, not Chicken Cordon Bleu and empanadas!

How much did she know?

I wanted to ask some of my questions, but Carlisle arrived before I could do such. He smiled at me, thoughts filled with pride over my decision to save Bella despite how dangerous it had been. I felt a metaphysical warmth fill my being knowing that he was pleased.

Carlisle valued human life, hence the choice to hunt animals for sustenance. I knew that above all else, he would understand my decision. Might even support it in the end.

I noticed Bella's gaping as her eyes tracked Carlisle's every movement. I didn't need to read her mind to know that she found him very appealing. Every nurse in this hospital was attracted to Carlisle. He was often compared to male models found in magazines. He was probably one of the most attractive vampires I'd ever seen.

"Ms. Swan, how are you feeling?" my father asked as he slipped on a pair of latex gloves.

"Fine," she said with a shrug.

Carlisle carefully threaded his fingers through her long hair, jostling strands around in hopes of dislodging any remaining glass. A nurse had already had the duty of combing out Bella's hair and had managed to get most of the glass out. Still, small sparkles fell from Bella's head as Carlisle felt for any injuries a human would probably unintentionally overlook.

He'd put on the gloves because he remembered me mentioning Bella's potential fear of sickness last night. It was a very thoughtful thing to do. I felt appreciative on her behalf.

"They cleared all the glass from your hair," Carlisle noted, lying for her benefit as he continued shaking some specks free. "You should be able to style it however you want without issue."

"A relief, I assure you," was her dry response.

Carlisle smiled and moved on to testing her shoulder which had caused her some pain if I recall. He prodded the area and had her move her arm so he could test the joint properly. She winced a little but didn't object or try to slow down his assessment.

"How is your ankle?" my father asked, focusing on her injured foot. The slip-on shoe was removed revealing a very thin, pale ankle that was slightly inflamed. He manipulated her foot in small circles, humming when she winced again. He bent it forward and back, noting where and when she flinched.

My eyes were still completely focused on her bare ankle. It was so thin and pale.

"Fine," Bella murmured. "I walked back to the room so it's not like I can't live with it."

She shivered a bit. Why? Was she cold?

"It sounds as if you were very lucky," Carlisle told her, replacing her shoe and stepping back to give her some space.

"Lucky that Eddie Boy over here saw fit to leap to my rescue."

I felt put on the spot, unsure of what I should say or if I should say anything at all. Yet my mind lingered on the nickname. "Eddie Boy?!" I demanded in mild offense. It sounded so childish and I disliked it instantly. I don't want that to become a habit at all.

Carlisle decided to settle things down by mentioning the fact that Chief Swan had been in the waiting room for ages. I was grateful for the respite granted.

"Ms. Swan, your father is here to take you home. Please take some pain relievers and get a good night of rest. If you experience sudden headaches or vision issues, come back immediately just to be safe."

"Sure thing, doc."

Carlisle calmly patted her hand in farewell and focused his attention on Tyler who had just returned with a nurse. "I'm afraid you'll have to stay with us for a bit longer," he told the boy quietly, dashing his hopes.

Note to Self: Remember to mention the hospital bills.

The rest of my attention had remained on Bella though, since she'd seemed frozen in place, staring down at her hand. Her fingers flexed a little and then words that I had never expected to hear, came out of her mouth in a very low, almost secretive tone. "I have never understood the fetish for Doctor/Nurse play, but I'm gettin' it now," she said in apparent awe.

"What?!" I said, unable to stop myself since it was so shocking.

Carlisle's thoughts were filled with soft laughter since he very much heard what Bella had just said! As for Bella, she was staring down at the floor as if wanting it to open up and swallow her whole. She then met my gaze evenly and a large, forced smile spread across her very red face.

"Any chance you can forget I said that?"

"No."

My memory would never let me forget it. I would know this for the rest of my pitiful existence.

"Well…" Bella hummed, nodding to herself, "I regret nothing. You're dad's hot and that's just a fact."

She then stood and proceeded to strut from the room.

It was easy to match pace with her. "You aren't the only one to think so." Definitely not. It was a good thing that Carlisle wasn't the one who could read thoughts. His work would be forever impeded otherwise.

"Obviously."

And then Bella stopped at the double doors to the waiting room, a dark smirk taking over her features. I knew I wasn't going to like what she said next. "I can't wait to hear the reason you come up with when the whole town learns that you saved my life. Hopefully, you've got some explanation for that massive, profile-sized dent you left in that car."

And then she sauntered out without so much as a backward glance, leaving me to pick up the pieces left behind by my own actions. All I could feel was the mounting panic and the burning thirst, both trying to take over as the most inconvenient thing in my existence at present. I had to face my family now.

...I want to go back to Alaska.

Distrust was seeping out of my every non-existent pore. After what Emmett mentioned in school, about Jasper and Rosalie's opinions on what happened, I knew that I was getting ready to walk into a battlefield. Jasper and Rosalie were of the same opinion but Jasper had more resolve in terms of seeing the idea through.

Obviously I did not like that.

"We can't trust her," Rosalie insisted, rude as ever the moment I stepped through the front door. "We know next to nothing about her and we can't guarantee that she is going to keep her mouth shut. We've all heard the way she talks in the cafeteria, she is not a normal teenager. Without Edward being able to hear what she's thinking, we're flying blind."

Esme was on the sofa, looking concerned as we all took up different places around the living room.

"So having an upbringing that makes her different from her peers is reason enough to just kill her?" I demanded, aiming all of my loathing at my sister in this very moment.

The look Rosalie sent me could cut diamonds. Her thoughts weren't any better. She's a liability and you know it.

"I don't share the same belief. Besides, Alice can still see Visions of her and she hasn't Seen anything about Bella telling anyone about what she has seen or assumed. And Alice is keeping a closer eye on her than before. I'm not willing to bet against Alice."

My body was coiled, ready to spring at a moment's notice. Was I on the verge of fighting my own family all over the life of some human girl that I didn't even know? Yes. Would I regret protecting her despite the rift it might cause between us? No.

Bella Swan was not at fault for my decisions. She should not suffer simply because my self-control is in shambles at present. And I refuse to allow this to become something it isn't. Sometimes it was possible that my siblings were searching for problems that didn't exist.

Alice was perfectly fine with what was happening. Emmett had already decided to be Switzerland, not wanting to choose sides so he couldn't alienate anyone. I know Esme wouldn't want Bella to die over this. And Carlisle, having actually met her and spoken to her a little, would be more inclined to follow my line of thinking instead of Jasper and Rosalie's.

Carlisle wasn't home yet, but no doubt the argument would last until he arrived.

Esme was concerned over what might happen. Not only in terms of familial bonds but also the house she painstakingly built for us. She didn't want anything getting destroyed.

"You would choose some human over the safety of our family?" Rosalie demanded, her mind having never gone quiet as I processed everyone's opinions on the situation.

"No, I would choose to put my faith in Alice, who I've been putting my faith in for the past several decades. Alice, will Bella be a problem for us?"

She beamed, mind pulling up all the Visions she had involving Bella just today alone. "Nope! If we ignore the situation, Bella will somehow become closer. If we actively associate with her, she will become closer much faster. If we attempt to ignore her, she'll still end up becoming close to the family. There are so many ways for this to happen, but it will happen," she said with finality, mind pulling up a final Vision.

I stiffened as I saw what she Saw. Isabella Swan and I were seated side by side at my piano. She was running through an unfamiliar song and smiling. Her fingering was atrocious but the song still sounded flawless. We were leaned into each other and Esme and Alice sat at the top of the staircase, watching us with dreamy expressions.

The thing that unnerved me about the Vision however... was Bella.

She was paler than me, her hair perfect in every way, with no flyaways and no split ends. The skin beneath her eyes was dark, as if she'd gotten no sleep in the past year. And her eyes... they were amber, tinged with red. The lack of pores made her look perfect, or maybe a better description would be that of a marble statue coming to life.

The inhuman features of a vampire were obvious in Bella's form.

She would be one of us, one way or another.

"I refuse," I stated simply.

Alice snorted. "That isn't your choice. We can't avoid her no matter which direction we take. What we can do is influence her through interaction and go from there. Of the possible futures before us, 98% have Bella as our newest family member. Only in 2% of them does she remain human. And even then, she still stays a close family friend until her eventual death at age one hundred and thirteen. She isn't ever going anywhere, so get used to it now."

And while I sputtered and tried to think of a way to counter that 98%, Alice turned her eerie gaze to her husband, who stiffened under whatever emotional assault she struck him with. "Bella is going to be my best friend. Our bond will be unlike anything you've ever seen. You will not do anything to sabotage this for us, or I will be very cross with you."

In her mind, she and Bella stood side by side, beaming at each other. Their arms were around each other and Bella seemed enamored with Alice's entire being.

If I didn't know about Alice's eternal love for Jasper... I'd say they look like lovers in that Vision.

Alice sent me a wink. Things get very interesting with Bella in our lives. So many options and I'm not even mad.

I don't understand, but I'm not blind to the fact that Alice already sounds smitten with Bella's entire existence.

"Are you sure?" Jasper asked his wife, mind awash with concern and confusion.

"Yes. Bella is ours. All we face now is time."

...At least she won't be dying any time soon. I felt almost giddy with triumph over that fact.

I have also chosen to ignore Rosalie's bitterness over the fact that she wouldn't be getting what she wanted.

While I seem to have won the battle, I might still lose the war. Bella should not become a vampire. It seems that I must now fight for that 2% where she remains human her whole life. She'd still be connected to the family, but her soul wouldn't be cursed like ours. That wasn't a tall order. I could manage that.

Betting against Alice is basically asking for trouble. I know I can't make the potentials of her being a human or vampire change, but I can work hard to hopefully impress upon Bella how much her human life matters.

That is my best chance. That 2% was now the main goal here.

~.O.~

A/N: Another is done!

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Chapter Text

A/N: Hello, people!

I don't own Twilight.

I have no regular beta.

ENJOY!

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~.O.~

SIDE A

So I ended up staying home on Wednesday. Firstly because I didn't want to actually go to school, and secondly because Charlie asked me to. Killing two birds with one stone and making us both very happy at the same time.

Renee had gotten the long email she'd wanted so I didn't have to handle that. I could just relax and do things that I actually enjoyed. Like making bread. I'd been looking forward to doing that all week.

I am also contemplating painting the walls of my room some more. But like creatively. Get some ROYGBIV going on, but with like paw prints. Either that or like I'll Jackson Pollock it so it'll be unique.

Not so sure yet.

That's more of a weekend thing. When there is time to do it and I don't have to worry about appearances in case I get paint on myself and it doesn't come off in time for school the next day.

I'll also need some new curtains. Especially if, for some reason, Edward still follows through with his canon bullshit and enters the room without consent. Ones that block out the light on one side but are a nice, bright color as well, if at all possible.

Yeah, that window thing was an issue that needed to be addressed and handled. Soon. I don't wanna take any chances. In the privacy of this room, I can be me all I want and not have to pretend in the least.

Hmmm.

Am I about to stitch bells into the trim of my new curtains? Yes. Will I also line salt along the windowsill? Yes.

I enjoy making life a struggle for people who deserve it. If you want to stalk me in my own room, I'm going to make you jump through hoops just to do it. If Charlie asks about the bells, I'll tell him I've really gotten into wind chimes. If I get a bunch of different kinds of bells, they'll make unique sounds when the curtain is moved even the slightest.

No matter how good he is, there is no way Edward will be able to silence all the bells at once. The slightest sound of raindrops hitting the roof wakes me up even though the attic is above my room. I will be awakened no matter what happens.

I think I missed my calling as a troll in my first life, but I'm making up for it now.

I got to make my bread which I'm thrilled about. The starter is healthy and safe to use, and I know for a fact that it will live for a very long time because I love bread and asking me to go a week without any would be torture. Give me all the carbs. I am a slut for carbs.

As for school... I'll get to back to that tomorrow.

Charlie was gone by the time I got downstairs this morning. My fault since I slept in. I missed the first two alarms entirely but the third was enough to get me up since I realized I'd heard that sound too many times in such a short time frame.

I have the alarms spaced out ten minutes apart starting from 6:50 AM. School started at eight and wasn't a far drive by a slow-ass truck, even in the snow. Thing was, I got out of bed at 7:20 so there was no time to make any food, it was just me having to get my ass dressed and going.

My outfits are always planned the night in advance in case of mornings such as this. Nothing special too. Black on black on black on black. None of them were the same shade of black either but basically went together on principle. I try to ignore how it bothers me that various shades of black technically don't match because I will spiral if I do. I don't like spiraling much.

So I was rushing around, grateful that I always do my homework in class, right under the teacher's nose. My Chucks were barely laced properly as I locked the house door. I even remembered to turn the porch light off before leaving, go me! I deserve some kind of reward for that! We don't waste energy in this house!

And that's when I noticed him.

No, not Edward Cullen. I wish it was Eddie Boy in my driveway. I would mind a whole hell of a lot less if it was actually him. Despite how weird that would be, trust me, he would be much more preferable even on his worst days in canon.

No, it was Clayton DickFace who was parked in Charlie's driveway, blocking in my truck so that his bumper and mine were basically ass to ass. I could probably fit a single sheet of white copy paper in the space between them, they were that unnecessarily close to each other.

His vehicle was a Toyota truck. Older, to me at least, so probably around 2000 or so. It wasn't as high as the Chevy was, but it was big enough to be a substantial blockade in the driveway. A hideous one at that.

See, the driveway was at a slight incline I guess you could say. It lead to a single-door garage connected to the house. So my truck was stuck on the little, outer hill portion of the driveway, while Clayton's truck was ahead of it on the flatter portion of the driveway. There were stone walls built on either side of the driveway as it lead down into the garage, so that the walkways around the house could be maintained. Basically, there was literally no way for my truck to make it out. It was literally boxed in on all sides.

And Clayton was smiling like he'd won the lottery. "I came to take you to school."

My ass didn't even hesitate in saying, "I don't need you to take me to school. I can drive just fine." Who the hell told him this was a smart idea? Or did he just come up with it himself?

"You were in an accident on Tuesday. It wouldn't be very safe for you to drive, would it?"

"Since my father is the Police Chief and he decided that I'm capable of driving myself to school thanks to the word of Dr. Cullen, I don't think your opinion really matters at all, huh?"

Seriously, one teenage idiot versus the opinions of two professionals? Fuck that, no thanks.

Also, this did not happen in canon. Why is it happening to me?!

And it seemed, with my declaration, that Clayton finally caught on to the fact that I wasn't playing his little game. The freaky fuck legit came to Charlie's house but waited until the Chief had left no doubt before pulling this shit. Suspicious as hell.

A creep of the highest caliber.

"I drove all this way because I was being nice," Clayton McFuckFace said with a condescending sneer like I'm supposed to care. Also, the sneer completely morphs his face from semi-attractive if you like Average-White-Men, to ugly as fuck.

"I didn't hold a gun to your head to make you do that. This is all on you." No one I know told him to pull this.

"You know, you're being really unfair. I've been nothing but nice and welcoming to you since you came to Forks and you've been nothing but rude." Is trying to talk down to me like I'm some kind of child? Does he really think that's gonna work? On me?

"From my perspective, you've only been creepy, not nice. Now go away, I would like to get to school on time." It's already getting dangerously close to eight in my opinion.

He smirked. "I'm not moving until you get in with me, so I guess we'll both be late until you give in."

This can go a few ways. I can go back inside the house and call Charlie. But the dude just went to work and having to come back so soon for something like this would just be annoying. I can get in my truck and just back out of the driveway, potentially causing a lot of damage to his own truck that could most likely end up with only me getting into trouble. You know how these things work against women.

Or…

I looked down at my watch to see 7:33 staring me in the face.

Forks High School wasn't that far away.

I double-checked the front door to make sure it was actually locked, slipped my bag onto my back, and took a deep breath.

Whatever Clayton thought was about to happen, I blew his ass away by breaking into a sprint down the street toward the direction of the school.

Bella's body could handle sports. I think she psyched herself out a lot though. The reason she did so poorly and was always so bad at walking was because of poor self-confidence. But I was in her body and I didn't have those issues. I usually stretched every morning when I had the time to. I participated in Gym like everyone else.

Running all the way to school with a guy following you in his truck yelling insults at you as you go, is unnerving as hell. It only took him like three minutes to catch up but he drove beside me the whole way, sneering when I flipped him off.

Maybe I can get Angela to drop me off after school. I'll even pay her for it.

Either way, I'm in need of some fucking help. When I have time, I can consider my options with a more clear mind.

I managed to run the entire way even with Bella's untrained body. I got to the building just as the first bell rang, and sighed in relief. I was hot everywhere, my face was red, and my lungs were a little abused, but I'd made it. Even with my hair looking atrocious.

"You okay?" Jessica asked as I sat next to her, out of breath. "You didn't come in yesterday, we were all worried."

"Meh," I said in response, breathless.

I'll have to think more about this at lunch when there is free time to do so.

By lunch, my legs felt like jello. Doing so much running without warming up first is a bad idea. And I might have to do it again after school ends.

I opened my mouth to ask Angela for a ride, but I thought about it further. A smack on the wrist from Charlie probably wouldn't be enough to stop this douche. People like him rarely learned unless given a pretty dangerous incentive to stop their behavior.

Fuck, I need some help. Some suitably threatening help that would make a Junior High boy who thought he was the best thing in the world, shit himself at the thought of ever stalking someone again. I'm outgoing enough to be a threat, but not every girl is like me and if he can't get anywhere with me, he'll probably try this shit on someone else. Might even take his anger at me, out on them.

And that's when it hit me like a sledgehammer. The Cullens. My eyes landed on Jasper Hale from across the cafeteria and I just knew what I needed to do. Also, I noticed Alice lean into him a little and begin mumbling. His entire body straightened and went tense, making me wonder if she had a Vision of my decision and had warned him ahead of time.

I sighed to myself and stood from the table. Jessica looked up in confusion.

"Wish me luck. I am about to brave the unknown in an undertaking never before attempted."

"Huh?"

"I need help and Jasper Hale is my best option right now. Send your prayers up to the big man, JC, 'cause I need 'em."

My table watched in trepidation as I moved across the cafeteria and approached the unapproachable Cullens. All of them watched me coming with a sort of intensity that I wasn't used to seeing on anyone. Edward was stiff as expected but Jasper looked a little less constipated than usual. Even somewhat inviting if you looked at him from a certain angle.

I aimed my best customer service smile at Jasper, having mastered the art of pretending to be okay when I'm faced with utter bullshit. "Hi. I came over to ask for your assistance because you're the most threatening person I could think of."

All at once, Alice snorted and Emmett scoffed and flexed his massive muscles. I sent him an apologetic look and said, "You can probably bench like 500lbs, but something instinctively tells me Jasper is the bigger threat here. But if you want to help too, the more the merrier!"

"What do you need, Ms. Swan?" Jasper asked a bit stiffly, though not rudely. He looked only mildly uncomfortable. I could feel the anxiety that had been building in my gut all morning, dissipate into nothingness. He no doubt was responsible for that. Thank you, Sir Empath. I've been desperately in need of some chill all day.

"Okay. Be aware that I am willing to pay you back with money, or cookies, or something abnormal… like a full turducken dinner if you really want it."

Emmett snorted and I shot him an amused smile, appreciative of his good humor.

"Every school day since my first here, save for the last two I've missed, I've been approached by some dude named Clayton." I paused, trying to think of his surname that I was pretty sure I hadn't learned. Nothing came to mind still. "Clayton Something. I didn't care to learn his whole name since I thought his given name was dumb enough.

"Anyway, we only have Gym together and without fail, every day, he's asked me out. And I've said no, in various ways, every single time. So today I was running late because I slept in. I woke up quite some time after Charlie left. I was rushing and decided against eating so I wouldn't be even more late. I lock the house and turn around to find Clayton What's-His-Face parked in my driveway, blocking my truck in."

The whole table seemed to shift in discomfort. I didn't imagine Rosalie's lips pursing. She probably saw where this was going.

"Dude knows where I live, which, I guess could be excused because it's a small town and everyone probably knows where everyone lives, but still. He waited until Charlie was gone before pulling this uninvited shit and I don't like that."

It made me shiver just thinking about it.

"He tried getting me to come to school with him. I said no. He whined about how he 'drove all this way' and I was like, 'I didn't hold a gun to your head to make you do that'. He claimed I was being rude and unfair to him since he's been 'nothing but nice' to me since I got here. He then said he wasn't moving his shitty Toyota until I got in. So I did the only thing I could in that situation," I said with a shrug.

Edward's jaw dropped and Rosalie practically juiced the orange on her lunch tray. Flashbacks to my childhood on Nickelodeon. Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide anyone?

I realized how my words sounded pretty quickly, and waved my hands to quell their concerns. "I ran all the way here!" I insisted. "No way am I getting into a car with some asshat who tried to gaslight me with nonexistent guilt over his actions."

Fuck that shit. I refuse to put myself in that kind of situation. The school wasn't too far and I was able to run all the way with no hesitation. Bella being surprisingly fit for someone who didn't exercise regularly was just an added bonus.

"Anyway, I ran here in the light drizzle which is why I look twice as bad as usual. I would like to go home without feeling like I'm being stalked, but I don't want to bother Charlie while he's working. So I wanted to ask if you could distract him when school ends, and maybe subtly threaten him long enough for me to run home and fortify the house until Charlie gets back. I will be telling him about what happened, but I don't feel very safe right now. This dude gives me the wrong kind of vibes and I know that if I make it a public scene he and his posse will try to spin it as me being crazy, or leading him on and playing hard to get, or even claiming I asked for it. That's a popular excuse."

Rosalie was practically spitting with rage by now. Jasper seemed to be doing nothing to calm her down either.

"Hell, they might just hit me with the Triple Whammy and use all of them to discredit my very valid concerns."

I've seen this happen in real-time. It's fucked up.

I fished a hundred-dollar bill out of my wallet. "So… will you help me, please?"

Surprisingly, it was Rosalie who nodded. "I'll handle it," she said firmly.

"Um…"

"Alice will drive you home in the Volvo while the rest of us have a word with Birch."

Birch?

"That's his name," explained Alice. "Clayton Birch. Son of Deacon Dayton Birch of Forks' only Baptist Church."

The fucking rhyming was sending meeeee…

And of course, it's a Christian. I can't say I'm shocked.

"I'll be outside the gymnasium waiting for you to take you home after final period, okay, Bella?" Alice said with a sweet smile.

"Do you guys want the money… to handle the gas or something?" I asked, kind of hoping they'd say no so I could keep it for something else. I'm cheap.

"No," said Jasper. "Use it to invest in some Mace. And a cellphone so you can contact someone in the event of an emergency."

"You guys are the shit. I hope you know that. Would you like me to bake you some cookies or something specific?"

"No, that's okay," insisted Emmett with a shrug of his wide shoulders. "You don't have to pay us for anything. Clayton should know better and needs a firm reminder of proper etiquette toward his fellow man."

His charming smile did nothing to hide the threat in his tone. Clayton was practically a dead man walking.

All the while, Edward seemed to be frozen in his seat. Don't know what's gotten him all worked up. He's probably being all dramatic since the crash incident.

"Thanks, y'all. I feel so much better now." I really did. Jasper was a real G, huh?

When I returned to my table, Jessica sent me a look that practically demanded I explain myself, and I shrugged. "They're going to help me with a small stalker problem. Free of charge even!"

"Stalker?!"

"Well, you see…"

So Jessica is a bit superficial, though it's a bit expected from a teenager in a small town. Even so, she wasn't a bad person. Even in canon she had her annoying moments but I don't think she was a bad person.

When I explained what Clayton did, she took my side. She even drew Lauren into our conversation and while Lauren hates me and I hate her in return, she also took my side. It was nice to have that kind of support, especially since I didn't really expect to get that much.

"What a fucking creep," Lauren had said with a sneer. "We'll destroy his reputation. Even if your dad can't do anything about it legally, we'll make sure he gets some kind of consequence for that. I know a lot of people who we me a lot of favors."

And that was that. Two of the greatest gossips in the school wanted to tear down the son of a deacon, and they would see it done. I have no doubt in my mind that they can and will deliver on their promise, post-haste.

I felt so much better when I stepped into Biology. Even Edward's dreary ass couldn't bring me down. I was at least on Cloud Seven and could potentially float even higher if the day continued to get better.

Eventually, Eddie couldn't hold his questions back and had to ask, "Why Jasper?"

"Hm?"

"You've never even met Jasper, but you chose to ask him for help."

Did… Did I hear the jealousy in Edward's tone? Really?

Though I suppose not knowing what I'm thinking might really be fucking him up inside. He doesn't know the right thing to say or do when he's with me. He's blind as fuck in these moments. It's gotta be a whole new experience for the dude.

"Jasper Hale holds himself like someone who went to boot camp. Or got a black belt is some form of martial arts." Which is true, he did. Even though he interacted with no one, there was a threatening air in the stance he chose and the way his shoulders were set. His intense expression all the time made people wary intuitively and they didn't like looking at or talking about him.

And since I know that he was in the military - if we ignore certain problematic details about that for now - and moved on to train a vampire army for years, I know that he's technically the biggest threat. He knows what to do and how to do it on instinct, no future seeing or mind reading to help him cheat.

Edward remained stiff as a board as he turned over my words. In the meantime, Mr. Banner began class, and life went on.

Clayton Birch was up my ass even more than normal this time around. Enough for Mike to notice and to take a somewhat possessive stance against him, hovering near me all class period and glaring if he saw the other get too close.

The Cullens were all right outside the door when I left the Gym. They all looked fresh as always while I was a hot mess because of everything piling on throughout the day. I was tired and wanted to go to bed. Was it too much to ask for some rest?

"Let's go, Bella!" Alice said cheerfully, pulling on my arm and leading me away. I turned to look back and saw Clayton getting cornered the moment he and his friends left the Gym doors in what seemed to be a rush. I'm not blind to what that rush signified, I just don't want to think about it in depth right now.

Clayton's face was priceless when he saw who was awaiting him, and I'm only a little bummed that I didn't get to see the whole thing.

"Things will be fine, Bella," Alice told me as we reached what appeared to be Edward's new Volvo. It had only been two days! How did he manage to get a replacement in so little time? Surely there was more paperwork involved? I've never had a vehicle so I don't know how those things work but damn.

Though he didn't have to sleep and he was rich as shit so like, did he really face the same problems as the average American? He had a shit ton of time on his hands to do anything.

Did Volvos go fast? These things are ugly as sin and I can't see Edward genuinely liking the style of them. At least the early 2000s ones. The ones from my time are much nicer to look at and also much more expensive.

Alice tossed the keys at me which I barely managed to catch since I hadn't been expecting them. "You can drive."

"Um… I don't think that'd be a very good idea-"

"Don't worry, I have full faith in your driving capability!" she said with a wide grin. She gave me very goth/punk pixie vibes. If she added a few hot pink stripes to her hair I'd probably expire.

She wanted me to drive Edward's car. To get in, not just the front, but on the driver's side. The side he sat on. My scent would not only pervade the car but would stick persistently to all the parts I'd touched for quite some time. Even with how short of a time I'd touched them.

Was she fucking with him in some way? is this revenge of a sort?

Well, I want to go home so I don't have it in me to fight this.

I got in.

The Volvo drove smoothly at least, even on the shitty roads. The engine was relatively quiet and the seat was comfortable.

"Bella, did you know that blue is your most appealing color?" Alice asked as he drove through the main street. "You look very good in it."

"I only have one blue shirt," I told her. "I'm not very fashion-conscious." And I prefer black to be the main focus in every outfit I wear. That way I can't possibly mismatch anything if there is only one splash of color somewhere. Black goes with anything.

"You should wear that shirt tomorrow, but without a t-shirt over the top. And maybe braid your hair back a bit. Do you have any makeup?"

"No."

Alice pouted. "I can get you some."

"No thanks. I'm not much into that. I wouldn't sacrifice sleep time or money for something I don't care about." It was nice of her to offer, but I really don't like dealing with makeup. Learning how to use it properly would just feel like a waste of time. I could make bread, play a video game, or even sleep in the time it would take me to do a whole face of makeup. So no thanks.

The ride was so smooth that it took very little time to get to Charlie's house.

"Thanks for helping me out," I said once I had parked. "I was so stressed this morning."

Alice patted my knee. I could feel how cold her hand was even through the thick denim. "You won't have to worry about him from now on."

I believed her obviously. Future-seeing was really beneficial. And totally a cheat.

"See you at school!"

I made doubly sure to lock, unlock, and then relock the front door just to be safe. While I was sure the Cullens would get Clayton to leave me alone, I was still a bit wary.

I took time to order my thoughts while I was making dinner. I knew what to say and how to say it to Charlie once he got in. He'd most likely believe me since he was a bit of an overprotective type. If he was anything like his book self, he'd really be up in arms over it.

By the time Charlie walked in the door, I was pulling the sourdough bread bowls from the oven. The clam chowder had been kept on warm for the past half an hour and I was relieved because I wanted to eat food so bad!

"Smells good, Bells," Charlie said when he was presented with his own bread bowl full of chowder.

"I was craving something warm to go with the bread on a day like today. Needed some good comfort food."

He frowned, revealing how observant he is by asking, "Something happened that I should know about?"

I sighed. "Ever since the first day of school, Clayton Birch hasn't left me alone in an effort to get a date. He used his Toyota to trap the Chevy in the driveway this morning in an attempt to coerce me into going to school with him."

"Why didn't you call me?" he demanded, looking both offended and worried. "I would have come right back."

I looked away, feeling bashful. "You'd already driven to work by then. I figured I could handle it until you got home. So I ran to school and got a ride back with Alice Cullen. Her brothers promised to have a talk with Clayton to give me time to get here."

Charlie took a moment to think about it. "You mean the big one?"

"Well, they're all over six feet, dad. Though if you meant the one who looks like he should be destroying opposing football teams, then yes, him too. That's Emmett. He seemed very annoyed when I explained the problem to him and his siblings at lunch today. Told me not to worry about paying them back or anything. He is a sweet bean."

Charlie sighed. It could have been for many reasons really, so I didn't bother trying to speculate. "Clayton Birch, huh? It's always the ones you don't expect."

True.

"I'll go talk to Mrs. Morris across the street. While no one really acknowledges it, we all know she's a bit of a busybody and practically stalks the entire street at all times of the day. She'll no doubt have seen him do what he did. Might even have gotten some pictures of it considering how paranoid she is. It's not that I don't believe you, it's just that if you want to file a restraining order, you need a bit more witnesses around here with proof of why it's needed."

Well damn.

After dinner, Mrs. Morris did come through. I found out that she was forty-one and was very tech-savvy. Apparently, she looked over the street every hour on the hour just to be safe. Clayton had already been parked in the driveway at seven and had remained there. She'd set up a video camera and came back to double check several times.

The camera had been placed in the open window where it captured me leaving the house, and our conversation about going to school, though it was pretty muffled from across the street. What was obvious though was me bursting into a sudden sprint down the street and Clayton swearing loudly, getting in his Toyota, dangerously speeding while pulling out of the driveway, and screaming 'bitch' at me which the camera picked up very clearly.

Apparently, she'd called the station and made a complaint about Clayton that morning. He didn't live on that street, had no friends on that street, but was being unnecessarily loud in the early morning, disrupting the neighbors with his 'unChristianlike behavior'. It was beautiful how angry she was over it.

The person who handled the complaint wasn't Charlie so he hadn't been made aware of it apparently. Though shouldn't he have been? As the Chief of Police and all that, and it having to do with his house and daughter?

Judging by how annoyed he looked, my assumption was correct. Something fishy was going on and that would probably be getting looked into.

Mrs. Morris handed over the tape without a problem and gave me a very pity-filled look when Charlie explained the situation. "Young men these days aren't taught to respect others, dear. You have to force it through their thick heads."

I was expecting her to be the 2005 version of a Karen, but she was actually pretty chill.

Also, it made me feel good to know that Clayton won't be able to come near me in the future.

School on Friday felt lighter than ever before. If one ignored all the people coughing and sneezing because of the fucked up temperatures as of late.

And I was ignoring it very hard in hopes of not jinxing myself. I just had to obsessively wash my hands as much as possible, and avoid direct physical contact with anything. It couldn't be that difficult, right?

Lauren had made good on her promise. Whispers of what Clayton did yesterday were everywhere. And not only that, but he'd apparently pulled similar things with other girls in the school. Many of them felt trapped and unable to say no, so they went along with it.

Now, I'm a pretty critical person by nature. I do wonder if this actually happened in the story and Bella simply didn't know because of different social circles or something.

Like, this didn't happen in the book or film. No mention of a Clayton Birch ever came up as far as my memory can tell. So why did this happen to me and not Bella?

Is it because I'm not her? I don't have her specific introvert tendencies. Like I'm still an introvert but about some things, I've gotten to the age where my experiences have made me tired as hell. I'm sick of being told to be quiet and nice so as not to offend any uppity, fragile men out there. I'm sick of having to be in the closet and not be honest with myself and the people around me.

I seem pretty outgoing compared to how Bella was. Did that make me more approachable?

Am I bound for more uncomfortable interactions because I'm not a wallflower of the same breed?

Or maybe this was the universe getting back at me because I know the Twilight Saga. I know so much information about everything. I'd even say much of it is useless because it has no bearing on the plot itself. So I have an advantage that Bella never had. As a result, is Fate throwing curve balls at me so I can't just cruise control my way through everything? If so, what a bitch.

Anyway, Clayton Birch. The whole school had basically ostracized him and his friends by association. It was beautiful.

Lauren earned a bit of my respect even if I still don't like her.

However, I am not the kind of person who believes others can't change. So if she does show personal growth and does away with certain personality traits that are problematic, then I will have no problem associating with her on the regular in the future.

The following days made it feel like high school was worth repeating. I'm twenty-five this time around. I know who I am and what I want. I've done the whole uncomfortable questioning of myself already. There's less stress on my body and mind this time around. I feel like I can actually enjoy being a teen this time.

Most twenty-somethings don't feel like adults yet. I wasn't married. I had no kids, though I did have a lizard named Smaug. I had no interest in doing anything related to relationships or kids. I still had to fight my impulse to ask my mom for permission to go to the bathroom or to eat something specifically for dinner. Life was a bit more fucked up in the past four years but I still didn't feel like an adult.

But now things are pretty good. If I ignore how much I miss my mom and my best friend and my pet, I'd say this is the best thing for me right now. I mean, I have two arms again. That's a big plus. I can walk normally too!

Something to note, I may have formed an addiction to sourdough bread. Totally non sequitur, but I think I'll have to increase the size of my starter if I want to have enough to make as much bread as I want.

I've decided that I'm going to begin keeping a diary.

Bella's hand doesn't cramp from writing by hand, because she didn't spend years where typing was the most effective form of doing work. She's gotten used to writing things down and that will make things easier for me.

If I tried anything for more than a few seconds my wrists would cramp a shit ton. It was certainly a downside to relying on technology so much, but I don't really think it was that big of a deal. Typing was just more beneficial over all. Neater and faster being the main reasons. I can type about a hundred and fourteen words per minute, and write out like twenty if I'm lucky.

But now I can be one of those hipsters who records their life in paper and decorates their diaries with cute stickers and little stamps that I've collected from who knows what little shop on some abandoned street in a random town. I know how to make new paper by recycling old paper. I can make it a whole aesthetic thing! It'd be so cool!

In fact, fuck my original idea, this is so much better.

I just need a few things first. But one that's done I'll be on my way!

"...Uh, Bells, what are you doin'?" Charlie asked as he watched me carefully shred strips of an old newspaper by hand, into tiny little pieces. It was a long and tiresome process doing this, but it would be worth it later on.

"Making homemade paper."

"We can just buy paper at the store, Bells."

I looked up at him, doing my best imitation of Ben Wyatt as I said, "It's about the aesthetic."

Obviously, he didn't understand that reference and that was okay. I was still doing what I was doing. I'll need to buy a blender for easier work in the future. Charlie has a blender but you should never use one for food when making homemade paper. Use two separate blenders.

I can do that when I next go shopping. Forks isn't big but there are a couple appliance shops.

"Bella, your sudden interest in art has me concerned."

"Hey! I've always been interested in art, I just wasn't very good at much of anything for the longest time," I said defensively. "I have found my niche."

That was the most believable reason at least.

Charlie's look of disbelief got nothing but a huff from me. "You naysayers will rue the day you challenged my creative process!"

"Sure thing, Bells."

"Rue the day!" I repeated dramatically, channeling my inner Nevel Papperman. Man, I miss iCarly so much. They made a reboot if I recall correctly. I should have watched it. Now I have to wait over a decade!

Fuck my life!

Wait, I take it back! iCarly aired its first episode in 2007! I can relive the joys of it! I'm feeling so much better now!

I hate Macbeth. I've had to deal with it so much in my life and I don't want to. What's with the obsession with Macbeth?

The only interesting bits of that whole story are the witches. They breathed life into that damn play. The rest of it was a snooze fest.

English teachers and their obsessive need to make everyone read that fucking play, and then write ten thousand think pieces on it, makes me want to vomit. I am tired. I am sick of it. Can we please, as a society, progress past Macbeth, Hamlet, and Romeo and Juliet? Pick some other piece of Shakespeare's shit if you absolutely have to! There are better works! More interesting. Definitely better written and with enthralling plots!

Though I have to admit Mr. Mason is at least a little different since he does Creative Writing assignments every Wednesday. Doesn't matter what you write, be it a poem or a short story, you have to hand it in on Thursday. On Friday, he'd make the best ones read their works aloud for the class. So not everything was fucking Macbeth at least.

So… in these olden times, finding entertainment isn't as easy as it is in 2021. Lack of good websites, apps, and technology being the main reason. But while I might not have access to everything 2021 has to offer, I can still do some stuff.

Basically, I bought a PS2 and some games. I'm a gamer gurl, rawr!

It'll be a while before my favorite games are released, but that's okay. I still used my PS2 in 2021, because I actually took care of my shit and the games I had for it. I foresee some good times ahead getting to relive my favorites all over again.

Also, I found Portal Runner at Blockbuster! I'm living!

I was ten in 2005. I remember all this shit pretty damn well. Reliving it all again feels so wack. That wonder of walking the aisles at Blockbuster, looking for anything new to watch. And then getting in line and staring at all the candy I want to have with my movie night. Good times.

I might fuck around and get a Motorola Razr again. I remember liking mine very much. I will never look at another Nokia again, I swear to God. Unless I'm making a Horcrux, no thanks. I want my hot pink Razr again. I was considered cool for a very small time because I had one and no one else did.

Good times.

Weekends are a great time to max and relax.

And I had redecorating to do, and can literally drive anywhere I fucking want because there's no quarantine and I have money in my wallet!

I almost forgot what going outside for fun was like, to be honest. Sometimes you don't realize the simple things can be taken for granted until you can't enjoy them anymore. Like, I wouldn't ever go to a park for any reason ever, but being stuck indoors and not being allowed to go anywhere at all was just depressing. Suddenly I'd wanted to do things I hadn't done in over a decade.

I'm determined to appreciate this new chance at life even more as a result.

"Ms. Swan, will you come up and read the poem you wrote for your Creativity Folder?" Mr. Mason asked barely two minutes into the class period.

I winced as I thought about the subject of said assignment. What else can I say other than I'm good at depressing stuff? It's easier to channel the sad things than it is to channel the happy thing, you know?

I don't intend for my brain to be this way, it just happens.

"Sure," I sighed

My ass took a deep breath as I accepted the paper from him and moved toward the front of the classroom, because for some reason he wanted us front and center instead of comfortable at our seats.

"So I titled this, 'I Am'."

Someone who is lazy but not how one would think.
Someone who is crazy but doesn't want a shrink.

Someone who can laugh even at the worst of times.
Someone who has secrets hidden between the lines.

Someone who has eyes that are too old for her face.
Someone who has thoughts that are not a safe place.

Someone who gets lost in the things that aren't real.
Someone who gets too close and then cannot feel.

Someone who is here yet feels like she is over there.
Someone who feels like her mind is scattered everywhere.

Someone who almost gave up when everything was in tatters.
Someone who believes that nothing ever really matters.

Someone who is a bit off though no one seems aware.
Someone who is fighting the desire to not care.

Someone who needs help even though it won't be fun.
Someone who needs mercy from herself and everyone.

Someone who wants to get better and will try her best to.
Someone who hopes that one day she might just pull through.

I sent the class a broad smile to try and lift their frowns of concern. "Side note which I put at the bottom for Mr. Mason so there's no unnecessary worry. I'm writing a book. I've outlined the entire thing. I've done the rough draft. It came out to 60,000 words. I did a second draft and it came out to 75,000 words. I have done nothing but re-read this over and over while editing. It's in the first person and the main character is not in a good place mentally. Putting myself in their mindset puts my thoughts toward a very sad avenue.

"So the only reason this was so depressing is that I was adding more detail to a section about how morose the MC is and realized I didn't do my homework. Switching off the negativity was pointless since I was going right back to it once the homework was finished, so I decided to write like it was from their perspective."

I was only half-lying. The MC of my book is based on me meshed with a few other people.

Mr. Mason nodded. "I will admit the style you used was a bit strange at first, but if you put the words, 'I Am' before every line, then it makes sense. These are confessions of all this person is, and they've acknowledged it. I felt that this would be something worth hearing because it brought to mind something I think we need to focus on more in our upcoming lessons about..."

And then he went on a whole spiel about Shakespeare and focusing on the mental turmoil of his characters.

Jessica mouthed, 'are you really okay?' at me when I rejoined her at our table. I felt warm. It was nice to have good friends.

'Yeah.'

SIDE B

Bella Swan didn't come to school on Wednesday. Strangely, I felt sad over that. She'd been relatively fine after the accident so I'd assumed she would come to school, but she never showed. In fact, her father called in saying she was going to rest for the day and that she'd be in tomorrow without a problem.

My chance to ask her more questions was being postponed, and I hated it. This lead to Alice mentally teasing me over it, which I didn't appreciate at all.

Also, without her presence and effect on her peers to distract me, I had to face the varying opinions of my siblings over what had happened. Rosalie was the most violent with Jasper just as annoyed but less rude about it. Alice was only a bit wary but overall, she was excited to see what else Bella Swan was getting up to in the future. Emmett didn't really care.

At all, I mean.

'So you kill one human, so what?' was specifically how he'd chosen to word it.

While Emmett might take his wife's side just as support, but truly didn't care all that much about the Bella situation.

As for Carlisle and Esme… they weren't sure what to think about my actions.

My first instinct to save her life was appreciated and praised, but the potential threat to the family had been a concern. With Alice's assurances that Bella will be involved in the family no matter what any of us do, things had cooled down considerably overnight, but it was still tense. Rosalie wasn't thrilled at all, and Jasper was still put out over Alice threatening to stop speaking to him if he sabotaged her future friendship with Bella.

And of course Rosalie blames me for all of this happening as if I somehow have control over these things. Alice said Bella had a 98% chance of becoming a vampire and joining our family. That has nothing to do with me according to her Visions. Only 2% of Bella's potential futures leave her as a human family friend.

Why am I getting blamed?

I hate being the cause of tension in the family, but I'm not really at fault here. These are just natural things and I am reacting to them organically. This is just as new to me as it is to anyone else.

Also, I can't control my interest in how strange Bella was just as a person and the fact that her mind was dead silent.

Of course my obsession with Bella Swan extended beyond just craving and casual curiosity. I was abnormally curious. Her mind was silent unlike any I've even encountered. I didn't have access to her deepest self like with everyone else. How else could I hope to understand her otherwise?

I may have… stood in the woods outside Chief Swan's home after school today, just trying to get something.

Anything really.

All I really have is my hearing when it comes to her though. I got to hear her make homemade sourdough bread and lasagna. She went upstairs to her room and played a video game I'm unfamiliar with. The protagonist was female and spunky, and apparently carried around a bow and arrows that she used against monsters and evil knights.

Occasionally, Bella burst into songs from musicals, going from Fiddler on the Roof, to Annie, to a musical I didn't know but the song had an interesting melody.

"Hi. If I could change the world I'd make it Hallowe'en every single day. And also have world peace. Maybe world peace should be first? World peace and then Hallowe'en? Wait, let me start over. Hi. If I could change the world I'd make us have world peace, and also Hallowe'en every single day! On Hallowe'en you can pretend to be someone else! It's like the internet, only in person and with candy!"

I have no inkling as to what it was from but she didn't make it much farther before switching to Disney. In fact, none of the songs she'd gone through managed to be finished because she'd go silent and then randomly start singing a new song minutes later. Attention issues? Or maybe she was just so focused on her game that she got easily distracted?

Chief Swan returned home at 5:35 and it was the first time I'd been within such close distance to the man. Focusing all of my energy into hearing his thoughts allowed me to pick them up decently, but it was strange. He wasn't quiet like his daughter was, but there was a sort of fuzziness to his mind.

Or like a very thick veil was trying to block me out?

A better explanation would be along the lines of a television screen. I could see Alice's Visions through her mind. I could see cloudy human memories if they were feeling nostalgic in the moment. With vampires the screen was clear, with humans it was like static tinting the edges and details were always missing. With Chief Swan however, the static was incredibly prominent and the color saturation was very low, making everything look washed out and bland.

As for thoughts in the form of words, it was like they came through an old-fashioned radio speaker. Tinged with that tinny sound and sometimes unclear altogether. It was fascinating and proved that Bella's strange ability was inherited from her father.

What had Chief Swan's parents been like, I wonder? Were their minds just as strange? I wish my supernatural ability was something along the lines of contacting dead spirits. It would be so much more interesting than what i have to deal with on the regular.

What I gathered was that the Swans are special to a certain extent, that Bella would be coming to school on the morrow, and that Rosalie seemed ready to beat the hell out of me for some reason when I got home.

I was so sure Bella Swan was staying home today. Her truck never appeared in the parking lot and all of her friends had no idea where she was. It was only when Alice looked off in the distance, that I paid attention.

She had a Vision of Bella showing up for her first period class barely on time. Her hair damp and slightly frizzy on the ends as well as her shoes soaked. Her face was bright red and she looked tired as she heaved in ragged breaths.

Despite eavesdropping on several people's thoughts, I never found out why. Bella remained silent about the situation all the way until lunch. That was when things got interesting but in the worst kind of way.

Alice sat up straighter and leaned into Jasper to tell him, "Bella Swan is coming over here to ask you a question. Hear her out."

All of us were on edge for different reasons as we watched her sigh and stand up from her table across the cafeteria. There was a look of determination on her face however. "Wish me luck. I am about to brave the unknown in an undertaking never before attempted," she told her friends.

Jessica Stanley stared up at her in complete confusion. The hell? What's wrong with Bella?

"I need help and Jasper Hale is my best option right now. Send your prayers up to the big man, JC, 'cause I need 'em."

The jealous thoughts of Mike Newton and Eric Yorkie followed her as she went. Lauren Mallory's thoughts weren't very pleasant but for a different reason. Jessica was still very confused and was trying to determine what Bella could possibly need help with that she couldn't ask her friends for.

We all stared Bella down as she came closer, almost challenging her. Jasper was internally chanting at himself to behave. Alice had a tight grip on his hand under the table. Rosalie was fuming to herself while Emmett patted her back to keep her calm. I focused on not breathing at all. I wasn't prepared for this. I'd been prepared for Biology, not Lunch.

Bella's face morphed into a very obviously fake smile. One that spoke of a desire to be anywhere else at the moment. "Hi," she said pleasantly even if her eyes spoke of nothing pleasant. Her gaze was firmly on Jasper only. "I came over to ask for your assistance because you're the most threatening person I could think of."

The reactions she got were varied. Jasper was shocked at how correct her intuition was. He wondered how she could have possibly gathered that when she'd never even spoken to him before.

Rosalie was just as shocked. Enough that her annoyance had cooled somewhat. She was now more curious than anything else, and sent me a look demanding answers I didn't have.

Alice was amused, no surprise there. For some reason, she got a kick out of Bella's antics and liked to keep tabs on her all day long. My obsession may seem strange but I am not the only one interested in Bella's mind, I just feel the need to point that out. Alice is just as creepy as I am.

Emmett was offended. As a big, brawny man who in no way looked like a high school senior, by sheer size alone he seemed the most threatening on the surface. He was even much more physically strong compared to the rest of us, but Jasper's battle experience and knowledge far surpassed anything Emmett knew. Jasper could put him down easily.

It was a fascinating thing to consider. Could other humans register the fact that among us Jasper was the biggest threat? Not because of his insatiable thirst and lack of control in regards to it, but because of what he was capable of? Sometimes my inner scientist had questions that I would never be morally corrupt enough to find the answers to.

Sometimes I regretted that fact, I'm ashamed to admit. Morality versus Answers. The age old debate in any field.

Bella seemed to take note of Emmett's dramatics over her words, and smirked at him. "You can probably bench like 500lbs, but something instinctively tells me Jasper is the bigger threat here. But if you want to help too, the more the merrier!"

And now we were all curious.

She'd noted something so simply and understated. What was going through her mind at the moment?

"What do you need, Ms. Swan?" asked Jasper, using his ability on her. She's incredibly anxious, he told me. She came over here that way, so it isn't us that caused it. The strength of it would be impossible to build up in only a few seconds. Something is very wrong with her and she's incredibly serious about needing help.

What had her on edge? I could physically see her calming down as the tenseness in her shoulders softened up. The bags under her eyes did not lessen however. She still looked exhausted.

"Okay. Be aware that I am willing to pay you back with money, or cookies, or something abnormal… like a full turducken dinner if you want it."

Emmett snorted. This girl is a riot! I get why Alice likes her so much!

Bella leaned forward, hands on our lunch table as she stared intently into Jasper's amber eyes. "Every school day since my first here, save for the last two I've missed, I've been approached by some dude named Clayton..." she said, drawing the name out as her eyes became unfocused. "Clayton Something. I didn't care to learn his whole name since I thought his given name was dumb enough."

Clayton Birch. There is only one Clayton in all of Forks Washington. What did he do that made her so uncomfortable?

Why do I feel hatred building up inside of me for a teenager I don't even know?

"Anyway, we only have Gym together and without fail, every day, he's asked me out. And I've said no, in various ways, every single time. So today I was running late because I slept in. Charlie woke me up just as he was leaving. I was rushing and decided against eating so I wouldn't be even more late. I lock the house and turn around to find Clayton What's-His-Face parked in my driveway, blocking my truck in."

It didn't take a genius to understand why she was concerned. All of my siblings became wary as her tale progressed. Rosalie was already contemplating murder of someone other than Bella for the first time in two days, assuming without hesitation that sexual harassment was involved.

Considering the emotional state Bella was in at the moment, she's probably right.

I don't want that to be the case.

I wanted to look for where Clayton Birch was seated, but I couldn't manage to take my eyes off of Bella. I didn't want to do anything but give her my undivided attention to show her I was taking this seriously.

"Dude knows where I live, which, I guess could be excused because it's a small town and everyone probably knows where everyone lives, but still. He waited until Charlie was gone before pulling this uninvited shit and I don't like that."

Yes, it was very inappropriate behavior indeed.

Very suspicious. I don't like it either.

Bella sighed and shrugged her shoulders almost helplessly. "He tried getting me to come to school with him. I said no. He whined about how he 'drove all this way' and I was like, 'I didn't hold a gun to your head to make you do that'. He claimed I was being rude and unfair to him since he's been 'nothing but nice' to me since I got here. He then said he wasn't moving his shitty Toyota until I got in. So I did the only thing I could in that situation."

I couldn't help but gape, appalled at what her words suggested. Rosalie had gone a step further and practically pulverized the orange she'd been distracting herself with. She'd almost crushed the lunch tray but managed to stop herself just in time. That would have been hard to explain.

I'll kill him, she mentally declared. Any annoyance at Bella's existence was gone in the face of her anger. I will make sure that no one finds his body. This is not an innocent human. You cannot stop me.

Bella gasped and shook her head, waving away our very valid concerns. "I ran all the way here!" she said, face flushing a fetching shade of pink. "No way am I getting into a car with some asshat who tried to gaslight me with nonexistent guilt over his actions."

That would explain why she was so late, why I hadn't seen or heard her truck, and why her face had been so red when she arrived. She had literally run all the way to school to avoid a boy stalking her. It was a shame that it had happened and that she felt the need to do that at all.

It wasn't difficult to pick out Clayton Birch's thoughts among the students. Singling him out was much easier than usual. I could hear him planning on how to corner Bella after Gym with the help of his friends. My rage became so intense that Jasper had to calm me down as well.

You need to think more clearly, Jasper warned me. Pay attention to what she's saying before doing anything rash.

"Anyway," said Bella with another shrug, "I ran here in the light drizzle which is why I look twice as bad as usual. I would like to go home without feeling like I'm being stalked, but I don't want to bother Charlie while he's working. So I wanted to ask if you could distract him when school ends, and maybe subtly threaten him long enough for me to run home and fortify the house until Charlie gets back. I will be telling him about what happened, but I don't feel very safe right now. This dude gives me the wrong kind of vibes and I know that if I make it a public scene, he and his posse will try to spin it as me being crazy, or leading him on and playing hard to get, or even claiming I asked for it. That's a popular excuse."

Alice sighed quietly. Poor Bella. It's a shame that this is such a normal situation for women to end up in.

Rosalie's murderous thoughts increased tenfold. Jasper wasn't making an attempt to curb her issues though. He let her feel all of it because he probably understood that this was not something he should challenge Rosalie on.

I'm handling this, she declared, sending me a look daring me to say something. This will be my operation above all else.

I remained quiet. This is something I will not challenge her on. Not with how disgusting Clayton's thought process was. He deserved whatever horrors Rosalie managed to concoct in so little time.

Bella was still explaining herself. "Hell, they might just hit me with the Triple Whammy and use all of them to discredit my very valid concerns." She then pulled a one hundred dollar bill from her coat pocket and offered it to Jasper. "So… will you help me, please?"

He didn't move to take it, and Rosalie was the one who answered. "I'll handle it," she said firmly, arms crossed to prevent herself from crushing anything else. In that moment, Alice got a Vision of Rosalie's decision and was perfectly on board with the orders she was to be given.

"Um…"

"Alice will drive you home in the Volvo while the rest of us have a word with Birch."

The look of confusion on Bella's face was endearing.

"That's his name," explained Alice with a sad smile. "Clayton Birch. Son of Deacon Dayton Birch of Forks' only Baptist Church. I'll be outside the gymnasium waiting for you to take you home, okay, Bella?" Alice told her.

"Do you guys want the money… to handle the gas or something?"

We all snorted. We don't need any kind of money. Or any kind of payment for anything.

"No," Jasper told her, reaching out to lightly push her insistent hand away. My eye twitched at the thought of him physically touching her skin before me. What an odd think to fixate over. Why am I so bothered by that? "Use it to invest in some Mace. And a cellphone so you can contact someone in the event of an emergency." I don't want her to ever go through this again.

"You guys are the shit," Bella said with a grin. "I hope you know that. Would you like me to bake you some cookies or something specific?"

"No, that's okay," Emmett waved her off. "You don't have to pay us for anything. Clayton should know better and needs a firm reminder of proper etiquette toward his fellow man."

In his mind he was already thinking of ways to scare the living daylights out of Clayton. All without physical violence of course. We wouldn't want to disappoint Carlisle in any way.

Emmett sent me a look. You think Jazz can get a nice background check on the Birch family?

I nodded once. Yes, we can very easily get information if we need it. Rosalie wanted to scare him, Emmett wanted to ruin his reputation. They made a great couple. They were perfect for each other.

Bella bowed slightly, eyes lighter than they'd been all day. "Thanks, y'all. I feel so much better now."

She rejoined her friends, leaving us to plan.

"They're going to help me with a small stalker problem. Free of charge even!" she told Jessica excitedly.

"Stalker?!" Who's stalking Bella?

As Bella went on to explain the situation to her friends, in which she even got Lauren's support in the matter, Rosalie ordered us to let her do the talking when we cornered Birch after his Gym Class.

"Just stand around looking menacing," she told us. You're all much bigger than him, it should be easy to use your size to stall him. "He needs to learn a lesson."

"He will," Alice assured her. "Jessica and Lauren are already planning to ruin his reputation at school. It'll go over very well on their end. We just have to do our part. Jazz, Dayton Birch has been cheating on his wife and Clayton is being paid to stay silent about it. It would be a shame if his wife were to find proof of this."

He nodded and pulled out his cell phone, sending Jenks a text with specific instructions. Jenks would get the information easily and then Jasper would deliver it straight to Elizabeth Birch's place of work.

All the while, I couldn't help but feel a little bitter in a situation that didn't call for it.

It's just… she went to Jasper when she'd never even met him before.

Of course this line of thinking is selfish and makes the traumatic situation she went through about my issues, but feeling this way is new to me. I'm not sure how to not feel like this. How to not be jealous of my own brother because Bella Swan asked him for help instead of me.

I feel like a teenager for once.

I don't like it.

Somehow I managed to embarrass myself in front of Bella in Biology a few minutes later because I just had to ask why she chose him.

And what did she say?

"Jasper Hale holds himself like someone who went to boot camp. Or got a black belt is some form of martial arts."

Clever. Common sense used when searching for help. And yet here I am being overdramatic and offended for no valid reason.

I hate it here.

Watching Bella through Clayton Birch's eyes was revolting. He didn't see her as a person, which made his line of thinking appalling. She was just a means to make himself feel special. Even Mike Newton was capable of not being a creep when he thought about Bella. Mike, while annoying, was also innocent and didn't truly grasp his interest in any of the girls he flirted with. Mike was also an inexperienced virgin who just so happened to have commonly handsome features and just enough charisma that human girls found attractive.

Since Gym was a period where students had to change outfits and freshen up afterward, it wasn't strange that we all managed to make it to the gymnasium in time to catch the class while the majority of them were leaving.

Alice bounced in place, excited to get Bella alone even for just a moment. She'd already pickpocketed me for the keys to the Volvo. Don't be jealous, she told me. Maybe you'll get to drive her home someday soon.

I refused to even acknowledge her taunts. It wasn't the time for that.

Bella finally emerged from the double doors of the gym, hair even more frizzy than this morning, and shoulders sagging. Her face was red, her eyes were dead, and she looked weary down to the bone. She couldn't even seem to muster up a different expression when she noticed all of us standing there.

Alice quickly linked arms with her and began pulling her away. "Let's go, Bella!"

The poor human looked back for a moment, before nodding and letting herself be led.

Clayton Birch and his group had arrived. Emmett stood in the center with Jasper and I on either side of him. Rose was just a little bit ahead, obviously making herself the leader of our group. Her right foot tapped an agitated rhythm on the wooden floor, which was impressive since it was a five inch stiletto.

The human boys all froze in place when they noticed they were faced with four incredibly unhappy, unnaturally pale faces.

Rosalie's arms were folded so she wouldn't use her hands, but in their eyes the decision made her look terrifying. The anger on her face scared all of them. Jasper added onto that fear by amplifying it tenfold, hoping to get the point across. They associated Rosalie with fear.

"So I heard that you like to stalk girls home and then trap them into going places with you," Rose said tersely, thoughts running a mile a minute. "Sounds incredibly suspicious. Predatory even."

I could hear the confusion in the thoughts of the friends. None of them understood Rosalie's words. Stalking? Trapping? Predatory? Hadn't Bella called and asked Clayton to give her a ride to school just to lead him on? Wasn't she just a tease? Wasn't she just a… word I'd rather not use to refer to any woman ever.

I opened my mouth and explained what I learned to my siblings. The humans remained unaware with their subpar hearing leaving them oblivious to our minor interaction. Clayton had lied to his friends to get them on his side. Not surprising. I learned a lot of things in those scant seconds of time, and they made me even more angry.

Rosalie continued. "Did you not tell your friends how you blocked Bella Swan's truck in this morning so she'd have to accept your offer as her only chance to get to school? Did you not tell them how you tried getting into her house through both the front door and back door when she didn't come out at seven? Did you not tell your friends how you drove beside her as she ran to school, calling her all manner of slurs?"

Clayton's fear tripled and his confusion rose. How could Rosalie have known that? Bella didn't even know about the attempt at breaking and entering. It was a good thing I could read minds. I know a lot about what happened this morning. I know a lot about what happened all the other times too, and shared everything with my siblings in a low voice.

The group of friends all shared looks, unsure of what to do. They wanted to believe their leader but also didn't think Rosalie was lying. All of them knew what Clayton was like. It sounded plausible based on what they knew of him.

Rosalie took a threatening step closer, her shoes allowing her to tower over Clayton. "Did you also not tell your friends how you've pulled this with several other girls in this school? Did you not tell them about how you would force yourself on them and keep them locked in your vehicle so they couldn't leave? Did you not share with them the true details behind your supposed 'prowess'?"

Jasper increased the fear. Their hearts were pounding dangerously, just on the edge of too much. Pulses throbbing in their necks, Clayton's friends all took large steps away from him. Not necessarily able to escape since we were still blocking the way, but at least able to get some distance from their leader.

None of them knew about it, because that wasn't how their leader had framed it. Yet none of them questioned the veracity of Roalie's words. Maybe it was the fear they were spellbound by. Maybe it was common sense. I don't really know.

What I do know is that they enabled him. Even if they didn't know the depths of his actions, they still helped him to an extent. They were just as guilty as him, but by association. Perhaps this would teach them to pick better friends next time.

Roslie took another threatening step forward and grabbed Clayton's shirt in an unforgiving grip he couldn't have a hope in hell at breaking. With his face so close to her own, he was forced to acknowledge all the otherworldly things about vampires. The lack of pores. The almost black color of her eyes due to her rage. The strange way her face seemed set perfectly with not even the slightest twitch of a muscle.

Humans never looked too close on natural instinct. Most convinced themselves that they were jealous of our predatory beauty. In reality, it was a fear for their own safety. But seeing as we looked human enough and were obviously very polite when we actually interacted with people, obviously there was nothing to fear so the strange feeling must be something else.

Clayton Birch just got a full face of a vampire. In his eyes, Rosalie was the stuff of nightmares. She was making him relive one of his worst night terrors from when he was a child. Ironically, it was of a woman with a beautiful face, being a mass murderer of men. Her confidence and lack of empathy in his dream had scared him… which influenced how he treated the women around him.

How pathetic.

"You are going to stay away from women entirely," Rosalie said, tone hard and threatening. There was a slight growl at the end of every word. "Your life from now on is going to be miserable. I will personally make certain that you never have a moment of peace, if you dare challenge my word. I will know if your eyes even stray too far."

She shoved him back, just enough to make him fall over, but not enough to actually hurt him. Looking up at her, haloed by the dim lighting of the school hallway that managed to shadow her eyes eerily, he saw a real monster. Not something anyone would ever want to meet in a dark alley.

"This school will run you into the ground. And daddy's little fun he's having under your mother's nose won't be so secret either come the weekend."

Rosalie cast the same look at the friends. "Associating with him will be enough to ruin all of you as well. Congratulations on your stellar friendship skills." To push her point home even more, Jasper upped the fear level just enough to make Clayton pass out.

As one being, we all turned and strode away, leaving the human boys to pick up the pieces.

Outside, as we waited for Alice, Rosalie continued tapping her foot in agitation. "I wanted to do so much worse to them."

"Me too," I murmured, "but Carlisle would be disappointed."

The ever present need to impress Carlisle proved to be a problem in this one instance.

Alice returned two minutes later, grinning from ear to ear as she slid over to the passenger seat. "The fallout of this entire situation is going to be glorious. Jessica and Lauren started before lunch even ended, and by tomorrow morning, news will have spread to everyone and all the girls Clayton harmed, are going to report him to the police together."

I was hit by the scent long before I even managed to get into the Volvo. It wasn't just inside the car like I had expected… it was on the driver's side headrest. And the seat. And the steering wheel. And everything on my side of the car.

I could only imagine the look of betrayal on my face, but all Alice did was giggle. Get used to it, she sang mentally. It'll be something you'll be getting a lot of in the near future!

I love her but she drives me crazy.

The backlash that Alice promised, was swift and keen. Before we even got to our first classes of the day, the entire school was abuzz with the information. Everyone knew about what Clayton Birch had done to Bella. As a result, several other girls spoke of their experiences with him. Which spiraled from there.

For Bella, she seemed to notice it passingly. Like she had more important things to focus on than this. Though maybe that was just because she finally felt safe to go to and from her own house.

When listening in on her conversations with her friends, I found myself completely outside of the loop. I didn't know what Naruto was. I've never heard JPOP before. And Bella had a strange fixation on learning how to make sushi.

She and Mike Newton got into moral arguments over the aforementioned Naruto show.

Mike was of the 'good of the many' sort of belief. Bella believed the 'good of the one'. I don't know enough about the story they're talking about to give an opinion. See, context is everything.

In some tales, the good of the many is the most important thing, but not always. And even so, just because one focuses on the good of the many, doesn't mean they have to render the needs of the few worthless. There are ways to take care of both sides to avoid potential problems later on.

Hearing how adamant both Bella and Mike were about this topic in regards to 'Naruto Uzumaki' was fascinating. It also forced me to assuage my curiosity by just looking it up myself. I had internet access for a reason, it was time to use it.

I regretted that decision most of all. I don't understand a lot of words used in the synopsis.

"So what did Bella do today?" Emmett asked casually as if I hadn't lurked outside a teen girl's house for house, listening to her antics. He made it sound so normal, but I knew it was just weird. My curiosity was far too strong though.

After the Clayton situation, Rosalie told me that I was to remain outside of the Swan residence until personally invited in. And one invitation did not extend to any other time. She swore she would castrate me if I so much as thought of entering Bella's room without consent.

So no, I hadn't gone far enough to go inside or even peep in the window. Firstly, her curtains were black and thick. They kept the light out. Secondly, they were also decorated with bells. Not even I would manage to make no noise in that situation.

"She painted her room. It was white, and then she decided to dip her brushes in the paint and spin around madly, letting it fly everywhere. From what I saw when Charlie checked on her, it could put Jackson Pollock to shame."

Emmett snorted. "The girl who wears mostly black and brown clothing, painted her room in colors of the rainbow?"

"Yes."

Alice flopped down beside Emmett, her smile wide. "It's going to look so good! All the colors are so nice!"

"I figured you'd be appalled," I told her. "The lack of matching colors for example."

"The rainbow is a series of colors that occur naturally because of the existence of light in water droplets and how it refracts and disperses. Nothing could go better with a rainbow, than a rainbow."

At least she didn't go into a tangent on color theory.

"Now, the shade of purple of her bedding against the shade of purple on the wall, that is an actual issue," Alice went on to explain. "That is where I draw the line. The designs on the duvet don't match the overall theme she decided to go with."

She had a point. From what I could remember from Chief Swan's thoughts, the purple on the wall was very light, but the duvet was dark purple with even darker purple fleur-de-lis covering the bottom half of it. Though I do recall seeing a light blue shag rug rolled up on the side, and bright red paper lantern lights as well.

Bella was taking the rainbow décor seriously.

Alice started laughing suddenly, and I found myself focusing on her Vision. It was of Bella, and she was hanging a very familiar cotton candy air freshener above her bed like it was a dream catcher. I sighed. I still had no answers for that.

I'm not sure I want answers though.

"'It sounded like somebody else that was talkin' askin', "Mama, what do I do?" She said, "Just be nice to the gentlemen, Fancy. They'll be nice to you! Here's your one chance, Fancy don't let me down! Here's your one chance, Fancy don't let me dooooown!"'"

Bella got so lost in her head at times that she burst into song at the most random times. She'd start singing a song in the middle of a verse or the chorus and then never finished it. I've seen people with short attention spans before but this is new.

"'Cardi ain't poppin', no that's a machine! Nobody listen, they'd buyin' them streams! They even post it on blogs overseas! A lie in a language I can't even read. The fuck do this mean?!'"

Bella stopped - singing? rapping? I'm not really sure since she switched songs so fast - and pinched her own cheek. "I really need to stop that shit. My ass can't be trusted for anything, huh?"

I'm so lost.

As she moved about, making herself a salad like she always did, she continued to mumble to herself. "I'm dying. My playlist is too small in this place."

Bella eventually joined her friends, smile wide as always. "'Sup, hoes?"

Angela tittered in response.

Ah, yes, Bella had recently started using that term insisting that everyone was a 'hoe' for something. Jessica for shoes, Angela for books, Lauren for spoons, Mike for video games, Tyler for Twizzlers, Eric for quills, and so on. Even Bella was a 'hoe' as she called it. For common sense. She swore up and down that she was a 'hoe' for common sense.

Said it was attractive. Her friends got a kick out of it.

"Tyler is trying to figure out how to shove fifteen Twizzlers in his mouth at once," Mike explained, watching with fascination as said teen tried to stretch his mouth even further to fit the fifteenth Twizzler inside.

"Why?" Bella asked.

"Why not?" was Mike's reply.

That must have been a good enough answer because she nodded and began eating. To her left, Jessica was obsessively doing her Spanish homework ahead of time while trying to primly eat her soup on the side. Occasionally, her eyes would flick over to Bella, but for the most part she remained silent. Even her mind was intensely focused on her homework and barely took the time she usually did to remark upon how pretty she thought Bella was.

Angela sighed, attention focused on a boy across the cafeteria. "Isn't Matt Stevens so cute?"

As one entity, the other girls at the table all looked over as well. "Totally," Jessica said before turning back to her question on pronouns. Across from her, Mike looked blindsided, jealousy flaring instantly over the perceived interest in another boy for even a second.

Lauren didn't seem as impressed, sneering, "No. He's wearing makeup."

"What's wrong with that?" Bella murmured, eyes narrowing.

Lauren rolled her eyes. "I don't give a crap if a dude wears makeup, Swan. I care about whether he does it right, and his face is orange when the rest of him isn't. It's embarrassing to see the wrong foundation."

"It's not his fault that brands still aren't very inclusive of darker people of color. Finding something in his shade must be hell on Earth. Besides, his eyeliner looks pretty nice."

"Do you find him cute?" Lauren demanded, trying to prove some point she'd made up internally.

"No."

Before Lauren could feel satisfied at the answer she got, Bella went on to add, "He bleached his hair blond and it looks yellow. One, I'm not attracted to blonds. Two, while I can find men attractive, I tend to prefer women about 70% of the time. Three, I'm currently beguiled by Alice Cullen and I don't see it changing any time soon."

Her entire table was awash with varying opinions on that declaration.

Alice was amused and flattered, declaring, I love her!

"I can't really describe it but the Pop-Punk Pixie thing is doing it for me," Bella said with finality, returning to her salad.

Her words got a literal giggle out of the Pop-Punk Pixie vampire in question. Bella is the best! Her honesty is so refreshing!

It's strange that I'm feeling jealousy over something as simple as Bella Swan having preferences in her partners. I need to meditate or something because this sudden, personal exposure to teenhood is tiresome.

"Jenks ran the background check and all of Bella Swan's information is in this packet," Jasper said the moment he walked in the door. He'd gone out to meet his... informant well over three hours ago. At least he didn't come back empty-handed.

The packet was placed in my hands before I could even ask to see it. Jasper knew me so well. "No need to give it to Alice. She's already Seen the whole thing no doubt."

"Yep!" said pixie called from upstairs.

I retreated to my room so that I could go over it at my own pace.

Now, I am aware of how unnerving it is to do a background check on someone, but considering Bella Swan as a person and the fact that she was so observant but also so supernaturally silent, this one time I felt less guilty over it versus all the other times we've had to search a human's past for the sake of our own protection.

On the top left of the first page was a photograph of Bella. No doubt her driver's license photo as she looked emotionless and flat in it. The standard in DMVs all over the country or so I assume.

Name: Isabella Marie Swan
Nicknames: Bella, Bells, Marie
DOB: September 13th, 1987
Age: 17
Gender: Female
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 112lbs
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Brown
Skin: Pale
Ethnicity: 75% Caucasian(Italian, English), 25% Indigenous American(Quileute)
Blood Type: O Negative
Notable Features: Widow's peak, pointed chin, heart-shaped face
GPA: 4.0

School Records: Pg. 2
Medical Records: Pg. 3-4
Miscellaneous: Pg. 5-6

I immediately flipped to page three to see her medical history for myself.

[Medical]

The list of injuries started from oldest to newest. The list painted a terribly clumsy individual which didn't match up to what I knew of Bella. She was very confident and almost could be described as someone who swaggered everywhere.

1.) Bella fell down the stairs when she was three and had a concussion.

2.) Smashed her face off a table when she was four and had to get three stitches in her bottom lip.

3.) Was hit in the face with a baseball when she was six and thankfully only lost baby teeth from it.

4.) Drowned in a tide pool when she was seven and was rushed to the hospital when she wouldn't wake up.

5.) Tripped over her own feet and fell down the school stairwell when she was eight and broke her arm.

6.) Several times where she tripped into a dangerous situation where she ended up seeing the school nurse when she was nine.

7.) Ended up in the hospital when she was ten because she somehow walked into a metal door while someone had shoved it open and ended up breaking her nose.

8.) Thankfully the next injury happened three years later where she got a massive cut from a rusty pipe in a river she was swimming in. It left a scar on her left arm.

9.) Ended up with second degree burns on her right hand when she acted quickly to save a classmate during a Home Economics accident.

10.) At fifteen, Bella was was stabbed by a mugger and managed to get to a gas station to ask for help before she collapsed.

11.) When she was sixteen, Bella somehow managed to dislocate her shoulder in a car accident, have a terrible and unexpected allergic reaction to penicillin, and cut her thigh on a spring sticking out of her mattress. All of it had happened in the span of a school term.

The only exciting thing that has happened during her time as a seventeen year old was the crash she managed to avoid the worst of thanks to my assistance.

So as I stated before listing off the basics, this does not sound like Bella at all. This is some mixture of Bad Luck and Two Left Feet. The Bella I have been getting to know is so very different than the one this list of injuries describes.

The one very obvious thing though... the lack of H1N1 or a description of having to be quarantined. Jenks wouldn't miss things. Even something redacted. He had so many connections he could get any information if he wanted at any time with enough money.

Yet I don't think she lied. There's just something about how she holds herself and the way she steers clear of anyone with a cold and will double wash her hands whenever she heads to the bathroom with her friends. She had a small pocket-sized bottle of hand sanitizer on her at all times and used it several times a day even.

I don't understand this and it's frustrating. I can't just simply ask her about it. I can't take that chance right now.

This isn't the first time information about Bella doesn't align of course. For example: nothing states a fluency in anything but English, but I have heard her speak Spanish fluently with a perfect accent. Her time in Spanish was easy and Jessica was envious but also looked up to her for assistance all the time. She also proved that she could hold a conversation in Japanese if necessary with good pronunciation. I also saw her using ASL a couple times.

The curiosity is killing me! I have so many questions and I can't even get the answers I want.

A new, confusing addition to the puzzle that is Bella Swan, was added today.

Nothing interesting was supposed to happen. Everything had seemed like it would be just another Wednesday. Middle of the school week. Boring as usual. Nothing new to look forward to.

For the most part that is exactly how it went.

But then at lunch... Mike Newton was attempting to flirt with Bella and doing a poor job of it since she didn't seem to notice, or if she did, she didn't reciprocate. They were lingering near the salad bar as Bella followed her usual routine in making herself a salad.

Alice's head snapped forward suddenly with a Vision flashing before her eyes. Bella needs help so she doesn't smash her head off the linoleum.

I was out of my seat in the most acceptable pace I could manage, heading toward the salad bar.

Just as Alice Saw, Mike was struck with the need to sneeze and in that split second, he turned away from the salad bar, but ended up facing Bella instead. The debris that sprayed on her covered her face as well as the left shoulder of her cardigan.

There was an unnatural stillness in her body as she stopped breathing entirely. Frozen in place, Bella didn't seem to have any reaction to being sneezed on.

She is panicking, Jasper told me from where he was still seated at our family's table. She's going to pass out if she doesn't calm herself.

Too late. Bella's body tipped backward and I managed to reach her at an acceptable speed, quickly catching her around the waist before she could go all the way down. "Bella?"

Unresponsive. Nothing. Her eyes had become glassy and her heartbeat was going mad.

Mike was panicking since he didn't know what was wrong nor did he understand why what was happening was happening. I chose to ignore him as I carefully lowered Bella to the floor. "Is it the cardigan?" I asked her. "Do you want it gone?"

Before I could truly contemplate what it'd look like for a teen boy to remove a teen girl's cardigan in the middle of the school cafeteria, Alice appeared at my side, kneeling down to help. "I've got it." She quickly removed the article of clothing, moving it away from Bella and shoving it into my hands.

Brown eyes twitched, searching out Alice instantly. "Burn it!" Bella ordered, voice hoarse. "Until nothing is left."

"We could just wash it," Alice offered, a bit sad at the thought of ruining such a nice piece of clothing. She liked the make of it even though it was a Walmart brand.

Almost manic, Bella shook her head. "Fire is cleansing. Milan survived the Bubonic Plague because they burned down anything and everyone that showed any hint of sickness. Fire is the superior method of eradicating disease. History has proven this."

She is really messed up about this, Alice remarked. "Want to go wash off?"

"Yes!" was Bella's hoarse reply.

While Alice pulled her up with ease and proceeded to lead her from the room, ignoring all the curious stares of the students, I reluctantly turned to Mike to explain what was wrong. "Bella has a fear of getting sick. She's obsessed with being clean and safe. She was having a panic attack because you sneezed directly on her face."

I left him to his inner turmoil, taking Bella's cardigan with me. We can wash it at home or get it dry-cleaned if necessary. She wears it all the time. Surely she wouldn't want to get rid of it.

While waiting for Alice, I kept tabs on what they were up to, peeking every now and then. All Bella really did was dunk her entire head under a faucet and wash her hair with hand soap. All of it. She used up all five bottles in the first floor girls' bathroom. The left side of her face was bright red from how hard she'd scrubbed it raw and she didn't look any better despite her efforts.

Alice stayed with her the entire time, rubbing her back supportively and humming Disney songs to fill the space between them.

See, a reaction like this proves that she is terrified of getting sick. No one has a phobia like that for no reason. A bad experience is usually the cause. Now, maybe when she got pneumonia for the first time and the first treatment of penicillin ended up being something she is deathly allergic to, could have caused it. Maybe. There is a chance, but it's not a very big one.

She said she never wanted to be quarantined again. She knew was quarantining was like.

Everything is so confusing.

When Alice returned, it was almost time for the next class period. Bella had been talked down and cleaned off to the best of her ability. She also used her hand sanitizer three times since returning to her table and sent Mike doe-eyed looks of betrayal every ten seconds.

The fool stuttered out apologies but went ignored for the most part.

Jessica took the chance to try and brighten Bella's day by saying, "Alice Cullen came to help you. She touched you a lot. That's gotta count for something, right?"

"Yeah... if the situation itself hadn't been such shit. The woman of my dreams touched me and all I could do was panic over germs!" she wailed in a whisper, eyes glossy with tears.

Both Jessica and Angela patted her back consolingly. They both sympathized with her suffering.

"I hate life!" Bella said, laying her head on the table. "I didn't even get to make my salad. Five dollars wasted. My soul hurts! It weeps tears of Thousand Island dressing!"

While her dramatics were amusing, I was still caught up in the strangeness surrounding her particular situation.

And yet I felt even more drawn to Bella Swan than before.

The cardigan in my hands felt abnormally warm.

~.O.~

A/N: Another is done!

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Chapter Text

A/N: Hello, people!

I don't own Twilight.

I have no regular beta.

ENJOY!

CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON.

~.O.~

SIDE A

Yo. So…

I forgot about something that I wasn't reminded of until it was staring me in the face one morning during Spanish.

Jessica came to school with ten thousand butterfly clips in her hair. The mini, sparkly kind that only came in pink, blue, and purple. She had a lattice of braids on top of her head and every clip was holding pieces together so she wouldn't need ties. My anxiety over the chances of her bumping her head and undoing all that work, was through the roof that morning.

This was how I was reminded of the existence of those damn hair clips that were so popular in my early youth.

I hated those things! Or what about those bright purple and pink flowers clipped onto the end of your braids so when your head moved even an inch, you just heard the never-ending clacking of plastic? It had been too loud for me when growing up.

Even though the plastic was of good quality and seemed like it could weather any kind of conditions, I'd hated them.

Though when I thought about those… hairstyles, I associated them with children, so Jessica choosing to wear them was a bit… odd.

"I like butterflies and sparkles," was her only defense.

I don't really have anything to say in response if I'm being honest.

At least it wasn't like Lauren's obsession with dolphins.

'Sup bitch,

This endeavor is a way for me to put my thoughts in order in hopes of keeping
track of relevant information while also keeping the real me alive somewhere. I
am out here. I'm still me even if this body is not really mine. I won't fade away.

If my memory somehow slips at some point, this will contain the cold, hard facts
for me to at least know even if I can't personally remember them. Even if I don't
even have pictures or videos as proof. This is real for me.

My name is Bonita Reyes. I am 25, born September 11th 1995. I graduated from
Poughkeepsie Day School in the Town of Poughkeepsie, New York. Did not attend
university because I was too poor, didn't trust the idea of taking out loans, and in
general didn't feel that uni'd really help me at all since I have endless examples
of it failing all the people I look up to and them managing to make something of
themselves without college.

My occupation was that of a published author. I benefited from releasing books in
e-book format which helped me build an online fanbase loyal enough to help me
get to the real forms of money-making off of fiction. I was decently popular by 25,
with several Queer-themed stories under my belt. I have begun to re-write them
already. I have more time now and can plan accordingly as well.

In 2009, I contracted the Swine Flu outbreak(Influenza: Type A: Sub-Type H1N1)
and survived. It bred a very minor obsession with cleanliness and the need to be
healthy. Not in the physically fit sense, but in the, all my organs are functioning as
they should, and I should take care of them, sense. I remember obsessing over a
vitamin-rich diet from then on out. I took Airborne religiously every day.

However, that small obsession over being healthy grew into a phobia of diseases
in 2020, where the world was slammed with a global pandemic. I contracted the
Coronavirus in March and was hospitalized immediately. Quarantined away from
my mom and best friend and had to suffer all alone. My left arm eventually had
to be amputated and even when I recovered, I couldn't walk anymore and had to
do physical therapy to learn how to again. (I also couldn't smell anymore but that
was honestly not very important in the long run.)

This wouldn't have ever happened if the morons in my neighborhood had done as
they were supposed to and worn their fucking face masks. Unfortunately, certain
individuals who love the color red care for no one but themselves, so the rest of us
actually decent people have to suffer. Seeing your whole neighborhood ignore the
orders to mask up and stay inside, is so disheartening, especially as someone who
survived a pandemic already and whose immune system was permanently affected.

I died because of an idiot on the highway while coming back from physical therapy.
Bummer. I'm not sure what happened to my mom who was in the car with me, but
I am hoping she died too so she doesn't get slammed with all the bills and debt my
death and her hospitalization would incur. It's a grim line of thought and maybe it's
callous in a way, but it's the best ending I can think of for us. With us both dead, no
one is getting milked through bills and debt.

Now, idk why I've transmigrated into the Twilight Universe, but I am trying to look
at things in a positive light. I am healthy again. I get to experience all the things I
love again. I might end up dating a vampire, idk. I don't have the kind of obsession
Bella Swan did sooooo. Dude's hot but like, am I emotionally invested? Not yet. And
do I have to get with Edward Cullen? Not necessarily. I like him well enough but he
isn't the only option around.

Anything's possible is basically what I'm trying to say. Maybe it'll happen and maybe
it won't. IDK. IDC right now.

Just out here doing my own thing really. I have fucked with canon a shit ton and yet
a core event still happened. The car accident caused by Tyler, and me somehow still
ending up in the hospital and meeting Carlisle Cullen. Wtf?

Somehow, in my attempt to circumvent the entire thing, I ended up making it worse.
Several people were hospitalized in the process. Some haven't even been let out yet.
I feel a staggering amount of guilt over it and I hate it. I can't even tell anyone I am
at fault because to them there is no feasible way for it to be my fault and I can't say
anything about the future without looking like a loon.

I will take notes on any other core events that happen even while I bulldoze my way
through canon. As I try to avoid danger, will I consistently still end up in danger? And
will my actions end up putting others in harm's way as well? Do I have to see canon
through a specific way for the benefit of everyone, or no? Am I trapped in the frame
that is canon?

I have other things I want to do. I want to see Haiti. My mom's from there. Her entire
family history is from Haiti. I want to see her hometown myself. Actually, both of my
parents were from Haiti, just different parts of it, but mom's is most interesting.

Mom's ancestry stretches back to Spanish colonization and Sperm Donor's stretches
back to French colonization, when Spain gave it up basically. The name Reyes is not
native to Haiti in the least, you know. It came from somewhere unpleasant.

So yeah, besides the basic things, I do want to live a life that isn't controlled by the
constricting walls of a piece of fiction. I didn't die just to become a slave to the plot.

Hoping things stay pleasant for now,
Bonita(Bella).

Another good thing about being back in the past is that I can watch Avatar the Last Airbender in real time! It legit started airing in February of 2005 which means I get to experience it properly!

I didn't get into AtLA until right before the third season dropped. My mom bought the first two seasons and we binged them completely in preparation. I proceeded to re-watch over and over again so I could better understand what was going on.

The hype for Book 3 was real. And now I get to be a part of that from the jump!

Also I get to join forums and post 'theories' where I'm always fucking right! It'll be hilarious!

I'm such a troll.

The only downside is having to see The Great Divide ten thousand fucking times while waiting for new episodes to air.

I got a good look at the paper this morning. Charlie had left it out on the table, face up, when he usually takes it to work. Meaning; he's chosen to leave it behind where I would see it.

On the front was a photo of the typical, white American family. The teen son was Clayton Birch, asshole extraordinaire. I'm assuming the others were his family. Mom, dad, little sister, and a golden retriever.

Now, the best part about this... was the headline.

CHURCH DEACON IN CAHOOTS WITH POLICE SERGEANT TO HIDE MONEY LAUNDERING SCHEME

It was a long ass title. Didn't ink cost a lot of money? How could they afford such a long ass title on top of all the fucking words in the article? This is before online articles became a big thing.

The entire thing was just a fucking mess!

Basically:

Deacon Dayton Birch was cheating on his wife with the head of some big shot millionaire family in Seattle, who owned some massive business surrounding carpeting?

The family's shady business had dealings with police stations all across Washington. Certain cops were paid off to overlook and remove any reports made about their business. They were to inform the family head about the people reporting her business. Those people would go missing not long after.

Sergeant Howard Burnes was the associate stationed in Forks. He funneled information to Dayton Birch who passed it directly on to his lover. They worked very closely for years and had a system going to make things easier on themselves.

Dayton's son Clayton found out about the affair and essentially held him hostage with it, which got him added protection from Sergeant Burnes. If he was reported at any point, for anything, Burnes was to remove the evidence immediately. This way he could get away with basically anything.

So, the neighbor who reported him disturbing the peace that morning he stalked me to school, having additional proof, basically got this all steamrolling. Charlie took the proof to work and confronted Sergeant Burnes personally the next day. That same morning, several reports had come in about Clayton Birch's actions toward many teen girls in Forks High School. This opened an investigation involving many people.

Furthermore, Dayton Birch's wife was anonymously sent a package containing all the information about her husband's cheating ways and the connections involved, and she brought it all to the police station.

And it didn't end there.

It got so much worse!

Not only was Clayton going to jail alongside his father, but hundreds of cops all across Washington were awaiting trial for what they'd been implicated in.

Now, usually I wouldn't have faith that a cop would be held accountable for their actions, but these aren't cops. These are basically footmen for what I'm assuming is a mafia organization. There are records of accepting bribes and shit. Stuff that goes against the direct well-being of the police themselves.

Most law-breaking cops aren't harming their fellow cops, which is how they get off with a slap on the wrist for the worst of shit.

I actually have faith that this is going to go well. As it should.

Also... this never happened in Twilight. What about me being here made this a thing?

I know for a fact that after he saved Bella in Port Angeles, Edward enlists Carlisle's help to make those rapists suffer. There is no way canon-Edward would ignore something like this happening. And no offense, but something this big would make it to the papers. No matter how out of it Bella always was, there was no way she'd be able to avoid any mention of it.

So what the fuck?

The worst possible thing has happened to me while I'm in a body that isn't my own.

...Menstruation.

I legit forgot for a time, that menstruation was a thing that exists. It's bad enough that I have to shower in this body and take care of daily urges involving waste. But this is just...

This isn't mine. And being totally aware of Edward being a vampire and being able to smell it!

I fucking can't! I fucking cannot! I am mortified!

I hate everything about this. I'm gonna have to double up with a tampon and a pad and soak my clothes in perfume or something.

Wait- no. People who drench themselves in manufactured scents are always hiding something. It's common knowledge. People would get nosy as fuck if they thought the new girl was hiding something spicy.

Making eye contact with Edward in the coming days is going to be hell.

Fuck my second life. I never thought periods can get worse... At least Bella doesn't have PCOS so that's a positive for me this time around.

I just have to awkwardly sit in this body's menstrual matter and not think about how someone will definitely smell it no matter how hard I will try to keep it on the down-low.

The Iron Erhu and the Qilin

Cool name, right?

It was the title of my first ever novel. The story of a third generation Chinese American college student finding a very ancient instrument it a fancy box in her family's attic. What was unique about it, was the fact that it was incredibly old and had a lot of history to it, but it was not traditional.

An Erhu - often called a Chinese fiddle - was typically crafted with hardwood, but this one was made of solid iron. The two strings weren't made with silk or metal and instead were 'magically there' according to the young woman's description. SPOILER: No one else could see the strings at all, only the young woman could see the transparent blue strings. Finally, the bow was also made of metal instead of the traditional stick that would be used before horsetail bowstrings became a thing. The sound it created didn't really require much else in terms of design.

Maybe it'd be safer to say it was fashioned after a common erhu of ancient times, but it lacked most of the parts for one because it was capable of producing sound without all the other components.

As for the Qilin... it's a being of Chinese folklore and considered very important. Also, describing one is difficult because it supposedly has body parts attributed to many types of animals. At one point the Chinese discovered the existence of giraffes and thought they were Qilin, so I can't really explain it, sorry.

Basically, our main character finds this instrument and when she touches the strings, it talks.

Like full on conversations.

Oh, it's also inhabited by a spirit of an ancient being. Three guesses on what type of being and the first two don't count!

So anyway, the young woman meets this being who has slightly been aware for the past fourteen hundred years, but only enough to know that much time has passed and that 'the great energy in the soil has faded over time'. Dramatic, I know. It was my first book, sue me.

So basically, the protagonist has to free the spirit from the erhu by learning a very old song and then playing it properly on the iron erhu.

There's a lot more to it but that's the basics of the tale.

I am currently rewriting it, and because I know a lot more about Chinese mythology this time around, I can do it even better. I'll take the criticisms I'd gotten the first time around and actually work through those problems.

I can't begin to explain why I felt so inspired to write such a novel, especially since my culture is different, but it did decently in 2015 and I'm going to aim even higher this time around. I might even do a sequel since I had the barest bits of one plotted out already.

Writing is fun, what can I say?

It's fun to write fantasy stories that don't deal with typical western stuff, you know? Like it could be set in the west, but it doesn't follow western media. There's so much out there to draw inspiration from. Re-using the same western concepts over and over gets boring after a while.

The weeks seemed to pass by in Forks. Enough for me to realize that canon was right around the corner when Jessica called the house late one evening to ask for permission to ask Mike to the Sadie Hawkins Dance coming up in two weeks.

It was the first Thursday of March. March 3rd to be precise. I'd been in this world for a little over six weeks I guess.

Now, I've never given Mike that kind of attention, but I guess Jessica needs intense amounts of support in her endeavor to win his affections. Even though many haven't returned Mike's flirting, he still flirts a shit ton with other girls besides Jessica. Myself included. Unfortunately.

It's annoying on my end because I'm technically like ten years older than him, so that's a bit weird.

"Are you sure you don't mind if I ask him to the dance? You weren't planning to ask him, were you?" Jessica asked, sounding nervous.

"God, no," I said almost frantically. "I'm not interested in Mike at all and have done nothing that could be misconstrued as romantic interest. As for dances in general, I don't like them. I don't like crowded places that I can't avoid. I don't like the music usually played. I really don't like dancing in front of people. I also don't like just standing against a wall, suffering for a few hours just to fulfill some meager expectation of the teenager experience. Also, I don't know about here but many bigger cities make you pay to attend school dances, which makes them even less appealing than usual."

Jessica was blown away by my rant. Enough to be dead silent for fourteen seconds after I'd finished talking.

"You're the most outgoing introvert I've ever met," she settled on saying.

"You say such sweet words."

She sighed. I'm pretty sure I could hear an eye roll in there as well. It just made me want to cackle all the more!

"Even if you don't really like dances you can come and hang out with all of us. We could probably make it fun for you."

"I appreciate the thought, but I would honestly rather sleep than go to a dance."

It was her turn to sigh. "No one can say that I didn't try at least. Thanks, Bella!"

"Good luck. See you tomorrow."

And that was that.

Except… it wasn't.

I forgot the canon sequence of events for a moment.

Foolish of me.

School on Friday had a sort of ominous feel to it. The kind in which I could hear the knell of an old, iron bell in the distance, forewarning me of the problems to come.

And come they did.

Jessica was bummed all day. It took until lunch for me to realize just why. She hadn't tried sitting next to Mike. Had focused firmly on Angela, Lauren, and I. She wouldn't even look in his direction, which was severely out of character for her.

And on Mike's side, he was far less talented at pretending everything was alright. He was awkward all damn day, but still found it in himself to flirt with almost every girl he came across.

The giggles seemed to bring him out of his funk a little at a time. As if validating him in some way.

One thing I hadn't missed from my time as a teenager. The hormones and roiling emotions over every little thing. With no other life experiences, everything feels almost world-ending in a sense. Thank God I have more perspective than these poor kids.

The walk to Biology was filled with me trying to remember the exact sequence of events that occurred in the book. Mike shoots his shot, in front of Edward no less. Then Eric will be waiting at the truck. And then Tyler would take advantage of Edward's dick move by cornering Bella and then creating a fake narrative in his head that he'd be taking Bella to prom.

I'm gonna have to do some work to prevent all of that shit. I'm not in the mood to play those games.

Edward was already in class when we arrived. He looked as beautiful and tired as always. Also, judging by how he was angled slightly toward me despite still being as far away as the table would allow, I had a feeling that Mike's thoughts intrigued him very much and he wanted to witness my reaction since he can't read my thoughts.

Mike had planted his ass on our table in order to engage me in what had to be the most dreaded conversation of my second life.

"So," he began almost indifferently, "Jessica asked me to the spring dance."

"Oh, finally! Thank God!" I said enthusiastically, hoping to get across my lack of interest in the nicest way possible. "I hope you guys have fun."

Of course my pleasant response was not what he'd been looking for at all. "Well… I told her I'd have to think about it."

"The fuck? Why?"

I'm not as nice as Bella is. I also swear a lot. I tried to do this the kind way, let us not forget that.

"I was wondering if… you'd ask me to the dance."

Edward's head tilted just a bit that I was able to catch it in my peripheral vision. I wanted to smack him for being a nosy little shit who wasn't helping me!

"No. I'm not going to any dances, by myself or with anyone."

"We don't have to go to the dance if you don't want to dance. We can just hang out somewhere else."

I sighed. Here it comes. Lord, give me the strength I need for this shit.

"Okay Mike, since nobody else seems to want to have this discussion, I guess the job falls to me. I do not want to go to the dance. Not just because I don't like dances in general, but because I really don't like overly crowded places and I don't have faith in a town of four thousand people to have a decent taste in music. Dances are not fun to me. Crowded places are not fun to me. I'm not forcing myself to do something I don't like when I don't have to."

This was where I made certain that my level of eye contact was uncomfortable as fuck. I want him to be so unnerved by this conversation that it haunts him for years down the line. I want my blank ass face and monotone voice to appear in his dreams over and over.

Edward's interest also didn't escape my notice by the way. He had shifted closer, perhaps subconsciously, the moment I started ranting.

"Even if I were to force myself to suffer through a school dance or a different crowded place, it would not be with you," I said frankly, ignoring Mike's minor flinch. "I've given you no inclination that I'd want to date you. Many of us haven't actually, but you persist with the flirting and possessive behavior, and that's a problem. Jessica is the one who likes you very much, but she feels that she's in this nonexistent competition with all the other girls in the school, in order to get your attention. It's really wearing her down."

It really fucking was. She was too good to spend her teenage days angsting over something like this. There were more important things for her to sacrifice her mental wellness over.

"Most of us do not want to date you, but Jessica very much wants to be with you. The problem is that you get all possessive over girls you aren't dating, because they get male attention from someone else. You have no business being all possessive and annoyed when the girls you flirt with get flirted with by other people, when you're just a friend. That position in our lives doesn't mean you can choose who each girl gets to flirt with. That would be effed up. We aren't possessions to own. We are not toys that exist just to stroke your fragile ego.

"It's especially effed up since from an outside perspective, you are leading Jessica on. You flirt with her more than anyone, but not enough for it to mean much. She feels like she has your favor above everyone else, but is also jumping through hoops to keep it because you still flirt with all the girls you lay eyes on. This isn't fair to all the girls you've personally involved in this situation by giving them your attention. Please, do us all a favor, and dig deep into your soul and decide what it is that you want. This whole thing is stressful for everyone who has to witness it, and I don't like seeing Jessica worry so much."

It was stressing me out just thinking about it.

"I am your friend. I like to debate Naruto topics with you, team up with you in Gym, and beat you down in snowball fights. That is it. That is all it'll be. Please desist with the flirting on my end at the very least. I don't like it."

Only after I had finished talking, did I realize that the room was dead quiet.

Apparently, my voice carried just enough to people to begin listening in, and the entire room had heard at least the last paragraph of that whole rant. Which is still a considerable amount of words to overhear.

Mr. Banner was standing at the front of the room, leaning slightly against his desk with his arms crossed, watching our table. He'd heard it.

God dammit.

"As enlightening as this information is," the man said flatly, "I'd like to get to class now. Mr. Newton, remove yourself from Ms. Swan's table and take your seat."

Mike did so, head bowed in mortification as he made the walk of shame to his side of the aisle.

Mr. Banner looked the room over. "And for the record, I would be very disappointed if I found out anyone pressured someone into a date even when the offer has already been refused."

Damn.

Through it all Edward stared at me openly, as if I'd just done something amazing.

He spent the whole class period staring at me even when I looked away to focus on my schoolwork.

I do wonder what was going through his head at the time.

Mike obviously took my words seriously since he apologized in the middle of the hall outside the gymnasium and asked if I still felt comfortable partnering with him during class.

"Yeah. You're still my friend. I just want you to be the best you that you can be, and you can be so much better than this by a long shot, bro."

He also promised to accept Jessica's offer, and apologize to her as well.

See, change is possible. Mike has his annoying tendencies, but hopefully many of them have been nipped in the bud as of now. If Bella had given him the stern talking to in the books, would it have solved a lot of problems?

I don't know.

I wonder if this'll actually change anything.

The ease of how Gym went by, considering all the problems that could have arisen after the talk with Mike that kind of ended up embarrassing him in front of his peers, was shocking. But I was relieved by it since things weren't awkward. I felt lighter in a sense.

Unfortunately, the drama appeared again when I walked out to the parking lot and found Eric sitting on the hood of my truck. I'm not as nice as Bella was, but I don't wanna hurt people's feelings unjustly. Still, you'd think that word of what had happened in Biology would have spread by now since it's been 2 class periods.

I pretty much destroyed any chance of Mike remaining interested in me too, and Eric was in the class with us, so I don't know why he would even attempt this when I literally said that I don't want to go to the dance. What is the thought process involved in this?

But anyway, Eric was there and ready, and I just wanted to go to bed.

With a sigh, I walked up to him and spoke before he could get a word out. "Eric I know you were there in Biology when I gave Mike that stern talking to, and I don't know if you heard the whole thing so I guess I'm gonna have to reiterate that I'm not going to the Spring Fling. I'm not going to any dance at all in fact. And no offense, but I also don't want to go out on a date with you."

Eric gaped as I just blatantly came out with the facts.

"I don't want to hurt your feelings, but this is where I stand. I can see Tyler is also gearing up to approach me over the dance too and I'm not the fountain of patience I usually am at the moment," I said, gesturing to the side where Tyler was staring at us from his van that Edward had paid to have fixed if the rumors are correct.

"Damn," Eric murmured. "I had hoped you just weren't interested in Mike and that the rest of us might still have a shot."

"Sorry, bro. The only person I'm genuinely interested in right now is Alice Cullen and she's obviously in a committed relationship with Jasper Hale."

He snorted.

"And by 'rest of us' exactly who do you mean? I'm pretty sure I only talk to like ten people here. There is no way anyone else is interested, right? I'm not interesting. I'm a dime a dozen, I swear to God." Even Lauren is more interesting than I am. And definitely hot as hell too, whether I like it or not. If her hair was any other color I would be attracted, sadly.

Eric rolled his eyes. "You want honesty?"

"Yeah. Don't lay it on thick, just spit it out."

"Right. Jess, Ange, and Lauren are much prettier than you."

"True," I agreed. They very much were.

"But you're more confident than them, so you hold yourself differently. And you react weird to things that happen day to day. Also, you're still pretty new and you're very obviously from a big city because how you think and act are very progressive compared to a small town like this. So it's like a mix of novelty and the fact that you're so unafraid to be yourself."

...That was it? Really?

"Honestly," I said with a grimace, "I don't see the appeal, but okay."

He shrugged. "It's hard to explain. You're like one of the guys but also not. It's nice."

I really don't get it... 'One of the guys' omg wtf?

"Well… I would like to go before Tyler actually manages to corner me. Perhaps you can spread the word that I don't want to go to the dance or go out on dates, because you're nice and a good buddy?" I said with a cheerful, fake ass grin.

Eric laughed. "I got your back. Get going."

"Thanks, dude!"

Maybe I should bake him some cookies in gratitude.

Charlie seemed kind of bummed that I didn't want to go to the dance.

I shrugged at his concern and said, "Some parts of the teen experience aren't interesting, chief. I don't want to drink, smoke, sneak out, skip school, or go to dances. It's not as uncommon as it seems. A lot of people don't want to do any of those things."

"Well, I thought since you seemed to be so much more sure of yourself now, that maybe you'd changed your mind."

"Dad, I'm an introvert. It's not embarrassment over being a so-so dancer or whatever. I dance decently if I really try, otherwise I never would have bothered to suffer through those classes as a kid. I simply don't like crowded places. I feel like my energy is zapped out of me when too many people enter my line of vision. I will become short with people and I will become nasty out of frustration, so I remove myself from the situation to solve this issue I haven't managed to work through."

It was true. That was how I felt. There was also a minor issue of wondering if people were talking about me behind my back while I was out in public, and if that might ruin my life at some point if they start talking. But I've gotten to a point where I kind of don't care. If I don't think about it too much. Usually it can be ignored for the most part.

Though if I do focus on it too much I will spiral.

Charlie frowned, his mustache looking adorable in the process, which is hilarious since I don't like facial hair at all.

"Have you always felt like that?"

"Yeah." I have in fact. Not so sure about Bella but considering how concerned she was over getting attention from strangers, she most likely had social anxiety. Terribly.

"It makes a lot of things make sense now that I think about them in a new light," he confessed, still looking concerned.

"It's fine," I assured him. "I've gotten used to it by now." I know how to handle it at least. So maybe not exactly fine but it's manageable now.

At school the next day, I found myself faced with Edward Cullen.

When I tell you that I parked on the opposite side of the lot, away from his new Volvo, I mean it. His ass appearing so close to me from so far away is hella sus. He really needs to learn how to human properly because at some point, especially in the upcoming technological boom, he's gonna get his whole family caught.

Not a Slytherin bone in his body istg.

"Okay, Flash, you need to fucking cool your jets or something," I told him as I shut the truck door and hauled my bag over my shoulder.

I didn't give some half-assed Seattle excuse to get out of going to the dance. Though I do think it'd be good to go there at least once in the near future. I didn't get into a stare down with Eddie where he tells me it's best that we aren't friends. This did not happen the way it did in the book, so what the fuck?

If I remember correctly, after their argument, Bella stews in her issues all evening, comes to the conclusion that he realized she liked him too much and was letting her down easy over it, and then dreamed about him. In that dream, she said his name. In reality, he'd been watching her sleep and heard her say his name which helped him make up his mind about the whole avoiding her for her own good thing. He fell in love at that moment I think?

My windows stay closed. My curtains stay drawn. And my ass did sew small bells to the trim of the curtains as well. He ain't getting into my room without causing a big ruckus. So what the fuck? I don't dream about him as far as I'm aware. Even if he's lingering outside at night, there's not much interesting going on, I promise.

"Flash?" Edward asked, looking a bit confused.

"You don't know your DC superheroes?" I asked in return, a bit mortified by this potential crisis.

"I'm not much interested in comics, but I do understand that reference."

I almost made a Captain America joke, but refrained. The MCU isn't a thing right now. It would fly over his head even more than it normally would.

"Well, your speedy ass appears out of thin air which is a bit suspicious. I know for a fact you weren't over here when I pulled into the lot. You were standing with your family, glaring at Rosalie for whatever reason you two seem to be at each other's throats recently. It took only a few seconds to park since I parked toward the mouth of the lot. As someone who pays attention to what's going on around me, I form a lot of opinions and assumptions based on what I see. You're lucky I'm not in the habit of sharing my fantastical thoughts with people. If they start paying more attention they'll notice you're not normal-normal."

The panic that crossed Edward's face was kind of funny, but he really needs the warning. He and his family have been caught out to an extent. Since I used a superhero reference, they probably think I don't know about the vampirism thing, but they're now aware that I am aware that they aren't normal humans.

Good.

"'Normal-normal'?" Edward repeatedly, trying to come across as nonchalant, even though his confusion was real.

"Yeah. The whole filthy rich family of the town thing is pretty common. Privilege seeping out of every pore and kind of oblivious to real-world issues. Normal stereotype to be honest. Nothing special there. It's a beloved fictional trope even.

"It's the golden eyes the same exact color one day, and black eyes the next. Even if it's contacts, they're not quite so advanced that they'll show the exact same shade of gold or black on all of you, especially when only some of you are supposedly related. It's also the speed, durability, and hearing. You gave those away a lot already. And I don't know if you want to hear this, but your ass doesn't breathe ever. Now, maybe you take small breaths quickly so your chest and shoulders don't move, I don't know, but you crossed the whole parking lot in like a second and you're a fucking statue right now. Be glad only I seem to be the one paying this much attention."

I proceeded toward the school building, ignoring his panicked mortification in the process.

Let him stew on that. Since he's apparently still interested for some reason, I'll give him something to actually be interested in.

A human whose thoughts he can't read for context, becoming aware that he's supernatural in some capacity. It ought to properly freak him out. And yes, I know that I'm playing a dangerous game with a coven of vampires, but I can't help it.

Since I have a feeling the lunch thing is going to happen like in canon, despite there being no animosity or drama between Edward and I, I have a feeling the core scenes have to happen no matter what. I'm going to end up being around him a lot in the future no doubt, so let's just get this over with more easily.

Edward finally caught up with me by the time I reached the doors, in time to hold one open for me. He looked as stiff as always. "Your observational skills slightly terrify me, I'll admit."

"Yeah. They terrify me too, and I regret them half the time. Like right now as Tyler looks like a man on a mission," I noted, seeing him coming very much in my direction.

"Oh, he is!" Edward grinned, attitude flipping instantly.

My eyes narrowed. "You suck are pretending to be normal. How you got away with it this long I have no idea." I do but I'm not telling him that.

Tyler stopped in front of me seconds later looking very much like he wanted to pop the question. The sweat gathered on his brow showed how stressed he was over missing out on asking me yesterday.

I held up a hand to stop him. "If this has anything to do with dances or dates, the answer is no and I'm not interested in hearing about it."

He sighed loudly. "That's what everyone's saying."

"Then why bother?"

"Doesn't hurt to try, right?"

"You like Lauren. Why won't you just ask her out already? Like I told Mike yesterday, the flirting with every other girl in the school isn't helping you at all and puts unnecessary stress on the rest of us who don't want to be involved."

The panic on Tyler's face was amusing. "How did you know I like Lauren?"

My face blanked and I stared at him. "Dude, while you may flirt with all the girls, you flirt with her more than anyone and on top of that, you try hard as hell to get validation from her over your hobbies. You do that with literally no other girl. You also sit next to her as often as possible and actually listen to her when she talks about music you don't give a damn about."

I read his ass like a book and exposed him basically. My observational skills are coming in clutch as usual.

He looked blindsided. A lot of people aren't aware of the things they sometimes do that set them apart. He probably didn't realize what his body language around Lauren told others.

"...I guess I'll go ask Lauren to the dance then."

"You do that. Good luck."

All the while Edward stared at me like I was a magician. "Your way with words is astonishing."

"It's that, 'do no harm, take no shit' kind of vibe I give off."

We ended up outside my English Class, where Edward smiled a fucking ridiculously hot smile and said, "See you at lunch."

To be an ass, I didn't enter the room, forcing him to walk at normal speed until he turned the corner and was out of sight.

I wasn't even seated before Jessica was up my ass.

"What did Edward Cullen want?"

And that was when I had to think it over. "No idea," I confessed, shocked when I realized that it was the truth. Without the Seattle excuse to fuel him, what did he come over to talk about? I can't even begin to guess!

Her expression showed that she didn't believe me.

"I'm being serious, I promise. He came over and I ended up monopolizing the conversation to the point that he barely talked at all. In fact, he came up to me and I still don't know why because I basically bulldozed him."

She sighed at the lack of juicy deets.

"If it makes you feel better, he specifically stated he'd see me at lunch. He'll probably bring up whatever was on his mind, then."

Jessica seemed pleased and left it at that.

Am I going to end up sitting with Edward today? Probably.

Will I be getting myself a big ass salad and eating it in front of him? Definitely.

After the whole him smelling me menstruating thing, I don't care if he sees and hears me eat. Nothing will be worse that him knowing that I bleed from between the legs.

Classes went by super slow. I didn't realize I was looking forward to lunch that much until the bell rang actually.

Damn pretty boy and his pretty boy face.

The relief I felt when the bell rang. Oh, boy! Food. I love eating. It's a weakness of mine.

Jessica and I walked to lunch together with me quietly singing because I like to. Bella's voice was decent and not pitchy thankfully, so I wasn't really self-conscious about this. Jessica had sent me an odd look since it was Japanese and not English, but she said nothing as I serenaded her with some good, Japanese music. Exposure to other things was healthy.

"Stay with me! Mayonaka no doa o tataki! Kaeranaide to naita. Ano kisetsu ga ima me no mae. Stay with me! Kuchiguse wo ii nagara. Futari no toki wo daite. Mada wasurezu. Daiji ni shite ita."

I even boldly took her by the hand and spun her a few times as we walked. It had been a hot minute since I danced like this and it was fun especially with the gaping looks of complete strangers in the hallway.

"Doesn't want to go to a dance or dance in front of strangers but dances like this for fun… in the middle of the school hallway," Jessica muttered through another spin as I repeated the chorus again. She has a point... I'm a hypocrite. But I'm also not feeling self-conscious right now so that could also factor into it.

If this was a bad day things would probably be different right now.

"Stay with me! Mayonaka no doa o tataki! Kaeranaide to naita. Ano kisetsu ga ima me no mae. Stay with me! Kuchiguse wo ii nagara. Futari no toki wo daite. Mada wasurezu. Daiji ni shite ita."

Jessica put up with me twirling her around right until we got into the lunch line.

"Okay, I need food now, so you have to dance by yourself," she said, extricating herself from my hold and patting her blushing cheeks.

"No problem," I said, still humming and swaying back and forth as I bought a large salad bowl.

By the time I reached the table, I had finished the entire song. Making a salad takes careful consideration. I wanted specific things and they had to be mixed in a specific way. I also want the dressing to touch every part of the salad, not just the top. I will get my money's worth. I don't care, I don't care. Leave me alone.

Angela was smiling at me, looking like the sweet bean that she is. "You have a nice singing voice."

"Arigato!" I said, shoving a forkful of spinach into my mouth. I love spinach. Wish they had croutons too. They'd complete the whole meal. I could croutons homemade and bring a baggy of them. Food for thought. I'll need a new jar of Italian Herb Seasoning though.

Jessica chose that moment to jab me in the side with her bony ass elbow, making me choke unattractively on my food. "Edward Cullen is staring at you."

I cleared my throat several times. "Yare yare!" I said, dedicated to the Japanese mood I was in. "I hope he was getting a good view of me masticating."

"What?"

Angela snorted. "Chewing," she clarified.

This didn't stop Jessica from practically vibrating with excitement. She was bouncing up and down in her seat. "Go and see what he wants. You said he wanted to talk, so go talk."

"I wanna eat."

"Eat with him!"

"You suck."

However, I did as told and collected my bag and bowl, and trudged on over to where Edward was indeed sitting, all alone in the center of the cafeteria. He looked amused as I plopped down and began stuffing my face anew.

"This better be good, Eddie Boy," I said. "I was chillin'. Just hangin' with my friends and making Jessica question her sexuality for like the fourth time since we met. It was all going so well and then your dramatic ass has to go and do this. Is all the attention worth it?"

He stared me down, smile frozen in place.

Edward is the biggest drama queen in the Twilight books, I swear to God. He also does not think things through very well.

"You never do what I expect. It's very frustrating not knowing how to read you, you know," he said all mysteriously, eyes intense as he fiddled with a bottle of lemonade he'd brought. Technically he'd brought a whole ass tray of food. Like usual.

"That is how everyone feels. Get with it, dude."

My eyes latched onto his pretty fingers, memorizing how they curled around that drink. A drink he'd probably throw out after this.

My very soul was hurting at the thought.

"Are you gonna throw that whole tray out like you usually do?" I finally asked, unable to keep my mouth shut over this. I'm just not the kind of person to stay quiet for long.

Edward frowned and looked down at his full tray of snacks and shit. A bag of chips, a brownie, an apple, a slice of pizza, and then the lemonade. "I'm not hungry." A normal response for a normal person… of which he was not.

I sighed, and pushed my bowl away so I could gather my thoughts and my patience. Yelling would not help anyone. It rarely made situations better.

"Alright, apparently I have to say this since no one else is paying attention and therefore won't register the issue. You're being wasteful and it's annoying as fuck," I said frankly. It was something I've noted not just in the books, but in person now.

The look of shock on Edward's face told me that he didn't understand where I was coming from.

"Do you know that despite being a first world country, the US has a homelessness problem ten miles wide? That there are people in this country who cannot afford anything? They sleep under bridges. They dumpster dive for moldy food. They have to ask for spare change just to survive in a country that is formed so the poor stay poor and can never move up in life."

By now I had crossed my hands so I could rest my chin on them. I knew his family was listening in, and they damn well should. They needed to hear this shit.

"When I see your whole family spend almost $80 a day on food you just throw out and don't touch, I die a little more inside. There are restaurants who have thousands of dollars worth of food left over at the end of the day, and they legally have to throw it out. They can't donate it. If the workers take it home and are found out, they're in legal trouble. And if they decide to donate it personally without it being connected to their place of business, that can get them in even worse legal trouble if they're found out. But your privileged asses would rather waste something children are going without in this country, because you want to appear normal. People fast. People skip lunch to do homework. You don't even have to come to the cafeteria during lunch, you could go elsewhere in the school."

The way Edward was staring at me… oh boy.

"I can tell by the look on your face that you obviously don't intend to come across as a bunch of privileged twats who don't care about others, but that's kind of what it looks like. And I'm not expecting you to donate millions or volunteer at shelters in your free time. I would just like it if you have some sense of awareness of the struggles of others and what it looks like to waste $80 worth of food every single day in the eyes of the underprivileged.

"Objectively, I can tell that I'm three bad months away from being homeless. I'm closer to homelessness than I am to seeing a million dollars in my lifetime. That's not good. I'm so painfully aware of my position in life that I have to be prepared for the worst of the worst. So while it seems like I don't live in a situation where I should care about these things, the facts say otherwise. Also… common fucking decency should make anyone care."

Did I just call out the Cullens and their wasteful asses? Yes. I remember reading Twilight for the first time and wondering what the hell they did with all the food they didn't eat. The realization pissed me off so damn much that I wanted to strangle something.

Finally, after however long it took for him to get through his thoughts, he confessed, "I never looked at it like that before."

I snorted. No shit. He doesn't need to eat and even if he goes without blood he would never starve to death.

"None of us have ever intended to be rude."

Yeah. I wonder what his siblings were saying to him right now.

I finished my salad while Edward was busy mentally going through whatever his family was throwing at him. I love being a troll, but this needed to be said. It's not troll behavior to hold people accountable for the shit things they do and say.

Esme goes shopping in town every week in order to appear normal. Where is all that unused food going? How can they not see how fucked up that is? Hell, they could just leave it and let Forks residents who actually need it, buy it. Were there people going without in this town all because the Cullens wasted hundreds on food every week?

It bothers me a lot.

The bell rang then, telling me that I monopolized the conversation again. Damn, I'm skilled.

As expected, Edward didn't stand up with me.

"I won't be going to class," he said. "I feel like skipping today."

"You're a goody two-shoes who wouldn't skip for no reason, so it must be a good one. What is said reason?" Basically, I wanted to know what he'd come up with. I'm nosy like that.

Edward sighed. "They're blood-typing in Biology."

Oh yeah, that was today in canon...

...

...

Oh no, that's today in this canon.

I could feel the nerves set in as my stomach flipped. "As in we're getting jabbed with needles?" Just for clarification that it is indeed that day. That I am about to walk to my doom on this, the day of the canon bullshit.

"Most likely, yes."

"Oh no." I've never wanted to skip class before, holy shit. I feel cold. I feel... not right.

Edward smirked. "Afraid of blood, Bella?"

"No, needles."

"Needles?" he repeated, looking baffled and disbelieving.

"Don't mock me. Several times have I had a massive needle shoved into my fucking pelvis so the doctors could extract my bone marrow and do tests on it. I bled too much and got an infection from it. Needles cause a lot of pain for something generally so small and I dread ever having to deal with them."

And the sanitary concerns... In a fuck high school Biology class that surely wouldn't be up to date on cleanliness protocols!

I don't feel well at all. I gotta face the music too, huh?

"I apologize. I didn't mean to be rude," Edward murmured, looking contrite.

I huffed, too worried to be truly annoyed. "See you."

I'm going to die. I am walking to my death as we speak. Fuck my second life.

If I get an infection somehow I'm going to scream! What is the state of Bella's immune system?

SIDE B

In the weeks that passed, I made it my life's mission to avoid Bella Swan as much as I could. Firstly, because I was still overly attracted to her blood, and secondly, my curiosity was going to put both of us in danger at some point. I'm hoping that if I stay away from her, I can completely stop that from happening. It would be the ultimate show of fortitude on my part.

The problem is that she is so terribly interesting and so new compared to the monotony my life has been these past hundred years that I want to know more. It's always more and more and more and there's never enough information to have. I think it's because I can't read her mind to find the answers I want so I'm stuck having to do it the normal way like everyone else.

My family all had different opinions on my obsession with Bella Swan. Alice was the most understanding out of everybody since she could see Bella's future and got to see what she got up to basically all the time. Alice found Bella as equally interesting as I did. She even encouraged me to speak to her and was waiting for the day they 'could be best friends'.

Rosalie didn't really care that much about Bella anymore and only paid attention when I was staring too openly. Usually she'd kick me in the shin to make me stop. Call me an idiot in her head to get the point across even more. The usual sibling kind of thing.

Jasper and Emmett got a kick out of my need to sit outside her house almost every day. I was mocked a lot for it. The ribbing never seemed to cease actually.

Esme just wanted me to do whatever I could in order to stay home. She had been devastated during my week away and did not want a repeat of that. So as long as I did my best so that I and the whole family could stay in Forks longer, she had no problems.

Carlisle, as usual, was very open-minded about everything and gave his support.

I'd love to be able to say that I succeeded in my self-imposed mission and that I never focused on Bella Swan ever again. Unfortunately, I am actually very weak of will and was unable to do that. Every single day at lunch and then in Biology I would just find myself honing in on her and wondering what was going on inside her head.

Did she realize how many people flirted with her? Did she understand what the covert looks meant? Did she want to date anyone in Forks? Would she be receptive to anyone's individual attention? What was her type and would she react if someone who was her type, actually approached her with romantic intentions?

Bella did not talk about boys or dating with her friends. She listened as Jessica went on about her hopes and dreams, but never really shared any of her own. She offered words of encouragement and advice whenever it seemed necessary. Maybe I'm looking into it too much, but it feels less like Bella is a fellow teenager, and more like she's a mom to them. Like she has experience in these things despite being only seventeen.

Her reactions and suggestions feel too mature. While she seems to really like Japanese comic books, video games, and pop music, she still doesn't feel like a teenager. It's odd. It's like there's something I'm missing and I don't know what it is.

My frustration has gotten so bad that I've even asked Alice to keep closer tabs on Bella's future just so we could potentially see something to explain all of this. I don't actually have a hope that she will see anything useful but it's good to cover all of our bases. Knowing that Alice is keeping an eye out at least calms my nerves a bit.

As for any further observations on Bella Swan as a person, I have learned much and yet nothing at the same time.

Bella is legitimately interested in only Alice out of everyone in the school. About three hundred teenagers and the one person she's interested in is a vampire in a committed relationship of several decades, who also happens to be a woman. The way people decided to handle that information was very interesting.

Jessica was jealous. Just a little bit. She still greatly preferred Mike Newton over everyone else she had a crush on but she was still slightly jealous that Bella had been so open about preferring Alice but no other girls. Even though she didn't know Alice at all unlike how well she'd gotten to know Jessica. Alice also had very common features and coloring and as a fellow brunette, Jessica wondered what exactly it was about her that was more appealing when they were both short, bubbly brunettes who loved fashion and makeup. In her mind the differences were few and far between and she couldn't really reconcile Bella's interest.

Mike had deliberately chosen to interpret Bella's words as a preference for Alice as a friend. He didn't like the thought of not possibly having a chance with Bella so he convinced himself that Bella just wanted a good friend. The metal gymnastics he went through in order to come to this conclusion were concerning.

Both Eric and Tyler weren't quite as staunchly dedicated to the potential surrounding Bella being single. Both would very much like to date her but were a lot more clear-headed when it came to her preferences and also had preferences of their own. Basically both have no problem acknowledging that Bella seemed to also be interested in women and that they might end up losing their chance to a girl.

Angela Weber just wanted Bella to be happy. As usual she was sweet and kind and considerate to everyone involved. When Bella announced that she might slightly fancy Alice, Angela had placed a hand on her arm and apologized. She had been genuinely sad that Bella would not actually get a chance to date Alice since it was obvious that Alice and Jasper's worlds revolved around each other.

Very sweet, as I've stated before.

As for Alice's opinion on Bella's interest, she found it flattering and amusing.

She's a trip, Alice continued to insist. I can't wait until we get to hang out!

Of course that made me even less inclined toward speaking to Bella Swan. I don't know why Alice keeps insisting that they're going to be best friends forever and that Bella is 'going to be one of us'. I refuse to let that happen. There are so few benefits to this way of life and Bella deserves better.

Bella's future is like a massive knot, where many strings have combined together to make a mess. There are the strings leading into the knot, so no matter what happens, the knot will always happen. When the knot is reached, thousands of strings stretch onward in every potential micro-future available to her.

Alice has Seen many futures where Bella is a vampire and a member of our family. But she's also seen many where Bella is still human and living happily. In some she ends up with Mike, or Eric, or Jessica, or even Lauren surprisingly. Regardless of the knot's existence, I can do everything in my power to make certain the future she ends up with, is a human one.

I have to.

"If you could be a vampire or a werewolf, which would you be?" Mike Newton asked his friends today during lunch. The question had brought up many answers. Tyler even mentioned he'd rather be an Incubus and then gave Lauren a suggestive smile. Lauren replied by saying she'd like to be a Siren so she could lure men to their watery graves and then sing eerie songs as they drown.

Such a comment had Bella in stitches and Tyler tried to hide how unnerved he was with a wink and a smile. Inside though... he was terrified.

As usual, I was most interested in Bella's response though, simply because I wanted to see how she'd reason her choice out.

"I'd be a vampire obviously," was her answer.

"No way, werewolves are way cooler," Mike insisted with a frown. Like me, he'd valued her opinion more than most and had hoped she'd naturally take his side.

"Nah. None of the versions popularized throughout folklore and fiction sound appealing in any way. In Underworld they suck. In Harry Potter they suck. In several other fictional worlds they suck. Also, I don't like dogs very much and the thought of being somewhat like one for one night out of every month disgusts me."

Mike gaped in offense, trying to come up with some kind of comment.

"Also," said Bella, apparently not done yet, "they're limited as hell. They might be a supernatural being but they have no abilities outside the whole turning into a dog/man hybrid thing for a few hours, once a month. And that turning is apparently painful in most iterations and comes with a complete lack of a sense of self. I already have a shit time of the month to deal with as a woman, and adding something like that on top of it would be hell. So, no thanks. Vamps for life."

From her words, everyone else decided they'd rather be vampires. The irony wasn't lost on me. Though since they don't know what real vampires are like, they don't really know which would be better. Real werewolves and their legends are remarkably similar with few things being incorrect. Vampires on the other hand? Different.

"But- but vampires kill and eat people!" Mike insisted, trying to find some way to make vampires less interesting.

Bella snorted. "And werewolves don't? How many legends have them brutalizing unsuspecting humans? Eating a person or drinking their blood isn't the issue for me. They're carnivores and will be eating other living beings in some way in order to continue existing. Shaming something for doing what it is naturally designed to do is foolish."

My siblings had all become very interested in what Bella had to say. All of them were hyper-focused on her word choice. 'Shaming something for doing what it is naturally designed to do is foolish'. It was an interesting take on the situation, but felt more like something someone would say about a tiger or a bear.

"So a vampire needs to eat. No problem. Kills, or just leaves someone severely blood-depleted depending on the version we're using. I wouldn't really care since they're just another type of animal that is higher on the food chain than us. It's when it becomes a personal thing. Less about hunting for sustenance and more about hunting for sport. Where the morals disappear. Are they doing this just for the sake of food, or are they just an asshole who likes to harm others? Context matters."

Angela Weber hummed. "I suppose that makes sense."

"How?" Mike demanded, still looking confused. In his mind, he was the only person making any sort of sense at the moment.

"Think of it like this," Bella implored him, "A serial killer who goes after only gay men is a homophobic asshole. A serial killer who only goes after women is a sexist asshole. A serial killer who only goes after Asians is a racist asshole. However... a serial killer who only goes after people on the sex offender registry though? Hero in my book. No mercy. Kill all of sex offenders. Context matters."

All the humans gaped at her in pure shock, unsure of how they should feel.

It was a... rather cruel view.

"A different example perhaps... We're told people in prison are evil. If they are convicted of a crime then they don't matter and you shouldn't care about how unjust the prison system is to them. However, not everyone in prison is guilty of what they were convicted of. Nor is everyone in there because they raped someone, or murdered someone, or abused someone. Sometimes it's literally a dude who smoked weed for the first time. He smoked a plant in the privacy of his own home and was a danger to no one but he gets a life sentence for it. Sometimes it's someone who jay-walked and wasn't kneeling fast enough when the cops across the street came after them. Sometimes it's just a person who knows the actual criminal and is getting lumped in with them because of being friends with them. Context matters in everything."

Tyler Crowley decided to throw his own example in with, "Person A: You shot a guy and killed him, you're evil. Person B: Actually, I shot a serial killer who was trying to kill my wife and child. Person A: Oh, my bad, dude, good on you. See how quick opinions can change because of the circumstances? She's right, the context really does matter in these scenarios."

"So yeah, eating people doesn't factor into the discussion about which is better between a vampire and a werewolf," Bella concluded. "They're like two sides of the same coin in that regard."

I don't think I will ever forget that conversation.

Another conversation, or rather, a debate that Bella's friend group had during one lunch period, was about how YuYu Hakusho was inferior to Hunter X Hunter.

Bella insisted Hunter X Hunter was superior and of course Mike and Eric disagreed vehemently.

"The overall plot is better, even with all the loopholes out the ass," she'd said. "I hope it'll get a remake some day soon. It deserves better animation on a better budget.

"But it sucks," Mike complained. "The voice acting is terrible."

"Dude, English Dubs of 90s anime are never good. You gotta experience it in its natural format. Inuyasha is an incredibly rare example of the English VAs being good at their job, not only in emoting through voice alone, but actually matching the lip flaps on the screen. I don't judge the show based on English Dubbing. I judge the overall story on how engaging it is, and it's really boring. The best parts are the fights. From only some of the characters, mind you. Not everyone is interesting enough to keep the viewer's attention in a four-episode-long fight."

"I just think the writer for YuYu Hakusho is a better one than the Hunter X Hunter writer," Mike said importantly, folding his arms as if that settled the matter.

Both Eric and Bella got the same look on their faces. Through Eric's mind, I heard, Yoshihiro Togashi is the writer for both YuYu Hakusho and Hunter X Hunter.

Unlike Eric, Bella was a lot more crass about it. "They have the same writer, you fucking weapon."

Mike's embarrassment followed him for the rest of the afternoon. He didn't even have it in himself to continue defending his opinion and line of thinking.

Those weren't even the only kinds of arguments had at the lunch table. They also argued about food, money, and pets.

Bella preferred rabbits overall and extolled the virtues of being a rabbit owner. I would have expected her to like cats or dogs.

She was just so terribly interesting.

It was the third Friday in March when things seemed to pick up. The entire school was buzzing about the upcoming Girls' Choice dance and the common teenage drivel I had to hear, intensified. Safe to say, I hated all of it.

Bella Swan was the focus of many people. Most of them were in her friend group, but some were not. Still, those outliers weren't well enough acquainted with her to feel confident enough in asking her to the dance. Yes, despite the requirements being that girls choose, no one seemed to really be following it.

Though it should be noted that Jessica Stanley did have a split second consideration in asking Bella the day before, but decided she wanted to ask Mike instead, and called Bella asking for permission. It was nice of her to do so since months ago she would have snapped up the chance to beat any other girl to the finish line that was Mike Newton's heart.

But then school began this morning and Jessica's despondency was noted by everyone.

Mike was swimming in guilt but refused to address it. Jessica was deeply hurt because she knew why he'd refused her. Bella seemed annoyed. While I can't read her thoughts, it was easy to tell that she wasn't pleased by the tension in the group. Poor Angela felt awkward. Lauren spent the whole day mentally imploring Tyler to ask her to the dance because she was too scared to put herself out there only to be denied like Jessica was, in favor of someone else. And Eric… he was an anxious wreck altogether.

Before Bella came to Forks I never paid this much attention to anyone at this school.

Jessica resolutely ignored Mike and gave all of her attention to Bella. Internally, she was weighing the chances of Bella agreeing to go to the dance despite telling her that she didn't want to go to a dance at all. But since Bella was obviously not heterosexual, maybe she'd say yes if Jessica asked.

I found myself feeling sour at the thought of Bella going to the dance with anyone. And I'm aware that that makes no sense at all. There is no reason for me to be annoyed. Why am I even annoyed? I don't understand this at all.

Though because of the ongoing drama, I found myself deathly curious over what was going to happen. Mike had resolved himself to make a move when no one else in their friend group could intervene. Specifically, he'd chosen Biology to do it because he sat closer to Bella than Eric did, and he often engaged in pre-class banter with Bella. It was the perfect setting in his mind.

Also, he had taken note of my interest in Bella, no matter how much I tried to avoid her. He was hoping she'd say yes within hearing distance of me, so he could have confirmation that she preferred him over me. I wanted to laugh at such a shallow line of thinking, but instead I just pitied him and hated myself.

This boy felt he was in some sort of competition with me, for Bella's affections. Of their friends, he was the only one with that belief. He'd convinced himself that he noticed something between us that no one else noticed.

I was already waiting when they arrived. Bella placed her bag on the floor, face set in a very neutral expression. Mike had seated himself on the end of our table, legs kicking back and forth as he tried to think of how to put his words in order.

Damn, he thought to himself. I guess I just have to do it.

"So… Jessica asked me to the spring dance," said Mike, striving to sound nonchalant. He didn't want to seem too interested lest Bella take his words the wrong way. It was all in defense of his emotions first and foremost.

Unfortunately for him, Bella was firmly in Jessica's corner. I'm not sure if she actually liked him in that way, but valued Jessica's friendship more. Either way, her reaction hadn't been what Mike had been hoping for. I couldn't help but be amused.

"Oh, finally! Thank God!" Bella said with a bright smile. "I hope you guys have fun." Her tone was encouraging and while her smile looked forced, it wasn't completely fake. She did want them to have a good time at the dance.

On Mike's end, the wind had completely left his sails. He was trying to think of a way to salvage the situation. To find out if Bella perhaps had wanted to ask him to the dance too. One thing I can credit him for, is his genuine liking of Bella. They were actually friends and had many things in common, and he was very fond of her. Maybe not romantically but I'm not unaware of the fact that they could potentially be together in the future. Alice had even seen three possible futures where they get married and adopt children together.

I didn't like those futures... for some unfathomable reason.

"Well," Mike said, trying to come up with something to save his hopes, "I told her I'd have to think about it."

And Bella - good sweet Bella who was a great form of support in her friend group - did not disappoint in the slightest!

"The fuck? Why?"

It was moments like this where Alice's amusement over Bella's existence made so much sense. She was so candid to the point of being crass that it was hilarious. I'm not sure if it's my interest in her, or just the fact that I've been too uptight for too long, but even I can't help but want to laugh when she speaks. She just has a way with words that isn't common in teenagers in this day and age. Less of a teen mindset perhaps?

Of course, Mike's opinion on her words was vastly different from mine.

Dammit. This isn't going well! he mentally panicked. "I was... wondering if… you'd ask me to the dance."

The mortification seeping into his mind even made me uncomfortable. His worry was becoming less amusing as the minutes passed. He was genuinely putting himself out there in the best way he could think of. Being honest can be terrifying. For teenagers, life had just begun. Of course everything felt earth-shattering and final for him.

I could feel pity for him welling up inside me. While I don't want her to go to the dance with him, I don't really want him to feel so horrible about it. Wishing for the failure of others isn't a good thing. I think I need a firm reminder of that.

I wondered how Bella was going to word her response. What was her take on the entire situation? She had told Jessica last night that she didn't want to go to the dance. Or any dances to be specific. Would she change her mind for Mike? Would she stick to her words?

"No." Her tone carried a hint of finality to it. A slight edge that practically threatened him to continue this line of discussion at his own peril. "I'm not going to any dances, by myself or with anyone."

Just as she'd said last night to Jessica. She'd told Jessica she'd given Mike no indication that she was interested in him. From her angle that was certainly the case it seemed. From his side though, he saw clues inside of clues inside of clues and convinced himself of many things that weren't true.

Mike's thoughts were in a whirlwind of panic as he continued to try and salvage the situation. "We don't have to go to the dance if you don't want to dance. We can just hang out somewhere else."

It was frightfully embarrassing having to witness this. I've registered the existence of secondhand embarrassment before but rarely have I had to deal with it personally. However, my amusement seemed to just die a pathetic death as my cold heart thumped in pity and regret for Mike Newton. I can afford to be generous to the boy because he needs a lot of help.

The kind of help that only a specific kind of person can give him.

Bella's back straightened, making her appear taller in her seat. Her shoulders had gone tense and her jaw tilted upward, allowing her to make hard eye contact with her friend.

In Mike's mind, the vision Bella made was very… ominous. With lips pursed, she looked ready to give him a lecture. And since I could hear the deep breath she took before speaking, I knew that he'd guessed correctly.

"Okay Mike, since nobody else seems to want to have this discussion, I guess the job falls to me," she said frankly, staring him down evenly. "I do not want to go to the dance. Not just because I don't like dances in general, but because I really don't like overly crowded places and I don't have faith in a town of four thousand people to have a decent taste in music. Dances are not fun to me. Crowded places are not fun to me. I'm not forcing myself to do something I don't like when I don't have to."

Her wording was interesting. 'I'm not forcing myself to do something I don't like when I don't have to,' is what she said. Meaning if she had to, she would do something she hated if it was necessary. But what was considered necessary enough for her to go against her comfort levels?

As for her opinion on crowded places… did she suffer from anxiety? I'm certain that wasn't mentioned in Bella's medical history. A lot of things weren't mentioned actually.

Like contracting H1N1 when she was a child.

A mystery, since she seemed so adamant about not wanting to get sick. She'd seemed truthful. Even without reading her mind, her eyes and facial expressions are very telling. She'd looked exhausted when talking about nearly dying of the flu. Like it had been a truly trying moment in her life. Had a panic attack over Mike sneezing on her for God's sake!

And the thing is, she didn't go around telling all of her friends that she almost died as a child. I was, at least at that point in time, a complete stranger to her. She would have no reason to fabricate a lie like that since she knew my family doesn't engage with the other students ever. I had no one to really tell her secrets to. Especially since she didn't actually say she had H1N1, I just put two and two together based on evidence provided in the conversation.

There was no way she could have known that a background check would be done on her. If she knew, would she have said something different? Or left the bit about almost dying out of her explanation?

Bella Swan was incredibly frustrating to deal with. I had so many things I wanted to say and ask but nothing ever felt complete. Nothing ever seemed to be enough when she was involved.

While I was dealing with my point of view, Bella was still talking at Mike. Not really to him, just at him, giving him no chance to respond. I couldn't help but lean in a bit, curious to hear what else she had to say at this moment.

"Even if I were to force myself to suffer through a school dance or a different crowded place, it would not be with you."

Mike's pride took a staggering blow. I messed up! he panicked. I shouldn't have said anything! Everything's ruined! Can we even still be friends after this?!

"I've given you no inclination that I'd want to date you. Many of us haven't actually, but you persist with the flirting and possessive behavior, and that's a problem. Jessica is the one who likes you very much, but she feels that she's in this nonexistent competition with all the other girls in the school, in order to get your attention. It's really wearing her down."

Bella's ability to read a situation was very impressive. She had read the situation perfectly and explained it in a way that Mike could understand. Jessica never verbalized the issues she had with her self-image and confidence, but it seemed that Bella still understood her anyway without them ever bringing the topic up in conversation.

On Mike's end, he was genuinely shocked to hear that Jessica liked him. Mentally he was reevaluating all the times they'd flirted, trying to see how she'd been more invested than he'd been. His confusion over it was a bit annoying since Jessica wasn't subtle at all.

Also, Bella was correct in how this entire situation affected Jessica's mental health. Her first real crush seemingly didn't value her as much as she wanted. It was a difficult thing to come to terms with, especially for a seventeen year old going through these things for the first time.

"Most of us do not want to date you, but Jessica very much wants to be with you. The problem is that you get all possessive over girls you aren't dating, because they get male attention from someone else. You have no business being all possessive and annoyed when the girls you flirt with get flirted with by other people, when you're just a friend. That position in our lives doesn't mean you can choose who each girl gets to flirt with. That would be effed up. We aren't possessions to own. We are not toys that exist just to stroke your fragile ego."

With every sentence, Bella's words seemed to cut deeply into Mike. It wasn't just his ego taking a bruising now. Mike never intended to treat any of his friends like possessions. Hearing Bella tell him how it seemed to others, made him feel horrible.

It was a good thing Jasper was not in the room because Mike's angst alone would drag him down.

I don't want to control anyone, Mike thought guiltily. I didn't mean to hurt anyone's feelings either.

Yet just because he didn't mean to do it, doesn't mean it didn't happen.

"It's especially effed up since from an outside perspective, you are leading Jessica on. You flirt with her more than anyone, but not enough for it to mean much. She feels like she has your favor above everyone else, but is also jumping through hoops to keep it because you still flirt with all the girls you lay eyes on. This isn't fair to all the girls you've personally involved in this situation by giving them your attention."

With her face set and her tone solid, Bella struck a sort of no-nonsense persona at the moment. Like she was challenging him to debate her on what she believed to be fact. And technically, she wasn't wrong even if her words were heavily biased by her own opinion.

From an outside perspective, at least one type, it all looked the way she described and more.

"Please, do us all a favor, and dig deep into your soul and decide what it is that you want. This whole thing is stressful for everyone who has to witness it, and I don't like seeing Jessica worry so much."

Mike's thoughts were silent. Absolutely no sound filtered through, just a fuzzy, mental image of Jessica and how sad she'd looked at lunch today. His inferior human vision and memory didn't manage to capture just how awful she'd looked. Even with makeup, the bags under her eyes from all the crying she'd done last night, hadn't been covered. And she'd forgotten to put on any jewelry, nor did she remember to put on the perfume she knew Mike liked.

I am realizing that I know too much about the lives of these teenagers.

Bella decided to finish off her long tangent with, "I am your friend. I like to debate Naruto topics with you, team up with you in Gym, and beat you down in snowball fights. That is it. That is all it'll be. Please desist with the flirting on my end at the very least. I don't like it."

Even I had become so distracted by the conversation that I hadn't realized that everyone had heard most of it. Already people were forming their own opinions on what Bella had said. Some were ready to spread rumors the moment class ended.

-ow embarrasing is that!

I can't wait to share this wit-

Swan is savage as hell! Savage Swan!

-wton really needs to chill out with the flirting, yeesh.

And Mr. Banner… even he had heard and actually allowed Bella to finish what she was saying. His mind, usually pretty neutral and focused mostly on classwork, sounded weary. Remember that they're only teens. They're still growing and learning. They're only human and are imperfect. Things can change. People are capable of change, he seemed to chant to himself as he channeled his straining patience.

The man faced Bella and gave her a low nod of approval, then to Mike, he said, "As enlightening as this information is, I'd like to get to class now. Mr. Newton, remove yourself from Ms. Swan's table and take your seat."

The shame radiating from Mike's entire being was easy to see. Once again, I pitied him.

Mr. Banner took a moment to scan the room, displeasure set in the lines of his face. "And for the record, I would be very disappointed if I found out anyone pressured someone into a date even when the offer has already been refused."

I couldn't help but stare at Bella, who managed to come to a new school and fit in so easily. With her progressive views and unshakable determination, she did what she wanted and somehow everyone was affected, and yet accepted it at the same time.

Is this what my family is missing out on in being unable to attend big city schools?

Of course the drama didn't end in Biology. It continued on throughout the rest of the school day. Not from Mike though. I'd chosen to focus on his thoughts because he was the easiest person to use when watching Bella participate in Gym.

Mike had actually apologized. Not the kind where he made excuses over and over either. He had apologized for the way he'd been acting and then asked if Bella was still comfortable being his partner when they played sports.

After reading him so thoroughly, Bella still had mercy in her heart. She wanted him to be a better person and believed he could be.

Their ensuing volleyball game had them leading their team to victory with great teamwork between them. It was almost like Bella hadn't taken him to task an hour previous.

On Mike's end, while he was still feeling ashamed of himself, he had resolved to apologize to all the other girls he flirted with, making sure to put Jessica first. He was even mentally trying to word his apology correctly. He seemed more at peace than anyone would expect him to be after being embarrassed in front of his fellow students.

Perhaps I misjudged him as a person.

When Bella left Gym, I rifled through several people's minds, trying to find the best vantage point. Eventually, I settled on Eric Yorkie since he was also looking to as Bella to the dance. He'd even rushed out to the parking lot so he could catch her before she went home.

Bella sighed once she was in hearing distance, and Eric took it as an obvious red flag. Uh oh. I don't think this is gonna end well for me.

"Eric I know you were there in Biology when I gave Mike that stern talking to, and I don't know if you heard the whole thing so I guess I'm gonna have to reiterate that I'm not going to the Spring Fling. I'm not going to any dance at all in fact. And no offense, but I also don't want to go out on a date with you."

Her frank way of handling the situation left him dumbfounded. Even his thoughts were silent as he tried to come up with a response.

"I don't want to hurt your feelings, but this is where I stand. I can see Tyler is also gearing up to approach me over the dance too and I'm not the fountain of patience I usually am at the moment."

She wasn't wrong. Off to the side, Tyler Crowley was waiting by his van, trying to think of a good excuse to go over and ask her out. Come on, Eric. Give the rest of us a chance, man!

"Damn," Eric murmured, resigned but not that disheartened by Bella's insistence. "I had hoped you just weren't interested in Mike and that the rest of us might still have a shot."

"Sorry, bro. The only person I'm genuinely interested in right now is Alice Cullen and she's obviously in a committed relationship with Jasper Hale."

I sighed. While Alice is wonderful I don't really understand her fixation on Alice. Everyone usually focuses on Rosalie first, then me. Alice tends to get lost in the shuffle because Rose and I are 'extra hot' but Em and Jazz are 'extra scary'. Most people think she's cute more than anything.

I could hear Alice tittering from inside the school. She'd been paying special attention to Bella it seemed, and once again she was left flattered by Bella's interest. I love her, Alice told me. Befriend her already so that I can too!

As for Bella and Eric… Bella sent the gangly teen a look of confusion. "And by 'rest of us' exactly who do you mean? I'm pretty sure I only talk to like ten people here. There is no way anyone else is interested, right? I'm not interesting. I'm a dime a dozen, I swear to God."

Her flat voice and emotionless face spoke of deep personal belief. She looked him in the eye as she spoke. Bella truly believed that she wasn't an interesting person to be around. She really didn't understand why people seemed to fancy her?

I could go on tangent that would last for several days if prompted.

Eric sighed and shook his head. Only Bella, he thought fondly. "You want honesty?"

"Yeah. Don't lay it on thick, just spit it out."

He nodded. "Right. Jess, Ange, and Lauren are much prettier than you."

"True," Bella said in agreement, nodding like it was common knowledge. Personally I disagree, but that's neither here nor there.

On Eric's end, he found her response amusing. Her reactions are hilarious!

"But you're more confident than them, so you hold yourself differently."

He wasn't wrong. I had noted that as well. And because she held herself differently, she didn't feel like a bumbling teenager. More like a concerned mother or a fun aunt. This is not the first time I've mentioned how mature Bella feels as a person. Others have noticed it as well.

"And you react weirdly to things that happen day to day."

She did indeed. It was why Alice was so excited every time she did pretty much anything. And why I was so fascinated because without the benefit of her thoughts on my side, I had to guess what she was going to do or say all the time.

As a city girl, Bella Swan was a whole new breed for people unused to dealing with city folk.

"Also, you're still pretty new and you're very obviously from a big city because how you think and act are very progressive compared to a small town like this. So it's like a mix of novelty and the fact that you're so unafraid to be yourself."

For the most part, that was why many of the boys were interested in Bella. Some of them had less than kind interest in her of course, but you can't expect everyone to be a decent person I suppose. Still, Eric's explanation seemed to not help Bella understand at all.

She looked just as confused as before.

"Honestly, I don't see the appeal, but okay."

Eric shrugged. "It's hard to explain. You're like one of the guys but also not. It's nice."

Bella mimicked him and then looked over to see Tyler still pacing, waiting for his turn. "Well… I would like to go before Tyler actually manages to corner me. Perhaps you can spread the word that I don't want to go to the dance or go out on dates, because you're nice and a good buddy?"

That got her a laugh. "I got your back. Get going." He wasn't offended that he'd been turned down and he didn't feel bitter either. Good on him.

"Thanks, dude!"

Bella was in her truck and out of the parking lot before Eric managed to reach Tyler's side.

"She said no," he told Tyler casually. "She doesn't want to go to the dance or go on dates with anyone."

Tyler wasn't hindered at all. "That won't stop me from trying."

"More power to you, I guess."

By then, my siblings had all reached the Volvo and situated themselves inside, waiting for me to take us home.

I have a lot to think about.

Lingering outside Bella's house every day was becoming… odd.

I found myself really wanting to see the inside of the house with my own eyes and not relying on the fuzzy rendering I get from Chief Swan's mind. But that wasn't allowed. Specifically by Rosalie, who dangled her ongoing threat over my head every day.

Bella was currently in her bedroom, singing to herself as she did her Biology homework. Another song I was unfamiliar with. Though I'm pretty certain, by the sound of the voice playing in her CD player, that it was Britney Spears. I do not listen to her though, so it could be another pop singer. Not Madonna. I'd recognize her even if I'm not a fan of her either.

"-had enough. I'm not your property as from today. You might think that I won't make it on my own, but now I'm stronger than yesterday! Now it's nothing but my waaaay! My loneliness ain't killing me no mooooooore!"

The scritch-scratching of her writing never ceased as she sang. Her ability to keep up with her written work as well as the lyrics of the song was incredibly impressive.

After several minutes, Bella seemed to finish up. She put her things away, stashed the CD players in a drawer somewhere, and went downstairs to begin dinner. The kitchen window was opened to facilitate air flow and she hummed a terrifying Russian lullaby to herself as she cooked something pasta-related.

How I wish I could hear what she was thinking! How'd she switch from pop music to an old Russian lullaby?

I've spent a century resenting my ability and yet I'm still resenting it, but this time it's because it won't do what it's supposed to!

As she stood at the stove to make dinner, Bella began to hum again. This time... a hymn? One I haven't heard in a long time. I would never have expected Bella to be singing a hymn. She didn't give off the air of a religious person even when calling out to Jesus and God a lot.

"Abide with me, fast falls the eventide. The darkness deepens, Lord, with me abide. When other helpers fail and comforts flee, help of the helpless, oh, abide with me."

She made it one more verse before switching up mid-chorus to something - that I think is another hymn? - I'm not familiar with, but it certainly felt like something a more gifted singer should be singing.

Her voice was decent it just wasn't meant to hit high notes. Ever.

"Deliver us! Send a shepherd to shepherd us and deliver us to the Promised Land! Deliver us to the Promised Land! Deliver us!"

Bella's attention span was questionable and yet nothing about it was mentioned in her medical history.

I waited anxiously for Bella to arrive. My siblings had, thankfully, accepted the fact that I got to school five minutes earlier than usual, just so I could have time to talk to Bella. Everyone but Rosalie had gone into the school building already in an attempt to give me some privacy.

Much appreciation aimed their way. As for Rosalie, she was giving me an intense look, her mind running a mile a minute. I tried to tune her out and focus on other things.

The familiar rumble of Bella's engine was distinct. I could actually hear it all the way at her house. I could even track it through town thanks to my hearing and my ability to see through the eyes of others. Knowing where she was wasn't the issue, it was how slow her truck was that was killing me on the inside.

When she finally pulled into the parking lot, I sighed in relief. Ten minutes until the first period starts. It should be enough time to talk. Rosalie glared at me for a second longer before flouncing off toward the school. Don't fuck up, she told me.

"I won't," I murmured, knowing she would hear perfectly.

As Bella parked and grabbed her bag, I was right beside the truck suddenly, unable to help myself. She didn't even startle as she opened the door, which made me assume she hadn't noticed my unnecessary burst of speed.

But then she had to ruin my naïve hope. "Okay, Flash, you need to fucking cool your jets or something."

If she had noticed, why hadn't she been scared? Why didn't she scream or run away? Why didn't she have the natural reaction to abnormal behavior? I don't understand her at all and it's frustrating!

As for her comment in particular...

"Flash?" I asked her, trying to come up with an explanation and having nothing come to mind. Why the word 'flash'? What does it mean?

"You don't know your DC superheroes?" The look she gave me rang of disappointment, but at least I was finally able to understand. I suppose it shouldn't shock me that she even read American comics considering her obsession with Japanese comic books.

"I'm not much interested in comics, but I do understand that reference," I made sure to tell her, smile firmly in place.

I know who the Flash is. Even if I'm not much interested in comics I do find the supernatural aspects interesting. Humans always develop such interesting super powers and amazing backstories on how those powers are acquired. Certain fictional characters in the X-Men side of the Marvel Universe were fascinating. Emma Frost could turn into an organic diamond among other things. That's amazing! The amount of thought that went into such things was truly the most impressive part.

As for the nickname bestowed upon me by Bella… Flash. Speed. She wasn't necessarily wrong, was she? Even among vampires I am unnaturally faster than all of them. I can cross about fifteen more feet per second if I'm really trying.

While I understand, I hope this doesn't become a thing. I don't want to be called Eddie Boy, and I don't want to be called Flash either. Or any other nicknames that refer to fast-running fictional characters.

"Well, your speedy ass appears out of thin air which is a bit suspicious. I know for a fact you weren't over here when I pulled into the lot. You were standing with your family, glaring at Rosalie for whatever reason you two seem to be at each other's throats recently."

She noticed that? This girl notices so much. It's becoming a concern. I'm not even sure what I should say in response because it feels like anything will implicate me. Of what, I'm not sure, but potential implications seem to be implied.

"It took only a few seconds to park since I parked toward the mouth of the lot. As someone who pays attention to what's going on around me, I form a lot of opinions and assumptions based on what I see. You're lucky I'm not in the habit of sharing my fantastical thoughts with people. If they start paying more attention they'll notice you're not normal-normal," Bella concluded with a bland look that basically told me she was unimpressed with my… slip up.

If my heart was capable of beating, I know my pulse would have quickened in this moment. There was that rush of fight or flight reflexes but I aggressively stamped them down so that logic could maintain control. Just because she noticed something doesn't mean I have to react in such a way.

Self-control is a necessity.

It is the foundation of all things in life.

But Bella knew we weren't… "'Normal-normal'?" I asked, unable to stop myself because it sounded so very childish and yet so accurate that it hurt to truly consider. Because in a way it was true and proof of how inhuman we actually are, and I hate that. It also meant that Bella was aware.

Awareness wasn't good when it came to my family's history. Usually we had to leave when people became aware. Rosalie would actually castrate me if we all had to leave so soon. I don't know what to do.

While I panicked internally, I tried to keep my face pleasant so Bella couldn't become even more aware than she already was. I'm an expert liar and have been doing so for years. I can also act convincingly. This shouldn't be so difficult, so why am I making so many mistakes lately?

Bella was nodding along to my prior question. "Yeah. The whole filthy rich family of the town thing is pretty common. Privilege seeping out of every pore and kind of oblivious to real-world issues. Normal stereotype to be honest. Nothing special there. It's a beloved fictional trope even."

...She wasn't wrong, and I feel like I've been thinking that a lot recently. Though I must admit that my family has never been described as 'normal' by anyone. Either by vampires or humans. Fascinating how she had such a thought.

The note on our privilege though… a bit true as well.

Of course I wasn't prepared for Bella's full explanation. If I thought she was too aware before, nothing prepared me for her next batch of words.

"It's the golden eyes the same exact color one day, and black eyes the next. Even if it's contacts, they're not quite so advanced that they'll show the exact same shade of gold or black on all of you, especially when only some of you are supposedly related."

The chill that ran down my spine was so cold, I actually shivered.

Bella never seemed to pay us much attention. While the other students couldn't help but look at us and think about our attractiveness, Bella rarely looked our way. It was difficult to tell if she was interested in the local gossip about the Cullen family because she didn't participate in the gossip mongering.

Now and then she'd say one of our names but it was rather infrequent. Specifically, Alice had been mentioned twice in the last week alone. Jasper twice altogether since she moved here. I was mentioned three times in passing recently. Rosalie once and Emmett not at all until today.

Knowing that she noticed so much more than everyone else, was terrifying.

This isn't like the car thing. She knew I was in one place and saw me end up far from there seconds later. She saw the dents in the cars. Bella had witnessed feats of strength and endurance that should not be possible. It was impossible to not notice considering how I practically sat on her at that moment back then.

But to actually pay enough attention to notice how our eyes change colors over time. To realize it can't be contact lenses because it happens to all of us? That wasn't good.

"It's also the speed, durability, and hearing. You gave those away a lot already."

Yes. Rosalie still hadn't gotten over it even. Though she might not say anything out loud, I am still privy to all of her thoughts. I know I took a big risk in what I did. She doesn't need to enumerate all the potential problems it can cause us every single day.

Alice does watch the future for us and as a result, I see most of her Visions as well. I'd be alerted if something truly horrible was coming no doubt.

Bella shifted, placing most of her weight on the heel of her right foot. She looked up at me, eyes dark with secrets and minor trepidation. The heart shape of her face was very appealing, and the surprising symmetry despite the widow's peak was very welcome to the eye.

Finally, she sighed a little and added quietly, "And I don't know if you want to hear this, but your ass doesn't breathe ever."

I have become a statue.

"Now, maybe you take small breaths quickly so your chest and shoulders don't move, I don't know, but you crossed the whole parking lot in like a second and you're a fucking statue right now."

Not necessarily living or breathing, but a statue all the same.

She paid enough attention to notice that. We shift our shoulders and slouch a bit in order to appear more human. Humans don't have perfect posture all the time. Their chests and shoulders move when they breathe. They can see it in each other from a distance. I've been impersonating a living being for so long that I know all the tactics.

Blink at least five times a minute. Wiggle my nose thrice every hour but only in the company of humans. Clear my throat every now and then. Pretend to pick at my own finger nails in boredom. It's a whole process we have to follow.

Yet here was Bella Swan, completely ruining my faith in our acting capabilities. Or maybe just my acting abilities to be more specific.

"Be glad only I seem to be the one paying this much attention."

I am. She has no inclination as to how much I am though. I would also prefer for it to stay that way. The less people who pay attention the better.

Alice's thoughts slammed into me from where she was hiding in the girls' bathroom on the third floor. This is going to be so fun! The future gets even more twisty but cool from here on out!

Desperately I wanted to tell her to be quiet, but I didn't want to open my mouth and be faced with Bella's scent so soon. Also, why was she excited about this? What did she See to make her this happy? She was deliberately withholding as much as she could from me behind a wall of Arabic folk songs - that I don't even understand - which wasn't fair in the slightest.

Bella turned on her heel and began moving toward the school, not even bothering to look back and see if I followed. Of course I did, but she didn't seem affected by that fact. When I caught up, I felt the need to talk, completely disregarding my fear about her scent from just a moment ago. "Your observational skills slightly terrify me, I'll admit."

Terrify. Excite. Frustrate. Fascinate.

My throat burned from the scent of her blood. I can handle it though. This is fine.

I feel like I'm constantly on an emotional rollercoaster with Bella. One minute I'm happy and yearning for more answers. Next, I'm angry and I want to jump off a cliff to avoid my problems. And then right after that'll I'll be going mad with cravings I can't sate! Not very healthy of a mindset I'll admit.

Moderation. The key to everything is moderation, self-control, and a strong will.

Self-control is the answer to all of my problems. I need more self-control.

"Yeah," Bella agreed with a nod. "They terrify me too, and I regret them half the time. Like right now as Tyler looks like a man on a mission."

My attention was swiftly diverted to Tyler Crowley who was coming toward us very quickly, mind solely focused on catching Bella before the first period. I need to shoot my shot regardless of Edward Cullen's presence. I want to at least be able to say I did it and that I'm not a coward unlike Stevens and Clyde.

"Oh, he is!" I said in amusement, finding the teen's anxious thoughts funny. At least he had the fortitude to pursue his dreams. I can give him credit for strength of will and determination at the very least. He was much more brave than many of the other boys who wanted to ask Bella out but were too scared to.

There was a look on Bella's face. One that told me she wasn't amused by my enjoyment of her potential boy troubles. However, there was a challenging glint in the darkness of her eyes. One that told me I wasn't going to like what she had to say next. "You suck at pretending to be normal. How you got away with it this long I have no idea."

And there went my amusement.

Tyler Crowley had reached us by now, looking slightly nervous but still much more daring than his friends had been when asking Bella out.

Before he could even get a word of his rehearsed question out, Bella held up a hand and spoke over him. "If this has anything to do with dances or dates, the answer is no and I'm not interested in hearing about it."

Damn, Tyler mentally groaned. "That's what everyone's saying."

"Then why bother?"

"Doesn't hurt to try, right?" he shrugged, mind already accepting her answer and moving on to other options. He tried and he failed and that was fine because it wasn't a personal slight against him specifically.

"You like Lauren. Why won't you just ask her out already? Like I told Mike yesterday, the flirting with every other girl in the school isn't helping you at all and puts unnecessary stress on the rest of us who don't want to be involved."

A string of panicked words filled the boy's head instantly. What?! Who told her about that? No one's ever asked me about it, there's no way she knows! I don't understand!

"How did you know I like Lauren?" Tyler asked, voice squeaking just a tad at the end of the sentence. His pulse had quickened with his drumming heartbeat.

The look Bella gave him was one I'm becoming very familiar with. "Dude, while you may flirt with all the girls, you flirt with her more than anyone and on top of that, you try hard as hell to get validation from her over your hobbies. You do that with literally no other girl. You also sit next to her as often as possible and actually listen to her when she talks about music you don't give a damn about."

She truly did notice a lot more than her peers. I can honestly say that Alice is the only one among us who appreciates that fact. Things would be much easier if Bella was unobservant and easily distracted.

Still though, while most of me was absolutely terrified at what this could all mean for our future here, part of me was still enthralled. I have even more questions than before. They're even stronger and more intense as well. What am I supposed to do in the face of my burning curiosity?

I've never heard of a human or vampire being impervious to supernatural talents such as mine. What if there's some special reason behind it? What if it's in her family tree? Or her DNA?

I already attempted avoidance and failed. Perhaps… it really is time to just jump in head first.

"...I guess I'll go ask Lauren to the dance then," Tyler said, reminding me of where we still are. Sometimes I forget how fast my mind works. I can be going through so much internally and mere seconds have only passed in reality.

"You do that. Good luck."

And then he was off, mind a whirl of Lauren Mallory and how pretty she was.

Bella's self-satisfied nod made good humor fill my cold being once again. "Your way with words is astonishing."

"It's that, 'do no harm, take no shit' kind of vibe I give off."

Her casual ability to swear anywhere and not only not get caught by teachers, but also not get revealed by her friends, even Lauren, is amazing to me. The saying says that snitches get stitches. Yet they keep her confidence not because they're scared of retribution, but because they don't want her in trouble. And they know she doesn't want them in trouble.

By the time we reached Bella's class, it was thirty seconds until the first period began. I was loath to leave her already, since I realized I didn't even get to talk to her. She did all the talking. "See you at lunch."

She stayed in the doorway as I walked, and only once I was around the corner, did I really move to get to class. Of course I arrived easily and no one even noticed. I know with Bella, that wouldn't be the case if she was in my class.

Paying attention to Jessica's thoughts was easy. She was naturally loud and easy to find among the sea of voices filling Forks High School. Bella looked playfully amused as she sat, and Jessica's mind was rambling over the possible reasons.

"What did Edward Cullen want?" Jessica asked, trying to come up with something.

He's the top student in our year so he doesn't need tutoring. He's rich so he doesn't need financial help. He's never approached anyone else before so what could it be? Did they promise to meet up? Are they friends? Are they secretly dating?! Does that mean they've made out already?! And she hasn't told me about it?!

Of course Jessica managed to convince herself of many possible theories in a matter of seconds. It was honestly impressive considering the speed at which the human brain processes information. The manic tone to her thoughts had gotten more and more intense the longer she went on.

I was delighted to see the flush of embarrassment that worked its way over Bella's face. She wasn't easy to fluster after all. She looked bashful all of a sudden. "No idea."

Bullshit, Jessica thought, making sure to glare daggers at Bella in hopes of making her squeal. Don't think you're getting out of this, Swan! I thought you liked Alice.

"I'm being serious, I promise," Bella confessed. "He came over and I ended up monopolizing the conversation to the point that he barely talked at all. In fact, he came up to me and I still don't know why because I basically bulldozed him." She looked embarrassed by her own behavior.

Jessica sighed. Damn. I can believe that too because once she gets going she really gets going. She's so lucky it's cute when she does it.

"If it makes you feel better, he specifically stated he'd see me at lunch. He'll probably bring up whatever was on his mind, then."

Oh! Details! I can't wait!

Her excitement over mine and Bella's potential talk was… odd but also kind of sweet in a sense? If that's the proper word to use.

I decided to leave Jessica's thoughts alone as she proceeded to go on a long mental tangent about what could possibly be going on between us. Her imagination was certainly very colorful and I avoided it as best I could on most days. For good reason.

When the bell rang, I immediately locked onto Jessica's mind once more, wanting to get a good view of her and Bella's trek to the cafeteria.

I ended up being serenaded via Jessica's mind because Bella was singing. In Japanese. With decent pronunciation might I add.

Not a song I know of course, but one I will definitely look up when I get home.

Bella didn't just stop at singing though. She'd deftly taken up Jessica's hand and was twirling her around to an inaudible rhythm. On Jessica's end, she was charmed and a bit beside herself since this wasn't typical Bella behavior as far as she was aware. Also, no one but her father had ever danced with her before, and that had only been to teach her the waltz.

"Stay with me! 真夜中のドアをたたき! 帰らないでと泣いた! あの季節が 今 目の前. Stay with me! 口ぐせを言いながら. 二人の瞬間を抱いて. まだ忘れず 大事にしていた!"

The surrounding students were confused. This type of behavior… wasn't often looked favorably upon in small towns. The general consensus was to be 'normal' but small town kind of normal. Bella, being from a big city though, was a big city kind of normal. Strange here but fine back in Phoenix.

Seeing a young woman, fresh from out of town, dancing in the hallways singing in a language that wasn't English, was odd to these teens. Most of them didn't consider life outside their state let alone outside their country. Many of them didn't even know it was Japanese that was being sung to Jessica Stanley.

All they knew was that Bella was 'weird'.

Jessica shook her head in exasperation. "Doesn't want to go to a dance or dance in front of strangers but dances like this for fun… in the middle of the school hallway," she remarked as Bella twirled her again. How is she able to do this so casually and not lose footing? I feel like I'm going to trip and break my ankle.

Human bones were very easy to break and that was indeed a possibility. One wrong turn with the wrong amount of momentum and it was over.

Luckily for Jessica, Bella seemed to have a firm grip and a firm stance as they made their way to the lunch line. Unfortunately for Bella, Jessica decided that food was more important and left her to sing and dance by herself.

Bella wasn't phased in the slightest.

As she usually did, Bella purchased a large metal bowl for her daily salad bar journey. And as usual, she shaped her salad in her own special way, with lettuce, spinach, peas, zucchini, cheese, croutons, bacon, blue cheese crumbles, and a large serving of thousand island dressing that made all of her friends want to vomit whenever they saw it. I got to hear their disgusted thoughts enough times by now to know that all of them hated her typical lunch.

She continued to hum to herself and completely ignore everything else around her. The ability to simply focus on her own interests was fascinating. She truly didn't seem to care about what people might be thinking about her. Bella didn't lose any sleep at night, that was for certain. Her breathing was always even and relaxed according to my memory.

When she finally joined her friends, Jessica was basically vibrating in her seat. She was full of questions about me specifically and wanted to know what was going on between Bella and myself. She'd already taken note of my intent focus on Bella and was ready to launch into a whole rant about it.

Unfortunately for Jessica, Angela got Bella's attention first. "You have a nice singing voice." Really, I wish I knew that song. I'd like to have it on my playlist but I don't know what it's called.

"ありがとう" Bella winked as she ate a forkful of her… creation.

The fond thoughts Angela had for Bella faded into silence as she focused on her Government homework, which was giving her some trouble lately.

Jessica capitalized on that of course, bumping Bella with her elbow to say, "Edward Cullen is staring at you."

Instead of looking where Jessica was gesturing, Bella sat there choking on her food. Perhaps she's very sensitive? It didn't seem like Jessica had elbowed her hard. Then again, I can't hear what Bella is thinking so I'm at a loss.

Bella sent Jessica a glare. "やれやれ! I hope he's getting a good view of me masticating."

That pulled a smile to my face instantly. She had such a way with words. Only Angela knew what that word meant among their friend group.

"What?" Jessica murmured, trying not to think about how the words sounded similar to 'masturbating' because it made her uncomfortable in many ways.

Angela enlightened everyone with. "Chewing."

Oh, Jessica thought. She's so weird. She's lucky it works for her. "Go and see what he wants. You said he wanted to talk, so go talk." And then you'll come back and give me every bit of information you get because that's what best friends do.

"I wanna eat!" Bella whined, drawing the word out considerably.

"Eat with him!" insisted Jessica, shoving Bella's arm excitedly. This is never-before-explored territory and I need details!

"You suck." The lack of venom in her tone meant Jessica didn't feel chastised in the slightest.

Bella realized though, that she wasn't going to be left alone if she chose to stay with her friends, so she stood, grabbed her school bag and her bowl of salad, and headed on over to me, sitting all alone towards the center of the room. But while she went, she did not go quietly. She mumbled to herself about drama queens and teen angst all the way up until she sat down opposite me.

With no hesitation, she shoved some salad into her mouth and chewed very thoughtfully for a moment.

"This better be good, Eddie Boy." I am never going to be free of that revolting nickname, am I? "I was chillin'. Just hangin' with my friends and making Jessica question her sexuality for like the fourth time since we met. It was all going so well and then your dramatic ass has to go and do this. Is all the attention worth it?"

I can feel how abnormally stiff I've become. My body is basically hard stone as a vampire, but I actually feel like I've become a real statue. I forget myself too much with Bella, and then her observations always end up worrying me too much.

"You never do what I expect. It's very frustrating not knowing how to read you, you know," I told her as I reached over to fiddle with the bottle of lemonade I'd bought. It was the easiest thing I had on hand to fidget with without making it seem like I was unnerved by the topic of conversation.

"That is how everyone feels. Get with it, dude," Bella said with an eye roll. That's right… in her eyes she thought I was just being overly dramatic. To her, while I might not be a normal teenage human, I was probably a normal teenage… something.

Bella's dark brown eyes stared at my hands, an almost critical look crossing her face. What had put such an expression there? She's been in a relatively light mood until now.

She twirled her fork around uselessly for a few seconds, before sighing. "Are you gonna throw that whole tray out like you usually do?"

This causes me to frown. She paid enough attention to know that I don't eat my lunch? How? She never seems to pay the Cullens any attention, even when people are gossiping around her.

Looking down at the contents of my lunch tray, I could feel a familiar sensation of revulsion filling my body. None of this is palatable for me. "I'm not hungry," I told her honestly. Definitely not that at the very least. Now thirst on the other hand…

The moment Bella sighed and pushed away her salad so she could level me with a look I was becoming familiar with, I knew I was somehow about to be scolded like a child. She'd used this on Mike, Eric, and Tyler in the past twenty-four hours. And now I'm in for it as well it seems.

Though I don't know what I did so wrong that she feels the need to chastise me.

"Alright, apparently I have to say this since no one else is paying attention and therefore won't register the issue. You're being wasteful and it's annoying as fuck."

What?

Of all the things I was expecting her to say, that wasn't it. How am I being wasteful? I'm not even human!

"Do you know that despite being a first world country, the US has a homelessness problem ten miles wide?" Bella began, eyes intense. "That there are people in this country who cannot afford anything? They sleep under bridges. They dumpster dive for moldy food. They have to ask for spare change just to survive in a country that is formed so the poor stay poor and can never move up in life."

Bella had taken on a more casual pose, resting her chin on her crossed fingers now. But just because she appeared casual did not mean her words were.

Damn, I heard Emmett think as he whistled too low for human ears to hear. She's brutal, huh?

She has a point, Alice thought a bit guiltily.

Rosalie's thoughts were filled more with images of homeless and starving children and her own guilt soared at the thought of them going without. Poor Jasper was trying to block everyone out and was doing his best to calm them all down to manageable levels for the sake of his own sanity.

"When I see your whole family spend almost $80 a day on food you just throw out and don't touch, I die a little more inside. There are restaurants who have thousands of dollars worth of food left over at the end of the day, and they legally have to throw it out. They can't donate it. If the workers take it home and are found out, they're in legal trouble. And if they decide to donate it personally without it being connected to their place of business, that can get them in even worse legal trouble if they're found out. But your privileged asses would rather waste something children are going without in this country, because you want to appear normal," Bella practically sneered, as if the word 'normal' was offensive to her in some fashion.

"People fast. People skip lunch to do homework. You don't even have to come to the cafeteria during lunch, you could go elsewhere in the school."

…She wasn't wrong. It seemed like she rarely was in my experience.

I'd just never thought about it like that. We were all so determined to appear as normal human teenagers that we overlooked basic things such as that. It never once occurred to me that we were wasting resources. Our family was incredibly wealthy thanks to Carlisle's business sense, my mind reading, and Alice's Visions. We also weren't human and didn't need to rely on food and water at fixed intervals in order to function and not die.

Hell, we didn't even die if we went without our own form of sustenance! We just went mad eventually. Death was not a possibility and did not come naturally to vampires. So it made sense that we overlooked such things… though that didn't necessarily mean it was excusable. Most of our family have been at this for at least a century after all.

Bella was right. We are really quite terrible at being normal.

"I can tell by the look on your face that you obviously don't intend to come across as a bunch of privileged twats who don't care about others, but that's kind of what it looks like. And I'm not expecting you to donate millions or volunteer at shelters in your free time. I would just like it if you have some sense of awareness of the struggles of others and what it looks like to waste $80 worth of food every single day in the eyes of the underprivileged."

Bella's words cut deep and she always got straight to the heart of the matter. Words were not minced and feelings were not spared. Not because she was trying to be cruel, but because in Bella's eyes, we could be better and she wanted us to be the best we could be.

She sighed for the fifth time since joining me. "Objectively, I can tell that I'm three bad months away from being homeless. I'm closer to homelessness than I am to seeing a million dollars. That's not good. I'm so painfully aware of my position in life that I have to be prepared for the worst of the worst. So while it seems like I don't live in a situation where I should care about these things, the facts say otherwise. Also… common fucking decency should make anyone care."

Yes. Common decency to think about others besides yourself. I should not be suffering through something personally to understand that it's wrong or sad or in drastic need of change. I should not need a human teenager who is ⅙ my age, and has ⅙ of my life experience to tell me right from wrong.

"I never looked at it like that before," I told her reluctantly. I don't like the thought of her thinking I'm selfish or arrogant. I'm not. At least- I don't think I am. I try not to be. I don't want to be like that.

"None of us have ever intended to be rude," I tried to assure her.

Exactly! Alice agreed from the other side of the room. It just goes to show that even though we're naturally superior to humans in most ways, we're still fallible. We still have much to learn and still have room to grow.

"What matters now is that we remedy this behavior and don't make a repeat of it," Rosalie said aloud for all of our siblings to hear. "She is correct. This is a problem and we need to have a family meeting to work out how to break this bad habit for good."

The rest all nodded in agreement.

Yes, she had a point. We can't fix the mistakes already made, but we can certainly make sure we stop making those mistakes in the future.

So wrapped up in my thoughts, I didn't realize how much time had passed until the bell rang. I hadn't even gotten to talk to Bella like I'd wanted to because once again she was blowing me away with her terrifying observational skills.

I wish blood wasn't an issue for me so I could join her in Biology and actually ask her questions. Get to know her better. Understand her way of thinking more.

I wish we had more time.

Bella stood, slinging her bag over her shoulder as she did so.

"I won't be going to class. I feel like skipping today," I told her with what I hope was a charming smile.

"You're a goody two-shoes who wouldn't skip for no reason, so it must be a good one. What is said reason?" she demanded with a quirk of the brow. As if she didn't believe I was capable of breaking school rules and being a rebel.

I gave a put upon sigh. "They're blood-typing in Biology." Something of which I cannot be around for and must distance myself from at all costs. For the well-being of everyone involved.

From my angle, I got to see Bella's face whiten with perfect clarity, which was interesting considering she was incredibly pale naturally. Alice made jokes about them looking similar but with how much she blanched in so little time, she really could pass as Alice's fraternal twin, no problem.

"As in we're getting jabbed with needles?" was her responding question, eyes wide in alarm.

"Most likely, yes." Meaning; definitely.

There was a moment of silence on Bella's end, before she finally answered with, "...Oh no." Her heartbeat had begun to speed up by now.

What's this? Is Bella, perhaps, having a normal reaction to something for once? "Afraid of blood, Bella?" Of all the fears I imagined, this was not one of them. I'd expected something like... existentialism or something equally mind-boggling and terrifying to think too deeply on because of a lack of information.

"No, needles," she corrected, still pale as a sheet and looking even worse for wear.

"Needles?" I murmured, wondering if I'd heard correctly. She was scared of needles? Do humans gets scared of needles? I don't think I've ever heard someone think about a fear of needles.

"Don't mock me!" she practically snapped. "Several times have I had a massive needle shoved into my fucking pelvis so the doctors could extract my bone marrow and do tests on it. I bled too much every time and got an infection from it. Needles cause a lot of pain for something generally so small and I dread ever having to deal with them."

I was so stunned by her aggravation that I apologized without thinking her words over closely enough. "I apologize. I didn't mean to be rude." It seems that I'm always being rude somehow. At least while Bella is involved.

Bella sent me a look and a dignified huff, and turned away. "See you."

It wasn't until she was gone that realized what was wrong with her declaration.

A Bone Marrow Biopsy was nowhere in her medical records.

~.O.~

A/N: Another is done!

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I used my fav Picrew to make Bonita and Bella for y'all to better understand the situation our OFC is facing. Picrew is fun, you should try it if you haven't already! ^-^ ^Always leave the watermarks visible.

Bonita:  Bella:  

Chapter Text

A/N: Hello, people!

I don't own Twilight.

I have no regular beta.

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~.O.~

SIDE A

Fucking blood-typing of all things. I'm not looking forward to this.

All I have to do is zone myself out. Just go with the motions. Listen but not watch. I am very good at zoning out on command by now after years and years of being trapped by my own thoughts.

I forgot that Mr. Banner had handed out permission slips for a blood drive in the book. When he had Mike passed them around to the class, I wanted to refuse, but I don't think that's an option. I sure as hell ain't going, but I don't think you're allowed to refuse the slip. I also really can't afford to get on the bad side of anyone currently in authority if they aren't acting like a total cunt, you know?

So no, I ain't going!

At least I sure as hell ain't driving anywhere just to get jabbed by a needle when I don't have to. I'm not wasting gas for something as useless as that. The stress it would put me under, oh ho ho, no thanks! The stress it would put the ancient truck under, doubly no thanks. I ain't about that life.

The whole process was bothersome. My entire torso had gone stunningly cold as I waited for my proverbial end. It may seem a bit dramatic, but I just really hate needles so much. Some needles can be effin huge, you wouldn't understand until you're in a situation that requires you to be exposed to such things. It's terrifying for a young person.

"Bella, are you alright?" Mr. Banner asked once he got to my table.

"I have like... a minor fear of needles," I told him, trying to downplay the concern I felt. And since I don't know Bella's blood type I can't use the excuse of already knowing it to get out of this. What if, for some reason, he goes against canon and asks her blood type? "I don't think I'll be able to do it myself." My arms feel like lead, they aren't moving by any effort of mine any time soon.

I proceeded to nod to the little packet of stuff I'd been handed. "If you would please do it quickly for me? I really can't do it myself."

"Bad experience?" he asked as he took my finger, much like he did Mike's, and got to work.

"Bone marrow biopsy," I told him quietly.

I saw him wince in sympathy. "Understandable."

In the end, I found out that Bella is O Negative. Ironic in a sense. Also my finger fucking hurt a shit ton. This is going to make typing a bitch later on fuck this!

Thankfully things had kinda cleared up by the end of Gym. Mike had looked concerned as he watched me deep breathe all throughout Biology and steadily ignore everyone and everything. It was done and over with for me, but some people were not as skilled as Mr. Banner and it literally took the whole time for some of them just to get their own blood done.

Needles. Needles everywhere. And bumbling teenagers who didn't even know how to not be menaces when given something sharp.

"Are you okay now?" he asked as we headed to the parking lot. "You seemed to be doing worse than anyone else was."

"About as good as I'm ever going to be," I sighed, patting his shoulder in appreciation. I'm still queasy and it definitely showed in our daily volleyball match in which Mike had to pick up all my slack. "Thankfully it's a very small puncture wound and will probably heal in a few days." I even put a Band-Aid on it already. Blue with pink polka dots to be specific. I got a whole box in the truck and keep some in my pocket just in case, along with a few other items.

"It's cool that we can do that. Like we're knock-off X-Men."

"We regenerate like Wolverine, but with like only 1/1000 of his ability." It always made me feel better as a kid. My mom told me that to help me sleep at night whenever I got hurt somehow and was too worried about the injury to sleep. 'In the morning, mi vida, you'll be another step closer to full health, just like Logan.'

"Yeah. Makes me feel better whenever I get injured."

"Sounds cooler too," I agreed.

Mike laughed and put on a fake, nasally voice as he said, "I'm not healing, sir. I'm regenerating. You wouldn't understand."

I cackled along with him. I love having someone around who's interested in similar shit. God knows Eddie probably doesn't know shit about pop culture if it came out past the 70s. No offense, but I have like, no faith in him to be any kind of cool. He gave off a sort of crotchety old man vibe and was just super boring half the time.

"See you tomorrow, Bella."

"Make sure you call Jessica about your upcoming date," I reminded him.

He flushed and didn't even bother asking how I knew he was planning to ask Jessica out on a date. I have my ways obviously. My ways are Jessica, of course. She makes sure everyone knows everything going on in her life.

We went in separate directions and my journey was interrupted by the sight of Edward Cullen leaning against the truck. He was long and beautiful and so artfully draped with no obvious fucking effort and it was ridiculous. He's doing it deliberately and nothing can convince me otherwise! Lack of proof means nothing in the long run.

"'Sup?" I asked as I carefully approached, still feeling a bit lightheaded and not wanting to take things too fast. Dealing with his whole himness right now, ugh. Dude didn't look uncomfortable despite how my finger had been bleeding less than two hours ago. Surely that shit lasts or something? Maybe he's stronger than I thought?

He smiled like an angel. How fucking dare he. God damn. "I had wanted to ask you something during lunch but you ended up taking me to task for wasteful living."

I deadass almost pointed out that he technically isn't living. I really need to ignore these urges. He's already aware enough that I know he isn't human or normal. I don't need to shake the beehive more than I already have.

"Sorry about that. I get annoyed quickly and once I'm stuck on something, I won't leave it alone until I speak on it. What did you want?" I asked and I moved around him to shove my bag into the passenger seat window.

Edward looked away for a moment. Almost like he was embarrassed or something. Like, now? Of all the things we had been through so far, and he was only embarrassed now? "Well, I wanted to ask if I could take you out the day of the dance, since you don't seem to have any plans that night."

I was gaping. I know this because my tongue was getting cold from the wind literally blowing into my open mouth. I was so shook I couldn't help myself.

Edward Cullen just asked me out. And he specifically said 'take you out'. There had been no Seattle excuse to use, so he'd come up with this all on his own. After whatever he'd been going through mentally, this was what he had come up with. And then he literally went through with it!

Why?

Of course, me being me, I had to make things difficult because I can't just accept something so odd when no legit reason for it seemed to exist. "I can't really see why you'd want to spend time with me outside of school. You ignored me for almost a month if you'll recall. We've barely conversed since we met. In fact, I've talked at you more than anything. Saving someone from becoming a pancake doesn't seem like a good reason to take them out. I'm also not interesting enough to warrant the interest of someone like you. I'm painfully aware of that fact."

As per usual, I've left him flabbergasted. He's not used to not knowing what to do and not getting what he wants. It's hilarious. I'm glad that I get to be the person to shake up his life this much. Perhaps this will introduce some personal growth into his character. Make him less crotchety and more cool.

"Isn't getting to know each other better the whole point of dating?" Edward finally said, literally using the D-word! Out of all words that he did not use in the original conversation from the novel! "I might not know you very well right now, but I'd like to know you if you'll let me."

He had a point. Many people who dated felt some kind of spark and wanted to see what could happen. And they had to get to know one another for them to see the results. Just because he had a point didn't mean I was letting him get off easy. I live to be a thorn in the sides of others. "Is this only because you can't seem to read me as easily as you apparently read everyone else?"

Edward stiffened just slightly. I could tell because of how his chest stopped moving, meaning his fake breathing had stopped as his attention was fully monopolized by my words.

"'Cause that doesn't seem like a very good reason either, to be honest."

Am I going to make him confess his true feelings on the matter? Yes. I would prefer honesty.

Like, on one hand Edward's primary interest in Bella feels shallow on the surface. He only hyper focuses on her because her blood literally sings for him, and because he can't hear what she's thinking. This newfound territory would obviously intrigue someone who has spent one hundred years in a vicious cycle of teenage angst, being exposed to the thoughts of literally everyone else and trying to keep himself separate from their personalities.

On the other hand, a vast amount of people only started dating someone because they thought they were hot first and foremost. Nothing else to go on but the fact that their face and body were appealing. So why not try dating them? Literally just as equally shallow of a reason.

Midnight Sun showed that Edward didn't sexualize Bella when he first laid eyes on her personally. Nor was he comfortable with the thoughts others had about her. His attraction didn't start because of her looks and it ended up growing over time with the more he learned about her.

It's a very delicate situation and not something so easily deciphered considering all that factors into it.

His attraction started because his entire being is literally attracted to the blood flowing in her veins. And he spent so much time controlling his urges so he wouldn't hurt her, and did whatever he could to view her as a person and not just food. By learning more and more about her it cemented this fact into his very being. Bella Swan is a person, not a meal for him to selfishly indulge in at the cost of his morals and his family's well-being.

Edward's personal issues with damnation and feeling cursed also helped him fight this problem he had. He doesn't want to be a monster and struggles with his nature as a vampire. It's a very one-dimensional way of thinking and I'm not sure how to get him to see that being a different species with a different type of diet doesn't make him a monster.

That's a whole other can of worms to open up. I don't think now if the time for that, and the time might not be anytime soon either to be honest.

"Alright, maybe I'm being unnecessarily hard on you," I said when he didn't answer me even after several seconds of silence. "So I'll get it out now… you're hot."

That got a small tilt of the lips. He knew he was attractive. If I recall correctly, that was another issue he had. Vampires being attractive to lure in prey made him feel even more monstrous.

So much drama and trauma all in one person.

"And that's great but it's not enough. You're rich, and while the idea of financial stability is wonderful, it's still not enough. Other than your inhuman abnormalities, there's nothing much that makes me want to spend time with you. You're like a vault of expired goods that's been gathering dust for a century. And you give off the vibe of a crotchety old man on top of it all."

He looked a cross between offended and amused.

"I don't know how you view me but this is how I view you. You've shown me that your body is probably indestructible and that you can move at high speeds the human eye can't keep up with. I read comics and watch anime though. It's not as amazing as a lot of things I've seen in fiction. Certainly not enough to think that hanging out with you is worth the time," I said, looking him dead in the eye the entire time. "You're some kind of supernatural being but choose to attend fucking high school and surround yourself with basic teenagers on the daily. That's lame as fuck, dude."

Like, I get why they do it, so they can try to be normal like humans, but damn is there nothing for a vampire to do? Do they just sit in the dark until they're hungry and then go out and eat and then come back to the dark just to wait to be hungry again? What did the Volturi do when not feeding on unsuspecting tourists? Just stand there until they were hungry again?

So many questions.

Cold hands wrapped around mine, which made my brows shoot upward at the audacity I know Edward wouldn't usually possess.

Edward was holding my hands between his own. They were freezing, but also kind of soft, and kind of hard at the same time. Marble statue-like in a sense and certainly unshakeable.

"I find you very interesting, Bella Swan," he said earnestly, golden eyes imploring me to listen. "I do read people very well, and am always excited to see how you react to any particular situation because compared to what I've been exposed to, you are different. It's very interesting hearing your opinions on things. You're very progressive and unashamed of it. You never back down. You're a bit obnoxious, while at the same time you can be reserved and anxious. You're anxious a lot actually, and it makes me even more curious about this strange polarity existing within you."

He knows that I have anxiety issues. Was Jasper keeping tabs on me or something?

Weird.

"I haven't been this invested in someone in a very long time, Bella."

Also very true. His life was repetitive and boring before Bella came along.

"Even if you don't want to go on a date with me I would like to be your friend at least."

Damn. He was even caressing my skin with his thumbs, pulling out all the stops he could realistically manage in a public parking lot.

Carefully, I extricated my hands from his grip, and was super glad that he let me and didn't become clingy. I'm not one for clingy behavior. "Okay, no need to get so dramatic. Next thing I know you'll pull a Rudolph Valentino on me, and I'm not much here for that at the moment."

I contemplated his words. They were pretty damn gutsy considering his whole family probably heard him. Also, he chose to do it in a decently crowded public place, even if his voice wasn't too loud. I am well aware of the fact that many people are watching us right now. Jessica is probably going to call me when I get home because she wants details.

"Where would we even go if we went out?" I asked, trying to think of how it would work out. "I don't fancy being the only one eating in a restaurant. But I also wouldn't want anything that isn't a buffet because I prefer many options for cheap prices. And my idea of a date involves dinner and a movie in order to be interesting. I've had enough date nights with my mom to know what I expect out of a date."

"We can do whatever you want." Dude didn't even try to deny the eating thing. He'd probably given up on trying to prove that he was human by now.

"You play video games?"

"No." Not surprising. Emmett was probably the gamer of the Cullen family.

"Want to learn?" I offered.

"I… suppose?"

"Do you watch anime?"

"No."

"Want to pop your anime cherry?"

He looked mortified at my wording, but nodded slowly. Man, he must be desperate to hang out with me if he's willing to go so far outside his comfort zone.

Weird. I've never encountered anyone like this before.

"Alright. I'll talk to Charlie about it and tell you what he says tomorrow."

Gotta word that appropriately so Charlie doesn't get worried over nothing.

Hmm…

Edward smiled almost sadly. "I'm going on a camping trip with Emmett for the weekend, starting tomorrow and ending Monday."

Oh yeah! Canon. A thing that still exists regardless of my struggles or personal drama.

"Then I'll see you Tuesday and have an answer by then."

"I was hoping you would agree to me driving you home actually. You've been swaying this entire time and I really don't think it's safe for you to be behind the wheel of such a large vehicle if certain things can make you this unsettled."

I stared him down and then at the truck. "How are you getting home, Flash? Running back?"

"And risk your nosy neighbors seeing me? No. Alice will be there, waiting to pick me up."

I wonder if they coordinated that or not. He didn't really need to tell Alice something, all he had to do was make a decision that involved her and then she would see a Vision about it and act accordingly.

All I want to know is how I somehow ended up getting driven home by Edward, just like canon-Bella did!

all he did was ask me the most basic ask questions ever. Like 20 Questions or some shit! Like we're children getting to know each other for the first time!

It was kinda funny and kinda awkward how he, as a supposedly infatuated man, was behaving.

But hey, I learned that he really likes jazz and poetry, and he apparently really dislikes the feeling of fresh fish?

"Hey, dad?" Still so hard to call him that when he's this damn hot.

Charlie looked up from the Clam Chowder I'd made for us. He'd been on his second serving so far and had seemed to be enjoying himself. I'd waited until he was mostly full and closer to being sleepy before choosing to spring this on him.

"I was asked out today."

It was like he'd gotten summons to go to war or something. His face became grim and concerned, mustache turning downward instantly. "Already?"

That got a laugh. "It's not the first offer I've gotten since moving, it's just the only one that I'm kind of interested in." Because Edward isn't a literal child despite the age in which he'd been turned.

Charlie's mustache twitched. "There were others?"

"Yeah. Anyway, Edward Cullen is the one who asked today. The one that pulled me out of the way of the car. We sit next to each other in Biology and talk now and then. He's also witnessed me turning down everyone else who's asked me out thus far, and heard me explain why I'm not going to the spring dance coming up. So he asked if I'd go on a date with him since I'm not getting involved in that mess."

Charlie contemplated my words for a moment. "Where would you both be going?"

"Well, since there are no good films out right now, I suggested staying here and teaching him how to play video games."

"A teen boy doesn't play video games?"

I snorted. "Edward seems like the kind of guy who listens to classical music and reads Jane Austen for fun. I don't think he's ever touched a console controller a day in his life. His older brothers on the other hand, I'm not so sure about."

I'm pretty sure Emmett is into gaming. I think an Xbox was mentioned in the series at some point.

There was a shrewd look on Charlie's face. "What makes Edwin so different from the others that you'd think of saying yes to him."

Hmm…

"Excluding attractiveness, since the whole family seems to be dripping with good looks, it's the maturity."

I'm not lying.

Obviously, Charlie didn't understand.

"I like Mike, Eric, and Tyler very much. They're good friends and it's nice to talk about our shared interests. Still, whenever they're around, I feel somewhat like an adult surrounded by kids. I cannot be attracted emotionally or any other way, to someone that I view as an inexperienced, overexcited child. I've always felt older than my peers and have rarely connected to those in my own age group. I was the kid who avoided children and sat with adults and actually understood what was going on. It leaves a mark on you after long enough."

All very true on my end. Probably on Bella's end too. She'd never been very good at being a 'normal teen'. Or, in the words of many haters, Bella's introversion, social anxiety, and depression made her abnormal as a teen and if she was 'normal' she would have been outgoing and happy all the time.

Yeah, it's dumb. People acting like being an introvert is some kind of character flaw irritates me so much.

"It's far more tolerable to teach someone too mature and stern to loosen up and have fun for once, than it is to make a childish person grow up in time so you are on the same level intellectually."

That sounded so mean when I said it out loud but it is damn well the truth. I am a twenty-five year old woman in the body of a fucking seventeen year old. I am an adult. I have adult experiences. I can't emotionally connect to teenagers that well. Especially ones in the early 2000s before the internet went crazy and exposed them to the rest of the world.

My entire explanation seemed to send Charlie on a spiral of his own.

"That's a lot to handle, Bells."

"Yeah."

He sighed. "I suppose it's fine if you stay here… so long as you keep your door open the entire time. And make certain there's food available. Hospitality is important."

I smiled. "You're awesome."

"And it doesn't just have to be that night. Any night is fine to have visitors but they will have to leave by the time I turn in for the evening."

Damn! That was a lot of leeway since Charlie went to bed at ten on the dot.

"Thanks!"

New plan.

I've decided to pull out the heels. If I acquaint Bella's body with them, it'll be easier to whip them out whenever I want to. Besides, they're only three inches which is incredibly short compared to my prior experience in heels. Also, the heels have straps so there's more support than the average high-heeled shoe.

When I walked into the English in heels, I found Jessica gaping at me while staring very tellingly at my legs.

"Your legs look so good with them!" she said excitedly. "Are you, perhaps, wearing them for a special reason?" she asked, wiggling her brows. "An Edward Cullen-shaped reason?"

I snorted. "I like how they make my legs look. Anyone else's enjoyment is purely coincidental, I assure you."

She didn't let the disappointment linger as she proceeded to ask, "So what did he want at lunch?"

That got a laugh as I recalled his words at my truck yesterday. "I bulldozed that conversation too. He had to wait at my truck to finally say what he wanted. I feel a bit bad about it, actually. It's just that when I get going on a topic I will keep going."

"What did you say that made you monopolize the conversation so badly?"

How to put it?

"Um… I may have insinuated that his family comes across as inconsiderate toward the less fortunate by how they waste money every day on food they never seem to eat."

Jessica's gaping face returned. "Really?" She sounded honestly horrified.

"Yeah. It's been bugging me for a while and seeing his whole tray of untouched food set me off again."

She shook her head in exasperation. "Only you, Bella."

"What?"

"Only you would call out the hottest, richest boy in school for his questionable behavior. Most people are too starstruck or uncomfortable around him to consider anything that closely." And then her eyes turned light with mischief again. "Which means you pay him a lot of attention, huh?"

I sighed. "Yeah, sure. Anyway, he asked me out."

Mr. Varner whistled for the class' attention before she could begin grilling me for details. I got a kick out of it and smiled like an ass the entire class period.

The painful length of English was killing Jessica on the inside. Her leg bounced the entire time and she kept sending me irritated looks.

I don't pass notes in class. Never liked doing it and I especially don't like physically writing if I don't have to. She knows my distaste for the practice so she won't be getting any information out of me in such a way. Basically, she'll have to wait for Spanish or Lunch.

Am I evil? Yes.

Is it fun? Also yes.

The beach trip. I forgot about that.

See, canon isn't being followed to a perfect T so I keep forgetting events that are supposed to be happening. Since I'm not actually Bella, I know the plot of Twilight, and know almost everything written about every character, I don't have the same setbacks. My decisions are informed ones and I never feel like a naïve moron for not knowing anything.

So yeah, the beach.

On one hand, the beach. On the other, socializing.

It's a toss up really. Do I value the experience of going to the beach more than I resent the idea of being in the public eye for however long it will take? Is the view worth the time spent? These are the questions that haunt me.

Eventually though, I decided that I would join everybody at the beach because I wanted to take some good photos. I want to see a driftwood fire. I want to see the tide pool Bella apparently almost drowned in when she was a kid. I want to see the sunset on the water.

God, I wish good cell phones existed right now.

I miss the quality of the pictures I could take. I'm gonna have to buy a shitty camera and then remember to scroll before hitting the button. i haven't had to do that in ages!

Charlie is thrilled that I'm going out and getting sunlight with others his daughter's age. He even forked over some extra cash for any stops for food along the way. I like money.

La Push was really fucking pretty. I like the overall vibe of the beach. Sitting in the sand and letting the water rush over me is relaxing. Also tempting in a sense. I used to like to see if it could dislodge me from my place without me having to move at all. Once I was dragged out pretty far and was barely able to swim back to my mom!

Both Angela and Jessica had been super excited to see me in front of Mike's family's shop this morning.

"Did you bring a bathing suit?" Jessica asked.

"I don't have one of those."

"A wetsuit then?"

"I don't have one of those either. I was just going to hope for the best."

Angela sent Jessica a smile and said, "Lucky for you, Jess brought an extra just in case."

"I must be clairvoyant or something," Jessica said seriously as she fished out said backup wetsuit from her massive pink tote. "Though I always bring an extra just to be safe. I also brought extra spanx. You can just keep them, the whole pack is new. For the suit, just rinse it off in your bathtub tonight and give it back on Monday. Angela has extra towels too."

I really didn't think this through that much. I brought a duffle bag with sunscreen, a butt pad, a towel, a CD player, some CDs, a book, a disposable camera, and a pack of hair ties. I hadn't really thought of much else to be honest.

"Thanks, guys." I was touched at just how helpful they both were.

Mike's mom, a nice, middle-aged woman with smile lines and bright blue eyes like her son's, let me use the shop's bathroom to change. I could feel the warmth already just with such a thin skin-tight layer under my clothes. The water would be nothing.

When I came out, I gave a thumbs up to the collected teens who had all finally gathered. With two hair ties in hand, I bent my head over and gathered the long mess into a high ponytail. Once formed, I twisted the hair over and over and then wrapped it around the base of the tail and secured it with three loops of the second tie.

Lauren was gaping. "That took like five seconds and yet it's clean and smooth."

I shrugged. "I've been doing it that way for years." My hair originally was very thick and kinky, and sometimes it was just faster to throw it into a ponytail than to invest the labor necessary to brush it out. Brushing days tended to coincide with washing days, and they took time. And delicate handling. It was a struggle, and the privilege Bella had with her damn smooth hair was so unfair but also beneficial for me now.

I do miss my original hair though. It made me feel unique in a sense.

She proceeded to mimic my methods and came out with a perfectly formed bun like mine. No bumps or stray hairs either. The benefit of Caucasian hair I suppose.

"We all ready?" Mike asked, jingling his keys.

Every one nodded and we piled into the available vehicles. I rode with Mike and Jessica, and a few other teens I knew but didn't know well, if that made sense. Tyler, who didn't lose his license and wasn't in any legal trouble despite the accident, got Lauren, Angela, and everyone else.

The ride was a decent amount of time. Enough for us to stop at McDonald's for an early lunch. I got through a whole CD and half of another by the time we arrived at La Push. Evanescence went hard as fuck! I forgot just how good Fallen was.

The sun was peeking through the clouds by now. The weather was decent. In the fifties with no wind or rain. Considering it was like late March, this was the best you could get for a beach trip.

We made a spot for our group down on the sand by some seat-like tree roots, towels laid out for each person along with our bags to claim our space. Mike's family's shop basically had everything one needed for an outdoor adventure. He had the means to start a fire, a first aid kit, a few gallons of gasoline in case we ran out somehow, stuff in case we broke down, and road salt.

There was already a fire pit thankfully, so Mike didn't have to do too much work to get a fire going. And, because I'm the newbie of the group, they all waited with baited breath for me to witness the reaction of driftwood when it burned.

The camera was out seconds later so I could get some good shots of the blue and green flames. This would have been a great Instagram moment.

"The salt in the wood causes the reaction," said Mike. "It's almost magical in a way."

"Nature can be magical all on its own," I agreed. "In Venezuela, there are lightning storms that occur over the Catatumbo River which last for hours and happen about 160 days out of the year. In Maldives, the waters contain bioluminescent organisms that make the beaches look like they're glowing at night."

"I want to go," Angela sighed with longing.

"Same."

As a group, we basically attacked the water. The water was dark even while the bit of sand available was almost pure white. But there were massive stones lining the beach all the way out to the cliffs. The myriad of colors were worth a picture on the film roll.

Jessica's loaned wetsuit fit me perfectly. We weren't very different in size save for her having a bit more hip than I. It was nice to be on a beach and not feel super self-conscious about myself.

I was only a little self-conscious which meant the anxiety was small enough for me to ignore it. Besides, after thoroughly turning down everyone who has asked me out thus far, their individual interest seems to have faded. Friendship only, please and thank you.

No one is really looking at me here. They're too busy trying to dunk each other and searching the sand beneath our feet for shells that might not be there. I'm not actually being watched and judged at the moment. I can enjoy myself.

The motions of the water were soothing. Even with all the noise I felt at peace and couldn't wait for the hotdogs Tyler had brought along his massive ass cooler. He'd also gotten bratwursts but I'm not much into those.

I want a charred hotdog covered in horseradish so bad. The burnt meat goes so well with the bite of the horseradish.

After a considerable amount of time in the water, some of the group decided to go on a nice little hike to the tide pools. The thing I looked forward to the most. I grabbed my towel, tied it around my waist, and set off with the disposable camera in hand.

The trek wasn't very long and unlike how Bella described it since she apparently lacked any sense of coordination. The sun had really come out by now so when we arrived, I was able to get some really good pictures that I was sure would come out pretty damn well.

There were shells, plantlife, and various kinds of fish and eels amidst the pools. I had the familiar urge to touch, but refrained. They were all trapped until high tide and my ass disrupting them wouldn't be appreciated. Besides, Eric had fallen into a tide pool and ended up collecting some empty shells and stones in the middle of his predicament.

He gave me one of the shells and decided to share his treasure with the other girls. Of course, this prompted the other boys to be dumb and go hunting for things to give as gifts as well. I had to talk a kid named Ben into putting a starfish back because it was still alive and didn't deserve to die just so he could impress Angela.

Of course mentioning Angela got Eric's attention and he and Ben seemed to declare some silent war about impressing her then and there.

So I walked away with opals, shells, and some kind of rock that had what looked like the imprint of a millipede wrapped around it. I'm hoping it's a fossil because that would be awesome. Anyway, I didn't even have to do anything to get some souvenirs. That is the best part to be honest. The boys were being boys and I benefitted in the end.

Also, Jessica was super thrilled to be presented with Mike's findings. It was that 'Heart Eyes, Motherfucker' Vine but in real life.

There was hope for these teen messes around me.

Also, I got my hotdog! It was waiting for me when we got back to the fire! Angela is a sweet bean! To make everything better, Lauren brought a whole cooler full of drinks and most of them were Fanta! It's been so long since I've had Fanta of any sort.

I wonder when I stopped drinking the things I drank as a kid.

I haven't had HI-C in a long time too. Next time I go to Mickey D's, I'm getting a Large.

So we ended up going to McDonald's on the way back. I got my Hi-C and it slapped so much!

But that's not the important bit.

I got to see Jacob Black again. Him and a whole shit load of the boys from the reservation. None of them look like anyone from the films even though some names were familiar. I don't know how to feel about that honestly.

Jacob flirted but since I'm not Bella and I don't need to flirt to get information out of him, I didn't respond in any way. We basically ended up talking about drift racing and how well the Chevy was holding up in the weather.

Yes, drift racing.

I think it's cool, Jacob thinks it ruins cars. His issue isn't anything to do with danger. It's all about potentially ruining a car. As a mechanic it hurts his very soul to think about it.

Need for Speed Underground never really showed the true perils of crashing during drift racing. It was all pretty tame. You spent more time customizing your car to the song "Low" than doing anything else, just because you wanted to hear the song over and over.

Though while dangerous and possibly a pain in the ass to fix if something bad happens, I still think it's pretty cool.

Basically I got home around nine in the evening. Charlie was still up watching TV and waved when I got in. "You have fun?" There was a pizza box on the sofa.

"Yeah," I said, surprised to find that it was true.

"Even with how many people there were?"

"Even then. I got to swim. Got to see a driftwood fire. Got to see the tide pools. And the boys had a competition on who could find the coolest gifts for the girls so I have a pocketful of shells and fossils that were bestowed upon me without me having to do anything."

I showed him my favorite shell, which was white/grey on the outside but had a sort of grey/purple ombre going on inside. I loved it. "Saw Jacob Black and some of his friends too. We had a discussion about the lack of foresight in drift racing."

Charlie's expression was one of complete shock. "You went swimming?"

"Jessica brought an extra wetsuit. It was pretty cool and dead useful considering how it didn't get that warm today. I think I ate like five hotdogs too. My hair is still wet so I want to wash it before the salt dries in it."

"Well… I'm glad you had fun, Bells."

"Me too." I think it went even better because I knew who was going. Like, if I hadn't been informed of who was going ahead of time that probably would have ruined it for me. I had more time to prepare myself mentally, basically.

I went through my usual nightly ritual except with the addition of rinsing off the wetsuit and leaving it to dry. Jessica said she had the cleaner for it at home and all I had to do was unzip every zipper and soak it in some cold water for a few minutes. Then rinse it off just to be safe. This would get the sand and salt out for the most part.

Before going to bed, I set up my souvenirs on the desk and arranged them in a way I liked, in order maximize their beauty.

I then got out the diary.

Dear Diary,

I socialized like a normal young adult today. This might have been the first
time I've done this in over a year. I actually had fun and I am pretty damn
shocked about it. I hadn't had high expectations but maybe that is why I'd
had a great time!

Even since Covid hit, I'd been doing my job by avoiding public spaces when
I didn't have to restock on food. And then when I was out of the hospital, I
still stayed home as was expected of me, save for the times I had a doctor's
appointment.

And it's not like I was a social butterfly before the pandemic. I have never
been one and I never will be one. Still, I liked having the option available.
Any time I decided I wanted to go for a bike ride, I could just get my bike,
go outside, and do it.

It IS like invitations. I oftentimes did not want to go to certain events but
I still appreciated being invited to them since it meant someone thought
about me. It's nice when people show that they care.

So I decided to step out of my comfort zone today and join the group on
an excursion to the beach. La Push was very nice and the least beach-like
beach I've ever seen to be honest. There were more rocks than sand, and
the forest was really close to the water. It felt like a scene in a early 2000s
music video in a sense.

Going to the beach reminded me of Carmen and her little brother Manuel.
I haven't thought about them all that much since I ended up in Twilight. I
don't really like to address the things that bother me personally otherwise
they'll feel more real that way. I have an avoidant personality when I have
to address my own problems. What can I say?

Still, I guess I have to. Carmen was the best kind of friend anybody could
hope for. She was my hype man. She encouraged me to keep writing even
when I worried that no one would like my stories. Carmen even trusted me
to give Manuel The Talk since their parents refused to do it even though he
was twelve and asking questions because he saw things online.

My mom gave me the Talk when I was seven because I had questions and
observations. I was told I was too young and that if it was that important,
to go and get a dictionary. Well I did. I learned all the technical terms for
everything and made my own assumptions. I then confronted my mom with
those assumptions and she was so mortified that she had to sit me down and
correct my thinking or else things would go south very quickly in the future.

That was how I ended up being the most informed kid in school. And also
why I ended up walking others through The Talk a lot.

I kinda miss those days. Where someone actually needed my help and they
relied on me to be useful. I hate feeling useless.

And it isn't as if I feel useless right now, but repeating high school again is
NOT very fun. Trig is kicking my ass in the worst way. I hate it. I'm queer, I
am NOT meant for math!

On the plus side I have two arms again. And I get to relive some of the best
moments in pop culture. And I get to challenge the core elements of Twilight
and see if I can change anything. I'm kind of scared to go too far off the script,
but at the same time, I can't make myself follow along that much.

Contrary might as well be my middle name by now.

I'm tired.

I think I should learn French next.

See you next night,
Bonita.

Sunday was a day to just relax. I played some video games, watched some anime, baked some bread; it was a good time.

I then made stuffed shells in the evening for Charlie, who hadn't ever had them before, how the fuck? Not sure but with some good old bread, the meal went over swimmingly.

On Monday morning, I handed Jessica the now dry wetsuit. "I followed instructions, I promise."

She tossed it into the back of her car and grinned. "I see you're in heels again."

Her suggestive tone got an eye roll. "He's out camping with his family and won't be back until tomorrow. This is for me alone, I assure you."

Obviously she didn't believe me completely, which is fine.

I had worn my lovely shoes all day on Friday and didn't stumble once. Also, my feet didn't hurt all that much when I got to the truck at the end of the day. I'm taking this as a good sign. The amount of weight placed on the balls of my feet is very little in the long run because Bella is so thin.

She weighs less than a hundred pounds which is... a new experience for me. Like, there is a scale in the bathroom at Charlie's house and the number 99 has not moved no matter how much I eat or how active I am. That's... hard to digest honestly. My best friend had been this thin and her doctor had her on a ridiculous diet where she had to eat more calories than an adult man because she wouldn't put on weight no matter how much she ate and how little she was active.

I watched her go from 104lbs to 88lbs in Senior High and it was hell to watch. You ever see someone who is a Size 00? That was her and it really fucked her up because her doctor couldn't tell what was wrong. He made all kinds of appointments for her, and she went through all kinds of tests and yet nothing.

It wasn't an eating disorder apparently. She was eating just fine, mostly carbs which is an obsession I can get behind with no problem. But she wasn't involved in sports and her only exercise was walking to school, which was just across the street for her, and Gym Class twice a week.

The weight loss made no sense to anyone. Even with all these shots she had to get and these calorie-enriched foods, nothing seemed to help her.

I may have wanted to be a bit thinner so I could at least fit into cute clothes sold in cute shops and not have to stick to the fucking tan, white, and black for everything - while also paying an arm and a leg for fucking clothes! - but I don't think I ever wanted to be this skinny. Like, what if Bella's body starts losing excessive weight too! What am I supposed to do about that?!

See, I got that chubby experience, I don't know what I'm doing here!

The impending worry about weight already... ah, another product of the early 2000s I see.

I remember the fashion. I remember seeing how super thin every girl in every marketing scheme was. I remember the obsession for skinny jeans, which were actually pretty cute in other colors. I remember how flat tummies were pushed so heavily around this time and how having a uterus was demonized despite how it's natural and just a part of our bodies.

It's just... hard to be a girl in such an environment.

God, I haven't had to think this way in quite some time.

Guess you can be influenced by things you thought you'd left behind long ago.

Perhaps I should stop weighing myself for now on. Maybe that's the best place to start with this.

I don't want to be a slave to beauty standards made popular by old white men trying to hide their obvious racism behind some kind of claim that they're marginalized for being into fashion or whatever. No thanks.

Hmm... I wonder if I'm going to have to have a talk with the girls to make certain they aren't doing anything potentially dangerous to their own health just to fit in. It never ended well that way.

"So you coming with us to Port Angeles?"

I blinked back into awareness to find Jessica watching me expectantly.

"Port Angeles?" Right! That was now! I forgot that it happened before Edward was supposed to get back from his hunting trip with his family. See, it was actually revealed that he got back way earlier but because of the sunny skies he wouldn't have been able to come back to school anyway. So he just lingered in the woods nearby, watching and waiting.

Kind of creepy, and kind of sweet.

Desperately in need of boundaries though.

"We're going shopping for dresses for the dance!"

That too.

"You have to get a new dress? You can't just wear one you already have?"

I didn't go to school dances, sue me. Where I lived you had to pay for that shit and it certainly wasn't worth it in my opinion!

Jessica looked as if I'd sucker-punched her in the gut or something. "No! Absolutely not! You need to wear something new and unique every time so that you can stick out in people's memories! You can't be an outfit-repeater!"

"Well, my name isn't Lizzie Maguire so I guess not," I mumbled, making her giggle.

"You got that? I'm so glad!" I remember old Disney shows when they weren't shit. Though I have to be honest and say I liked That's So Raven a lot more. It was just much cooler to me and much closer to my life and experiences to be honest.

"Don't be angry if I don't get anything," I told her as we entered the school. "I'm not much into shopping overall and I'm probably not good at fashion either. I like to rely on something that never goes out of style. All black ensemble for me, thanks." Black shirt, black jeans, black flats.

"Maybe you can get some new heels," she suggested. "Maybe a pair of stilettos!"

"For cheap? I doubt it."

"We can even go thrifting, don't worry."

I know I don't have to worry all too much right now because Mike was going to ask Jessica out and she would reschedule the outing for tomorrow. So I at least had time to prepare myself for that!

See... here I am faced with a dilemma. I wanted to go to Port Angeles with the girls and do all those cool hangout things teens typically did. Yet I also knew what would happen in Port Angeles. I'm not dumb and I have a fucking stellar memory for things I'm obsessed with. Twilight was an obsession of mine in my earlier youth, okay? I'm pretty sure I know everything ever made about every character, even those I don't care about.

I know so much information about some many books and anime/manga that it isn't funny. And when it came to musicians, I'm the biggest swifties ever. I'm basically an unpaid FBI Agent as a result of being in that fandom since its inception. I retain information about my obsessions to an alarming degree, and my ability to hyper-focus on something in unparalleled.

Port Angeles was not a good time for Bella Swan. She just wanted to find a fucking book and assuage her curiosity over the potential Edward being some kind of supernatural creature. Instead she had to go dress shopping while depressed and then almost got raped on a suspiciously deserted street in the middle of a literal port city.

And like, nothing bad actually happened because her not-so-fanged stalker saved the day, but still! I ain't about that life.

I've changed a lot of things, even if the results of the car crash remained the same. While the surrounding plot managed to be different, the basic details of the first 4 Key Points stayed the same no matter my efforts.

Key Point #1: Bella Swan moves to Forks Washington and her Singer blood ends up sending Edward fleeing for the icy mountains of Alaska. This then adds to the curiosity of the whole obsession between the lovers and amps up the drama a thousand fold.

Key Point #2: Bella Swan nearly gets flattened by a automobile, is saved by Edward Cullen, and ends up in the hospital where she meets Carlisle Cullen.

Key Point #3: Bella Swan and Edward Cullen sit down and talk at lunch. Afterward, Bella ends up having to be driven home early by Edward because she gets ill in Biology. The two end up talking any chance that get and getting closer to an extent.

Key Point #4: Bella Swan goes to the beach and hears about the Cullens VS Quileutes drama.

And now we're moving on the Key Point #5, which consists of the night in Port Angeles and how it leads to our two heroes admitting their truths and obsessions and deciding to spend more time together. Instead of being weirded out like normal people would be, they just become even more obsessed. I'm not making this shit up!

All these points are considered key because they further the main plot which is the vampire and human love affair. The key points push them further into each other's orbit. So dangling before me is the Port Angeles part of the plot. The fifth of the Key Plot Points.

What do I do?

I want to go because I like window shopping and I like being an audience member of the fashion show that usually occurs as a result. I like watching basically. I also need to drop something off at Blockbuster and possible get something else to watch in the meantime. After all, I have preparations to make.

But the group of rapists... I know in canon, thanks to Midnight Sun, that Edward enlists Carlisle's assistance to bring them in justice, but like... how can I make that happen without interacting with them myself? I don't actually know what they look like. But I don't want to find them just to find out.

But if I don't, then who will?

Again, I can't seem to ignore Key Points. I ended up being driven home by Edward despite not having a fear of blood. Why? Because I'm scared of fucking needles. All because I had to give bone marrow a few times in my life and it hurt enough to leave me with problems. Not the same situation as Bella but enough to make me have to participate in Key Point #3!

And then I went to the beach with the gang and dealt somewhat with Key Point #4 as well. I already had the information on my side though so I'm not sure it counts.

The car crash proved that trying to mess with Fate is dangerous. If I try to avoid it, it's mostly likely still going to happen. Maybe not to me specifically, but to someone. Or, it'll happen to them and me but at separate incidents. Tyler wasn't the one who almost crushed me. Not like how his canon self almost did to Bella Swan. Someone else almost killed me and their actions couldn't be blamed on Tyler because they showed up after all the crashing was finished and they were the only person driving in the parking lot at the time. So while it wasn't to the letter of canon, I still ended up in the hospital over a car crash.

So if I don't go tot Port Angeles, is some other girl out there going to be raped by those men? Or maybe one of my friends since they're all going? And even if I don't go myself, am I even safe in Charlie's house?

I put all that effort into avoiding the car crash and still ended up in danger. Would barricading myself in Charlie's house for the night be safe enough? What would Fate do to me in response? Am I still going to be saved by Edward Cullen to fulfil the plot?

This is the most fucked up shit I've ever had to be a part of and I hate it. This isn't the fun part of Twilight. Having foreknowledge isn't as easy burden to handle. And knowing that I probably can't avoid all the bad stuff is making my anxiety skyrocket!

"Are you sure you don't want to get a dress as well?" Angela asked as she rifled through her wallet to double check her funds for the trip... for the fourth time since we'd left. "I think you'd look really great in a nice, deep blue. We can totally find something."

She and I were in the backseat so that the BFFs that were Jessica and Lauren could sit up front together. Occasionally I saw Jessica looking in the rearview mirror to make eye contact with me as if she couldn't just hear me responding to Angela's questions when she was just a foot away. She always seemed a bit worried that I was going to disappear.

"I'm really not much into skirts and dresses," I confessed. It was a spill over from my old life. No matter what I did, I didn't look good in extra long, flowing garments. Just because the body I'm in now is all conventionally thin doesn't mean I'm suddenly comfortable with it, you know? "I do like high heels though. Maybe I can find a new pair of those."

Bella had nice legs. I could look like a long lost member of the Girls' Generation if I find some red skinny jeans and red heels. That would be awesome!

Imagine, YouTube becomes a thing and I invest in it because it becomes so massive in the future! Me, a YouTuber! HA!

Still though, it would seem to be a much smarter thing than like Instagram. Decent-looking thin girls doing KPOP dances on YouTube. Nothing new or unique there, even in the early days of YouTube. I would simply die if I can actually do all those complex dances in high heels and not break my neck though. Like that one channel I'd subscribed to in 2010. Oof!

"Your legs look good in heels," Jessica said helpfully from he front seat. Like the third time she'd said it overall too. Lauren snorted and rolled her eyes but said nothing.

She wasn't wrong. Bella's legs did look very nice in heels and I intend to make good use of that. "Thanks." Again.

I did go to Port Angeles specifically for the Blockbuster and no other reason really. I didn't pay much attention to anything else since I didn't give a damn about looking for dresses for a dance. However, the rest all knew it very well and Jessica headed straight for the one department store in the whole place. A small city and only one department store for fuck sake.

"Is there like, a theme to the dance or something?" I asked as we parked and double-checked our stuff.

"Not sure about theme but the dress code is semi-formal, whatever that means," Jessica said with a thoughtful frown. "That wasn't the requirement last time there was a dance. Last time was 60's Pop."

Hm... "Think of a wedding and how everyone usually wears plain colors and no excessive patterns or decorations in order to not outshine the bride? No other women wear white for example, but they also tend to refrain from sequins, laces, and other accoutrements that would make them stand out too much. So like, solid dark colors are totally fine in that environment. Solid light colors would have to be a bit more careful so long as they aren't too busy in design. So no clashing patterns, no hip-high slits in the dressed, full-on studs, or even sequins. That is pretty formal to me. Something worn to like a wedding or a funeral I guess."

I'm not much into formal dress to be honest.

"Semi-formal is only slightly formal. The root word is 'semi' and it comes from Latin and means 'partial'. So following the lines of how you might dress at a wedding or funeral, now tweak it a bit to fit a high school dance. Instead of plain black, empire waist dress, you can now have it as a leopard print with black lace sleeves, for example, still respectful and following the rules, not now you'll stand out a bit."

The girls all stared at me like I was crazy.

"I thought you didn't like fashion." said Lauren, proving she'd paid attention what I said earlier for some reason. I never would have expected her to listen to me of all people. There'd be no reason to.

"I don't. Mostly because what's considered in fashion is ugly as fuck to me," I told her. "But because of Renee, I have had to go to formal events with her before. She wasn't always an elementary school teacher after all, and she's an extrovert with a shit ton of friends." It was only a partial lie. Renee obviously wasn't always a teacher. I don't know what she did before it, but no one can challenge me on whether they went on formal outings before. No one but Charlie knew her here.

"So then you can be a big help!" Jessica declared, linking our arms together. "Let's go!"

The dress section wasn't as big as I'd expected one in a department store to be. Although it wasn't a Burlington, I expected a bit more if I'm being honest.

"The pickings are slim," I murmured in distaste as I felt up some pink satin cloth on a hanger on a very empty rack. "Is there nowhere else to look. Even a thrift store can occasionally have a Coach piece."

Lauren seemed to be the most interested in what I had to say just then. "You'd go to a thrift store?"

"Hell yeah. I would prefer not to waste money if it isn't necessary. Renee was never good with money despite having a decent salary. I handled the checkbook and finances," since that sounded like something canon Bella did. "But she now has a husband who is good at it as well and I can trust him to not lead her astray. I also like yard sales because you can get a steal on some things."

The dress-picking carried on from there. While those three grabbed multiple items to try on, I lingered near the shoes, trying to find something interesting to try on. When it came to fashion trends I only paid attention to the ones that had a significant effect on things. So like, the emo phase was pretty damn strong. Even bleeding over into other styles. I remember that time very well plus my obsession with covering one eye with my painfully ironed(burned) hair and excessive use of eye liner.

A lot of the available shoes were black boots with chunky heels. While I like those, they aren't exactly what I'm interested in. It's hard to feel the ground under such a thick sole after all and I'm more prone to breaking my ankle that way.

A high heel with a pointed toe is not new and will probably never go out of style. My mom's pair from the eighties looked the same as a new pair I bought in 2018. Thirty years and that was one thing that certainly didn't change.

Finally, my eyes landed on a shiny, black pair of shoes. The heels was significantly high and the inside was a bright red. The point of the toe was almost lethal. They were hot and there were now mine. I don't give a fuck what anyone says. I'll be as tall as Taylor Swift in these things.

My size and everything. I am living! I don't know why, but The Final Countdown started playing in my head.

I joined the girls in the dressing room, holding up my prize as if it was most precious thing in the world. "I have a new pair of shoes!" I plopped down in one of the offered chairs and slipped off my flats. Thank God for Peds. The shoes slipped on easily and I stood up to get the full effect.

Jessica whistled, staring openly at how long the made my legs look. Even with the heels on, I was still shorter than Angela though. I knew she was tall from the book but I didn't realize how tall!

"Can you even walk in them? "asked Lauren.

"Yep!"

I proceeded to walk a bit and do a few turns. They remained stable and my ankles and knees didn't protest. "I like them. Paired with some black clothes and I'll be a knockoff Audrey Hepburn."

"Didn't she wear flats?" Jessica asked in confusion.

"Yeah, but I like to feel tall."

Lauren snorted suddenly, "That 70s Show? Really?"

Oh my God, Lauren understood the reference! Damn. "Maybe," I conceded. "Jess, the blue one looks really good on you," I said, diverting the attention from me to a more important topic.

Said blue dress was powder blue and went really well with her skin tone. "A nice waterfall braid would go really well with it," I murmured. "You'd look like a fairy."

"What's a waterfall braid?" she asked.

Jessica doesn't know about waterfall braids!

"Hold still for a moment." I proceeded to hastily craft the very style I was thinking of, on the left side of her head. It was a bit crudely done, but with more time and effort, plus good products, it could look stunning. Especially with some of those little butterfly clips that she loved wearing so much. She's worn them tons of times since I'd moved here.

"I'M SOLD!" She announced upon seeing the style for herself. "Gold or bronze eye shadow?"

I put my hands up in surrender and looked to Lauren since she was the second most fashion-conscious person here. "Gold," she decided with ease. "So you can wear that gold necklace and those gold bangles you got last Christmas"

Jessica gasped. "I could look like a Greek Goddess!"

The dress did give that kind of vibe in the shaping of it. If it was white it'd be pretty spot on with something people wear in films about Ancient Greece. Not exactly like a toga but there was a resemblance in there.

Now that Jessica was taken care of, I turned to Angela and Lauren who were still undecided. Lauren had a silver dress with an empire waistline in her left hand, and a crimson red sundress-like dress in her right hand. "For your skin tone I'd go with more vibrant colors," I said. "White and silver will make you look washed out because you're so fair-skinned and your hair is so light blonde."

Take Elsa for example. If the Disney animators put her in white, she'd just end up looking like the White Witch from the Narnia films. Which is creepy and not something to aspire to for a kid's film. The skin tone and nearly white hair already washed her out. If her eyes weren't such a vibrant shade of blue then she'd look a bit unnerving. So they put her in a contrasting dress that went very well with her eyes. Can't say much for the outfits chosen for the sequel though.

Lauren stared longingly at the silver dress.

"You don't have to follow my advice," I made certain to assure her. "Do what makes you happy above all else. I'm just saying that is you want to make a particular statement that is more fashion-forward, you wouldn't go for the light-to-white colors. It's a high school dance, not the end of the world. There will be many other dances to go to. If you do it and it doesn't work out this time, you'll still have more attempts in the future."

Also, Tyler will think she's hot no matter what so there really is no loss for her. She's popular, pretty, and has the guy she wants. Lauren is set for high school.

As for Angela, she seemed really fascinated by the shimmery fabric of a golden champagne flute-style dress. As she was incredibly tall, the way the fabric just hung straight to the floor made her legs seem like they were a mile long. Her feet were also in light gold kitten heels because the dress was actually just a bit too long on her six foot self. When she moved, the dress flowed in an almost slinky fashion. Like golden water.

"I like it," I said firmly.

"It makes me look even taller though."

"So? Tall women are hot as hell. Step on me, queen!"

That got a round of snickers as Angela flushed. "But what if my date doesn't like that I'm taller than him?"

"Then he's an asshole and you'll know never to give him the time of day ever again. If a guy is seriously threatened by you being naturally taller than him, he is of weak stock and is the last person you should go to for anything. Leave him to his mediocre existence and find someone better."

Angela's pleased flush was a win for me. She was a bean who deserved nothing but good things.

"Hey, after this, can we go to Blockbuster? I need to get something new to watch and maybe rent a new game."

SIDE B

I couldn't help but follow Bella's trek to Biology, mostly because I was curious about what would happen, but partially because she looked like she was walking to the gallows. The mere mention of needles left her looking paler than even me, which is a feat in and or itself!

She claimed to have had horrible experience with needles, and I am aware that the needles necessary for a Bone Marrow Biopsy are large. They have to be due to the nature of their existence. It also isn't exactly an easy experience because while the skin may be numbed, they can't exactly numb anything else. And if there ended up being complications because of the penetration, it could be severe.

A human's body not healing from such a thing could lead to infection, as Bella suggested, and maybe even worse down the road.

But why would she need to go through such a thing? While her medical history was fraught with danger and disaster for what seemed to be her entire life, there was nothing quite so serious that required bone marrow to be tested. She didn't have cancer or even a history of having an abundance of white blood cells during any of her blood tests.

It was just a little strange.

When Bella walked into Biology, Mike noticed her instantly, and his immediate concern was, She looks like she's going to puke. I hope she doesn't puke on me. Maybe she'll puke on Cullen.

He even attempted to speak with her but she either ignored him or was too lost in her own thoughts and never heard him.

Mr. Banner was passing out permission slips for the blood drive happening next week in Port Angeles. He enumerated how useful such donations were to hospitals and how it could mean life or death for a sick individual. Most of the students didn't care though as they were more concerned about schoolwork, homework, the upcoming dance, and whether or not anything interesting would be in the theaters in the coming weeks.

From Mike's point of view, Bella didn't seem interested in doing it either. She had buried her head in the crook of her elbow, while extending her other arm.

Mr. Banner took notice of how she wasn't working like the other students that I strived to ignore in this very moment, not wanting to be tempted in the slightest. "Bella, are you alright?" She's one of those ones, huh? Poor girl. There's always one.

Bella didn't disappoint. "I have like... a minor fear of needles," was her reply, in which she never even moved to make eye contact with him. "I don't think I'll be able to do it myself." Her voice sounded so fragile and weak and I worried that she might pass out right there in class.

She offered up her shaking free hand. "If you would please do it quickly for me? I really can't do it myself."

I tuned out the next several moments, not willing to chance anything. Just because I couldn't smell it didn't mean the sight wouldn't affect me. Better to be safe than sorry.

After exactly three minutes had passed, I checked back in with Mr. Banner. Bella remained face down the rest of the class period, breathing deeply and just minding her own business. He chose to leave her alone so at least she wouldn't have to be escorted to the nurse.

Not as bad as I assumed it was going to get, but she didn't seem any better even with it over.

Of course that could just be because the entire room was filled with fumbling teenagers who still weren't finished with trying to find out their blood type.

Either way, I ended up keeping close watch on her throughout the entire class. Well, as best as I could while trying to avoid being confronted with the sight of blood. For once I was utterly grateful that she and Mike had Gym together, because it meant it was easier to keep on eye on her activities and decide whether or not to step in.

Bella disappeared to change into her gym clothing and when she reappeared, it was with a blue and pink bandage on her formerly bleeding finger.

Even without having to be asked, Mike managed to be put on the same team as her, and made it his personal mission to cover her the entire class. Personally, I think she should have gone to the nurse, but as she hadn't shown signs of collapsing any time soon, would she really consider it necessary?

Even the other students had noticed how terrible she looked. Other than the swaying, she was still shaking a little. A fear of something so small really caused this kind of reaction in her. If she truly had a needle shoved into her hip so her bone marrow could be tested, then why had it happened and why wasn't it noted?

After a rigorous game of volleyball, in which Bella and Mike's team still managed to win despite how distracted she was, the students returned to the lockers rooms to change.

I took that chance to go and wait at her truck because I was determined to finally talk to her the way I wanted to and if I had to do it this way, then so be it. Alice was already in agreement with my plan which was a relief. Maybe you'll bring her home one of these days! she teased me from across the lot while awaiting the rest of our siblings. I left the keys in the Volvo for her, knowing that if I have enough time, I can probably convince Bella to just let me drive her home.

Probably not a smart idea to get in her truck, a small and cramped space surrounded by only her scent, but I don't trust her behind the wheel right now.

Alice bounced in place. I'll pick you up at four on the dot, so get in as many questions as you can, okay?

I hummed in agreement. At least someone had my side in all this. Only Alice seemed to truly understand how I'm feelings, which was why she was in full support from the beginning.

Bella reappeared finally, and Mike had been decent enough to wait for her to make certain she got to her truck safely.

"Are you okay now? You seemed to be doing worse than anyone else was," was Mike's assessment. Literally looks like a living ghost right now. Maybe a corpse is a better description? Should she be driving in this state?

"About as good as I'm ever going to be," she murmured with a shrug. She gave him a pat on the shoulder and smiled a small smile. "Thankfully it's a very small puncture wound and will probably heal in a few days so that's not even the concern here."

"It's cool that we can do that. Like we're knock-off X-Men."

I know of the X-Men. Emmett is greatly interested in comic books and films based on them. X-Men is one of his favorite films to have been released in the twenty-first century. He made everyone watch it multiple times. When the sequel came out he was even more excited.

Admittedly, both films were decent in story-telling and action. From the minds of humans with no supernatural experience, they were fascinating creations. And seeing how technology improved yearly made them even more interesting. I can only imagine what a superhero film would look like within a decade.

"We regenerate like Wolverine, but with like only 1/1000 of his ability," was Bella's response.

Mike nodded. "Yeah. Makes me feel better whenever I get injured." As if I'm not just some lame dude and that some part of me is actually interesting. But of course it's gotta be the part of me I can't even control or change.

"Sounds cooler too."

Mike's laugh was uproarious and a bit annoying. As they walked, he pretended to push a pair of imaginary glasses up his nose and said, in the most annoying tone ever, "I'm not healing, sir. I'm regenerating. You wouldn't understand." All I need is a pocket protector!

The two shared a laugh as they parted ways at the doors of the school. "See you tomorrow, Bella!"

"Make sure you call Jessica about your upcoming date."

How does she know about that?!

As Bella walked, she began humming to herself, words barely intelligible to the human ear. For me, they were clear as day. I doubt she even knows she's doing it. "You don't hafta come and confess, we lookin' for you. We gon find you! We gon find you! So you can run an' tell that, run an' tell that, run an' tell that, homeboy! Home, home, homeboy!"

The moment she noticed me, she stopped singing. In fact, she looked a little annoyed. The fact that I can make someone who isn't a member of my family, this annoyed, when people usually get flustered, is amusing to me.

As Bella got closer, her eyes narrowed more and more, as if she was judging my very existence. I would give anything to be able to just hear her thoughts in this moment, because I need to know what is going on in her head at all times. She so delightfully weird that it'll be something totally out of left field no doubt. Something I could never predict.

"'Sup?"

So many things. How does one even begin to respond to such a question? I could probably talk about anything and everything and it still wouldn't scrape the surface of the iceberg that is my thoughts and feelings.

Also... I'm feeling a little nervous. It isn't exactly something I'm used to after all. I don't go out of my way to talk to people who aren't my family or my teachers because it was uncomfortable hearing their thoughts at the same time. Mind reading ruined relationships before they could ever hope to form, and that was the sad truth for me.

Not that it wasn't useful or anything. I would continue to use such a benefit for the rest of my existence, but sometimes it was indeed annoying.

I flashed her a smile, since I was trying to ease into this conversation so that it didn't feel like it was suddenly sprung on her or anything. "I had wanted to ask you something during lunch but you ended up taking me to task for wasteful living." Left me and my entire family baffled by it as well. Alice was already thinking about ways to change our habits, and Rosalie was trapped in a cycle of self-loathing over the fact that she could have been helping homeless children across the country and the thought never occurred to her before.

Never before have I ever encountered someone who was willing to call out my actions so thoroughly.

Bella sighed as she opened her passenger side door to lessen the load of her bag. "Sorry about that. I get annoyed quickly and once I'm stuck on something, I won't leave it alone until I speak on it. What did you want?"

She's given me many examples of this already. It's almost as if she's a teacher who has to keep teaching children the rights and wrongs of the world because their parents haven't done it.

With this fresh in mind, it made me even more nervous. I've never asked someone out on a date before because, as a vampire, I was expected to find another vampire and the whole mind reading thing would make it easier as people like Tanya made their interest very well known. Interest I did not invite by the way. As such, in theory it should be easy to fall into such a relationship as a vampire... and yet I have to be different.

"Well, I wanted to ask if I could take you out the day of the dance, since you don't seem to have any plans that night." None at all. I'd paid extra close attention to all of her interactions just to be sure and came up with this idea on my own. Today. During lunch to be specific.

The look on Bella's face was one of shock. Almost fishlike in expression. It was amusing to see and made me feel a little less self-conscious. I was capable of surprising her at least a little bit.

See, Alice Saw her as a part of our lives. We can't escape her in the slightest, but we can influence her. I'm hoping that maybe, in a way, we can work to keep her as a human. That she'll want to stay human when she realizes how much she'd lose out on if she became like us. Like food. Bella seemed to really like food and she'd never be able to eat food again if she became a vampire.

"I can't really see why you'd want to spend time with me outside of school."

She was fascinating. How could I not want to know her better? Everyone in the school wanted to know more about her to an extent. Even if it meant that they had to watch her like a hawk to get anything. I'm certainly not the first and won't be the last in a long line of people.

Everyone got a kick out of the 'City Girl's' reactions to things.

"You ignored me for almost a month if you'll recall."

I couldn't help but wince at the reminder. She obviously hadn't taken that response well if she was willing to bring it up. I was simply trying to keep her away from us and what we represent. I wasn't being malicious or anything, but it wasn't as if she could know that.

"We've barely conversed since we met."

Also very true, and I'm regretting it every single day. Maybe I could have said something at least. Asked how she was doing now and then to at least be friendly.

"In fact, I've talked at you more than anything."

Also very true. In her own words she really got going once she got stuck on something. I have tried to approach her multiple times already and ended up being talked over each time. An experience I'm not used to.

"Saving someone from becoming a pancake doesn't seem like a good reason to take them out. I'm also not interesting enough to warrant the interest of someone like you. I'm painfully aware of that fact."

I've never been more offended by someone's personal assessment of themselves before. Typically I'd never cared before but that wasn't the point! The point was that she seemed to think that she wasn't interesting enough for people to like?

How could she not see or understand? She was new. She had to realize that compared to every other person at this school, her actions and beliefs were new ground. She did and said things no one would ever consider until now. She had experiences none of them had and was willing to speak her mind about her likes and dislikes. It was very reminiscent of the film Footloose in a sense.

She brought progressive values and a dauntless personality with her and was steadily influencing everyone around her slowly but surely. Even Lauren was less of bully as of late.

Also, as someone who has been seeing and hearing people's thoughts for over eighty years, I don't encounter minds like hers in humans. Ever. Even vampires become stereotypical and predictable after a time. Few people in existence could manage to be so oddly weird and refreshing in terms of character and actions. I spend far too much time eagerly awaiting her responses to anything that happens in her friend group or in the school at large.

I also find myself eager to see her every day.

Personally, I've chosen to believe this is an infatuation of some sort, which does cause me much guilt that I only prefer to acknowledge when I'm outside of Jasper's range. I can't even wallow in self-hatred at home because I don't want to overwhelm my poor brother when he's dealing with his own struggles every single day.

Not the point. My point is, I like Bella Swan and all her oddities, and it offends me that she doesn't think she could gain the interest of others, let alone me. It's not as if I'm special.

Yet while I feel this way, how can I tell her in a way that doesn't feel totally superficial. I mean, I know what not to say at least, with many examples from teen boys and even adult men to build a perspective from.

But what should I say. Like, oh no, don't be down on yourself, you're too attractive and too funny. Ha. Ha. If I heard someone say such a thing I would want to smack them so hard.

Eventually, I settled for saying, "Isn't getting to know each other better the whole point of dating? I might not know you very well right now, but I'd like to know you if you'll let me." I don't think I've ever been this desperate for someone's approval before. I feel a bit pathetic actually, because it does require me to be more open and I'm not used to being the one that has to do that.

New experiences courtesy of Isabella Swan. I should start expecting this every single week at the very least, every day at the most.

Still, it seemed that my words didn't manage their intended purpose. "Is this only because you can't seem to read me as easily as you apparently read everyone else?" Bella asked, sending me into a spiral of panic! The way she wields words when it came to her observations is going to give me a vampire heart attack one of these days!

How am I supposed to respond to that?! What else had she managed to observe about me or my family as a whole?

"'Cause that doesn't seem like a very good reason either, to be honest."

...At least she was being candid about everything.

But why did she have to make things so damn difficult?

I have no idea how I'm supposed to respond to all of that.

In my opinion it seemed like a good reason. How else can I get to know her as a person when I can't do it the same way I can for everyone else? I need to be around her more than normal so we can come to understand each other.

"Alright, maybe I'm being unnecessarily hard on you, so I'll get it out now… you're hot."

That almost got a snort out of me to be honest. It reminded me of that very first day of school where she'd declared our family to be hot and then went about her business as usual. It was such a Bella thing to do and it eased my concerns just a little.

Between us, she wasn't feeling awkward at least, which made me feel less odd as well. It was a relief. She wasn't mocking me, just as she hadn't mocked any of the others who had asked her out, she just genuinely didn't see a reason for why she was asked out at all. I remember what she told Eric after all. It all aligns with what she's said before.

"And that's great but it's not enough. You're rich, and while the idea of financial stability is wonderful, it's still not enough."

At least I won't have to worry about her wanting to use me for my wealth.

"Other than your inhuman abnormalities, there's nothing much that makes me want to spend time with you. You're like a vault of expired goods that's been gathering dust for a century. And you give off the vibe of a crotchety old man on top of it all."

If I had less self-control, I probably would have gaped in offense. After all, no human had ever suggested that I was like an old man. Occasionally one of Emmett's favorite jokes was calling me "Old Man" or even "Grandpa" despite the fact that he was literally physically older than me. All because I have different interests and like to take my time when it comes to learning new things.

But personally, I don't feel as if I act like an old man. I've encountered many old humans in my existence and they often either refuse to learn or are way too excited to learn. Rarely is there an in between with old folks.

Edward Cullen, the vault of expired goods gathering dust for a century. What a way to describe someone. To their face even!

She must have noticed my speechlessness because she finally decided to continue speaking as it was obvious she'd be getting no reply. "I don't know how you view me but this is how I view you. You've shown me that your body is probably indestructible and that you can move at high speeds the human eye can't keep up with. I read comics and watch anime though. It's not as amazing as a lot of things I've seen in fiction. Certainly not enough to think that hanging out with you is worth the time. You're some kind of supernatural being but choose to attend fucking high school and surround yourself with basic teenagers on the daily. That's lame as fuck, dude."

To someone as observant as Isabella Swan, of course it would look that way. Compared to everyone else here, she was the only one to really notice how abnormal our family is. She kept track of all the odd things she'd seen me do, and came to a pretty solid conclusion based on the evidence I had provided her with.

Comparing my whole family to comic book characters wasn't too far off, I suppose, but it was more how she thoughts us being supernatural and choosing to go to high school was 'lame as fuck'.

She didn't know the whole story so of course it would sound that way.

I'm not sure what exactly I can do to seem more sincere. There were many reasons for why I wanted to get to know Bella better, but I'm not certain they'd actually help her understand. Or be helpful at all really.

I decided that nothing ventured, then nothing gained, and stepped forward into her personal space, to gently take her warm hands between my frigid palms. They were much smaller compared to my own, and yet felt comfortable. The blood in her veins, which sang so sweetly for me, was what kept her so warm to the touch. It flowed within her, perfuming her scent and keeping her body pliant.

Unlike mine. Hard like stone. Even now, I could feel how my flesh did not contort around her own. When people held hands, they'd skin tended to shift around under the pressure of an opposing force. Mine did no such thing, so it was as if her hand were imprisoned in a rock hard box. Not unlike a freezer, actually.

Against another vampire's skin there was no issue. Not lack of give, but this just further proved our differences.

She was soft and human and I was hard and monstrous. I couldn't even hold hands like a normal teenager.

"I find you very interesting, Bella Swan. I do read people very well, and am always excited to see how you react to any particular situation because compared to what I've been exposed to, you are different. It's very interesting hearing your opinions on things. You're very progressive and unashamed of it. You never back down. You're a bit obnoxious, while at the same time you can be reserved and anxious. You're anxious a lot actually, and it makes me even more curious about this strange polarity existing within you."

Ever since the whole Clayton Birch situation, Jasper had been keeping a closer watch on her emotional situation, just to make sure. While Clayton was handled, it wouldn't stop other people from acting up. We all doubted Bella wouldn't speak up about something wrong if it was happening, but this was just a precaution to lighten all of our own anxieties about it.

Knowing that she spent a lot of time being nervous made me worried.

For someone so young with a whole life ahead of them, what could possibly be going on in her personal life to make her feel like this so often? Also, how does one properly bring it up when it isn't exactly public knowledge?

"I haven't been this invested in someone in a very long time, Bella. Even if you don't want to go on a date with me I would like to be your friend at least."

The warm skin beneath my hands was soft. Weak. I felt a concerning urge to apply pressure, like one would do to a handful of clay or cookie dough. Just to see it change shape.

I wouldn't do such a thing of course! I don't want to harm Bella, it's just one of those intrusive kind of thoughts people tend to have. Even vampires. Such as when humans sometimes see a cliff and have a split second thought of what it'd be like to jump off(without the whole dying part being the end of it) or when some people, with tools in hand, actually think about what it'd be like to hit themselves in the teeth with a hammer just to hear the sound of breathing teeth(and not for the damage it would cause in the end).

Vampires do similar things, but with something that could actually harm them. Like how Emmett, every time he sees a fire, wants desperately to set himself on fire just to see what it's like. Not because he wants to end his life or because he wants to harm himself, he's just morbidly curious. Alice has, on occasion, wanted to see what being hit by an eighteen wheeler would be like. Just for the experience and not because she wasn't feeling well.

It was an easily ignorable impulse is what I'm saying, but it is one that exists. Same with many other impulses we live with as vampires.

Is Edward Cullen holding Bella Swan's hands?

Oh my God, are they together?!

How is Stanley taking such a blow?

The gossip is gonna be hot tonight!

Of course I need to remember that we still have people watching us. No matter what happens from now on, there is going to be speculation about us being together. Someone was already planning to call Jessica Stanley about it.

Bella extricated her hands from my hold, but gave me a smile in the process to let me know there were no hard feelings for such rude presumption. "Okay, no need to get so dramatic. Next thing I know you'll pull a Rudolph Valentino on me, and I'm not much here for that at the moment."

The idea of pulling her into my arms in an intimate sort of dance. And then dramatically dipping her into a kiss at the proper moment...

My mouth against Bella's.

Such a thought hadn't even crossed my mind yet, but now it felt like an inevitable thought. One that was just a natural progression of our current conversation. I'd asked her out on a date, so of course kissing would come up at some point.

A vampire kissing a human is not a good idea. None of this is a good idea, but if we honestly cannot avoid her being close to the family, the least I can do is try to make the connection an easy one.

I confess myself surprised that she knows who Rudolph Valentino even is though.

"Where would we even go if we went out? I don't fancy being the only one eating in a restaurant. But I also wouldn't want anything that isn't a buffet because I prefer many options for cheap prices. And my idea of a date involves dinner and a movie in order to be interesting. I've had enough date nights with my mom to know what I expect out of a date."

My years of being privy to the thoughts of millions aren't helping me here. I've never personally been on a date and I'm not certain, with how Bella seems to be as a person, what she would think is interesting and what is - in her wording at least - 'lame'.

It was a no to dinner and presently the theater was out of the question because there were no films she wanted to see right now. Forks didn't exactly have many options for entertainment or recreation. Yet the thought of leaving the town with Bella also didn't put my mind at ease in the slightest. At least in Forks, in locations populated by many people who were aware of us being together at the time, it was much more safe.

"We can do whatever you want."

She stared me down, brown eyes so dark they were almost black in the shadow of her brow. Ironic considering she had to lift her head to look me in the eye. "You play video games?" she asked expectantly.

Oh dear. I can feel the dread piling on already.

"No." I never felt the need to.

"Want to learn?" She's going to make me play video games with her.

"I suppose?" I am desperate it seems. Emmett is going to find no small amount of joy in this when Alice breaks it to the family.

"Do you watch anime?"

"No."

However, I would like to say that I did in fact look up the anime/manga she's mentioned in conversations with Mike and Eric thus far. Naruto, YuYu Hakusho, Hunter x Hunter, and InuYasha. It was more like a quick internet search and then a visit to a library to see if physical copies of these things yielded better information. There weren't many available unfortunately.

I ingested the summaries of each story and am very much interested in what drew her to them and what has kept her attention this entire time. more than actually learning about these stories if I'm being honest.

"Want to pop your anime cherry?"

Her way of wording things is certainly... unique. I managed a nod because I'm not really sure how to respond without making a comment on on her word choice and possibly offending her. Besides, school hours are over so it isn't as if she could get into trouble for such language choice anyway. There was no point in warning her about her manner of speech. She probably wouldn't care anyway.

Bella gave a satisfied nod of her own, and I gave a small sigh in relief in return. It felt as if I'd passed some kind of test or perhaps a judgment day of my own. "Alright. I'll talk to Charlie about it and tell you what he says tomorrow." I've earned her approval. Now all I need is her father's approval. Great.

Unfortunately for us both, I won't be here tomorrow, and I am dreading that fact more and more by the minute. "I'm going on a camping trip with Emmett for the weekend, starting tomorrow and ending Monday." Hunting and excessive sunlight. Such a wonderful time.

If only I could simply walk under the sun and not fear looking like a walking prism.

"Then I'll see you Tuesday and have an answer by then."

She already had her truck door open, ready to get in before I could stop her!

"I was hoping you would agree to me driving you home actually." Please don't challenge me on this. Please lack just enough self-preservation to not make a big deal of a little request. "You've been swaying this entire time and I really don't think it's safe for you to be behind the wheel of such a large vehicle if certain things can make you this unsettled."

Bella looked down at herself, then at her truck, and finally at me. Her mind took a moment to process everything, which I'm not sure if it's because she's human and her brain functions more slowly, or because she was still woozy from her time in Biology.

"How are you getting home, Flash? Running back?"

Again with the speed references!

"And risk your nosy neighbors seeing me? No." I'm not joking, the old people living on her street are some of the most nosy humans I have ever had the displeasure of hearing. Bella had no idea just how closely she was watched all the time. She had no privacy from anyone, except perhaps her father. "Alice will be there, waiting to pick me up."

"Okay, fine. Don't make it weird though," she told me before handing the keys over with a shrug. "And don't go over fifty. Gertrude is a senior citizen."

"Gertrude?" I repeated.

"It's from the fifties or sixties, right? So then Gertrude is totally an old lady name that would fit the time period. Also, I was craving chocolate when thinking of names and decided to name her after some of my favorite chocolate ever. Don't judge me."

Once we were inside and she was fully buckled in, I started the engine, watching her nonchalant acceptance of how loud it was. "Were you deliberately thinking of old lady names?" I asked as we backed out of her new favorite parking space.

"Well, I was originally going to call her Badass Mothertrucker but realized it's a bit of a lame name."

I have no idea what she's referencing, but whatever makes her smile like that must be decent at least.

"Also, technically, I'd be the Badass Mothertrucker in the scenario."

The drive to Bella's house, in the ancient truck, would take several minutes, especially with how slow all the stoplights in the town were. If I drove properly with enough twists and turns, it could take half an hour to get there, which is the plan.

"Tell me about your obsession with anime. Around school you're considered the Anime Girl." This is all very true. Many of the boys liked anime as well, but if asked about details or specifics they'd be unable to answer questions about such an interest. "How did it start?"

News spread far and wide that Isabella Swan really liked anime and was obsessed with it. She got into debates about characters, styles, art, and plot all the time, and had an opinion on anything if asked.

I personally, don't know how she came upon such things because I've never seen such things entering my scope of reality.

Perhaps in big cities, it was more common to know things like this. I've never resided in a big city because they typically don't have favorable weather conditions for vampires. For all I know, all city teens are like Bella.

"Probably Pokemon. I think most Americans know of Japanese Anime because of Pokemon. At the same time I branched multiple ways from that alone. Sailor Moon, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Princess Mononoke, Digimon, Dragon Ball, YuYu Hakusho, Kiki's Delivery Service or really anything made by Studio Ghibli. It's expanded even more since then, and it's fascinating to see the art styles differ between each animation, because it lets you know what the animators value most in the show. Dragon Ball has the fights which are grand and dramatic and take many episodes, Sailor Moon has the magical girl transformations and sparkly powers, and Studio Ghibli's art always feels very whimsical so the settings, even if they're fantastical, feel welcoming and homey."

Hm... It seems that, in the future, I'm probably going to be expected to get to know all of these names she's mentioned. Should I take the initiative and begin learning myself, or should I wait for her to bring them up herself? Which would be more preferable to someone like Bella? She definitely liked talking about them if given the chance.

"What about Japanese. What about the language made you decide to learn it? I learned Polish because I wanted to watch an older polish film without any subtitles." It seemed like as good a reason as any.

"Eh, it's mostly just because some anime aren't dubbed. Like, they're not popular enough across seas to get an official English Dub, so you just have to deal with Subtitles if you don't want to struggle through a fan-dubbed version. By the way, the Dubbed Versus Subbed debate is still pretty hot right now and people will lose their shit if you don't agree with their opinions no matter the side."

Not surprising in the slightest. People were like that all over the world and not just in communities like the one Bella was describing.

"Anyway, after watching with only English Subtitles available for a while, you begin to pick up words or phrases, and take in the culture as it's being presented. And I got some books and began practicing Katakana, Hiragana, and Kanji in my free time. It wasn't without effort, I assure you, and I can't claim perfect fluency or anything but I know I can hold a conversation if necessary and wouldn't struggle in writing or reading anything found in common daily conversation."

What a fascinating person she is.

"What about music? What kind of music is actually your favorite? Rumor has it that you're always singing something different and no one can tell which you like most. You sing in other languages, or you'll sing something from a musical, and even hymns now and then. I don't even think you're aware of just how much you sing to yourself and how many people hear it."

Bella snorted, face turning a delightful shade of pink in the process. "I just like music even though I'm not a perfect singer. Though I actually have few hardcore country songs I like, so I suppose that's one direct stance I can take."

With all the country songs she sings, this is surprising to me.

"Do you play any instruments?"

"Hey! How about you answers some damn questions! Like what's your favorite genre of music right now?"

"I've been interested in Jazz as of late," I confessed. "I also play the piano."

"Same. Decently. I think most people have basic knowledge in an instrument," she told me with a sigh.

"I used to think I was special because I was the only person in my class who could play an instrument, and I was self-taught for like three years. I talked myself up about it too. I was the favorite of the music teacher and was encouraged to do the talent show because he thought I had a chance to win. I then got humbled real quick during said show. A girl in my homeroom was actually a violinist and had been taking lessons for ten years. She just never mentioned it because she didn't feel like she had to. That day she slayed the shit out of her performance of Thriller and won the audience's hearts, leaving my piano rendition of My Heart Will Go On in the literal dust. That was the day I learned to stop thinking I'm the shit and that the ones who talk the loudest tend to be disappointments."

It's hard to imagine Bella ever being someone so cocky as to brag about her skill with a musical instrument in order to put others down. She was pretty arrogant about many things, but not in the way where she was mocking others. It was more of a playful kind of bragging that invited others to brag about their own skills as well.

Whenever Bella spoke, it didn't feel like it was done with malice. Even when she was putting Lauren in her place or calling out her opinions on certain topics, it never felt like cruelty or rudeness.

The fact that she was willing to be open about such a thing had to mean that she was more comfortable in my presence. Confessing the truth about unpalatable character flaws wasn't an easy feat for anyone, and yet she treated it like it was just a lesson to be learned. And maybe it was in a sense. She said it was a humbling experience after all.

Sometimes one has to be humbled in order to grow.

She kept reconfirming the feeling of her being a teacher.

"What about books? Your favorite kind of fiction is only comics or perhaps something else?"

Bella hummed. "A better way to ask that would be genre, because comics and manga come in many genres and having pictures doesn't make them any less important than Austin or Shakespeare. My favorite genre is Fantasy and I guess the sub-genre would be Romance or Adventure. The real world sucks and I prefer fiction and fanfiction that take place in fantastical locations."

"Fanfiction?"

"You can't be so boring that you don't know about content made by fans for fans, right?"

"I'm aware enough, I suppose," I told her. "Yet I don't really see it as something that widely popular."

"Then you've never been on FFN, huh?"

"Never heard of it."

"Know anything about Harry Potter?"

"Yes."

"Good. You're going to go home and go on fanfictiondotnet, and look up the HP fanfic with the most Favorites. Read it completely. Then you'll understand. Get acquainted with things in pop culture and stop being a grumpy old codger in a young man's body."

She thinks I act like an old man. I suppose she isn't wrong but it's not a description I appreciate. I'm sick of everyone saying I'm old.

To make things worse, we were two streets away from Chief Swan's house, so the fun was coming to an end.

"Yo, you said nothing about what kind of books you like. Why am I the only one who has to answer questions?"

That got a chuckle. "I'm finding myself more interested poetry at the present moment. I recently purchased the entire collection of Edgar Allen Poe's works and I'm enjoying it very much."

I still had one more question though. "What is something that you hate so much you'd obliterate it from existence if it was possible?"

"Racism," she said without hesitation. "You?"

And now I feel like my answer is ridiculous and selfish. "Fish."

"...Why?"

"More like how slimy they feel in the water. I hate it and wouldn't recommend touching any with your hands. Ever." Absolutely disgusting and not something he wanted a repeat experience of.

"You're weird as hell, dude."

We parked in her driveway, and as expected, Alice was parked along the street at exactly four o'clock as promised. Bella was out of the truck before I could go and open her door for her. "This was interesting, but maybe we can have a better conversation in a more comfortable location when you get back next week," she said as I handed her the keys.

"I'm looking forward to it," I told her with a smile. "I'll see you on Tuesday."

"See ya, dude."

Alice and I waited for her to get inside before pulling away. My sister's bright smile was just full of teasing, and her thoughts were no better. "I knew you'd take advantage of the situation but I'd hoped you'd get a little further than 20 Questions."

"Bella is different. She isn't impressed by the looks, the money, or the supernatural powers she's seen me use. She thinks I'm boring."

That set off a round of snickers at my expense. "Em is going to get a kick out of this!"

"Edward, that was the most awkward conversation I ever had to witness," Emmett announced the moment we'd parked. We hadn't even made it into the house yet. "We could still hear you speaking with Bella Swan even halfway home and it was the saddest thing."

"You do realize that a good portion of what she said applies to all of us, correct?" I pointed out, just so I don't have to feel as called out or at least not feel embarrassed alone. "We're all lame for basically having super powers and then choosing to spend our time in high school of all places. I'm not the only one she meant with such criticism."

Emmett's entire grin faded instantly as he considered my point. "That ruins all the fun." He stuck his tongue out and headed off to his room to play some video games.

"I, for one, am glad you're having new experiences," Esme told me as she gave me a pat on the head. "This young lady has had quite the profound effect on you and I appreciate her candor very much if it makes you think and ponder."

"On all of us," Alice announced as she gracefully sank down beside Jasper on the loveseat. "The conversations these two have always end up with even me having to consider things. At lunch, Bella literally called all of us out for wasting food we never eat. She proceeded to go on a rant about how America is designed to keep the poor in poverty and how businesses across the country can't even donate left over food at the end of the day because they workers will get in trouble with the higher ups."

Rosalie sighed. "She also brought to mind many things I had overlooked personally. There are only a certain amount of school lunches to go around, plus additional snacks we could get if we want. I never thought that taking food we'll never use, might negatively impact another student who might be having troubles at home and rely on lunch at Forks High in order to eat. The snack bar gets cleaned out so fast that it never occurred to me that it might be something certain students could be relying on."

I nodded. "Bella put it into perspective easily. Chief Swan is in no way poor or struggling financially, but she still pointed out that she's just three bad months away from homelessness and that she'll be closer to that than a million dollar for probably the entirety of her life. Such is the nature of basically every person in this town. They're one bad hospital visit, one terminal illness, one car crash, or just a few bad months in a row, away from their lives taking a drastic turn for the worse."

Before meeting Bella I had never really considered these things before. I never had to because I'm not human so things like starvation can't affect me. And if we somehow lost all our money tomorrow, it would take little effort to make it all back. We don't need money. We don't even need a house or cars. We just like to have them because they are perks. Privileges if you will.

Nomadic vampires exist without such luxuries and simply don't care.

We are not the same as humans. We have different needs than they do, so it is entirely possible for us to overlook even simple things.

Rosalie wasn't finished however. "This extends to our weekly shopping trips. We just end up throwing all that food out and never using it. At the very least we could have driven somewhere and donated it to a soup kitchen or something. I'm disappointed in myself for never considering it before."

That was true. Bella's words really tore her up inside, huh?

Your little girlfriend is one of a kind, Jasper thought at me.

I glared. Bella agreeing to spend time with me didn't mean we were suddenly dating. I don't think that that is how that works. Isn't there supposed to be a conversation first about if people are considered dating or not?

To be honest, I have never encountered this situation before and I'm not exactly sure of how it's supposed to go. Carlisle and Esme fell in love almost instantly. And Emmett fell in the love the moment he laid eyes on Rosalie upon waking from his change. Alice and Jasper met because Alice Saw him and waited for him, and then declared they were meant to be together.

"Bella didn't want to go out to dinner because she knows I won't be eating. She did suggest a movie being optional whenever a good one comes out, but definitely not right now. She ended up offering to teach me about anime and video games and honestly... I'm nervous," I confessed. "These aren't things I have any sort of knowledge in."

"Learning experience!" Alice cheered! "In the meantime, I'm going to see if it's possible to either acquire merchandise of her favorite anime for her, and if not, I'll just make it myself."

Emmett reappeared in the blink of an eye, an evil smile on his face. "Careful. Swan's already got a crush on you. If you do that you'll surely take her heart and Eddie Boy will have no chance in hell at wooing her."

That stupid nickname from Bella just had to stick, huh?

Alice snickered and sent me a wink. "May the best woman win, brother mine."

I am well aware of the fact that Bella has a crush on Alice so Alice has a better chance than I do and becoming her friend first. Still, I'm not going to let that stop me. And the teasing won't stop me either.

My siblings decided to finally go about their own business.

Emmett was challenging Jasper to some kind of game, Alice was designing a new fashion line for Rosalie, while also researching up anime things so she can make Bella some clothes with her favorite characters on them. She intended to get a pair of white shoes and meticulously draw some anime fight scene on them.

Esme had returned to her room, contemplating her plans to add another garage to the house. The blueprints were already set up and she couldn't choose which version she wanted more.

Rosalie was resolved to put spinning rims on her BMW before settling herself down for some research on poverty in the US and how she could help the issue in Washington.

As for me... hm... I have thoughts of my own. Things I've been thinking and wondering and can finally put into words.

Fascination was among them.

I haven't played the piano in I don't even remember how long. The grand piano has been sitting off to the side of the entryway, waiting to be touched, and yet never being used for its intended purpose. If Esme wasn't so meticulous in keeping the house clean, I'd go so far as to say it's gathering dust. However, perhaps I can instead say it's metaphorical dust.

The piano was bought for me some time in the 70s. I had just lost a Steinway to old age and no matter how much we paid, it could not be fixed indefinitely. Maybe it was simply a fault in the creators, I'm not sure. All I know is we spent millions on its upkeep and it still kept failing. Eventually it was turned into a prop by Esme, who managed to design a way for it to function as not only a flower vase, but also an aquarium. She then donated it once it was finished.

With everyone else busy, I decided to pass my time at the piano for the first time in ages.

The keys were still in tune as they should be. The bench was new though. The last one did not go with Esme's current design of the house so she's donated it and bought a new one that she then stained a new color and added a cushion to.

Nothing would stop Esme from matching everything in her chosen design.

My thoughts trailed back to Bella, wondering what she was doing presently. Probably playing a video game in her room. She liked doing that in her free time.

When I thought of Bella, she made me think of old video game music. That sort of 8-Bit style, like in the old Tetris game, or Super Mario Brothers. Emmett still had those and they functioned just fine even after being decades old. He'd play them for nostalgia purposes every few years.

She's well-acquainted with pop culture and likes all sorts of music and games. She reads many things, not just comic books. She knows a lot of information and despite feeling more mature than her friends, she also still feels like a young person at heart.

It's a unique feeling whenever I hear her speak.

With such thoughts in mind, it was easy to pick out a few melodies I had in mind. Only one of them sounded right though. If slowed down it could be rather sweet, but sped up it sounded like it could be something out of Super Mario Bros 2.

Hell yeah! Emmett cheered. Play more stuff like that! The usual stuff you like is so boring.

Bella inspired a more playful side in me, it seemed.

It's not that I think I need to change to better accommodate her, but more like it doesn't hurt to learn or experience new things. And I've been on this Earth for over a hundred years. There is never a shortage of new experiences to be had.

Personally, I don't care if people consider me to be fun or not, but I do care if they think I'm worth the effort to get to know.

While I would love to say that I'm untouchable and don't care about opinions at all, that would be a lie. I may not be human but I am still a person and this is one thing that never changed about me between the change from human to vampire. Self-conscious and putting too much stock in the thoughts of strangers.

When around me, poor Jasper had a lot of stress on his shoulders.

I often like to give him a break from me because I'm aware of how annoying I am. He has so much to deal with already and my drama doesn't help.

I felt the urge to sigh, but knew it would give me no relief of any sort.

Back to the happy tune I'd been composing for Bella. The one that made me think of her as she enjoyed life to the best of her ability.

Esme had returned to the lounge during my fiddling with the keys, sitting on the sofa and watching with interest as I worked out the progression of the piece and where I wanted it to go.

In my mind's eye, I could see Bella dancing in the school hallway, just like she had with Jessica, mumbling along to this song as it played in her headphones. A cute bounce in her step and she twirled around, having a good time.

Maybe there was a sort of jazz component to the song. If played on an old keyboard under specific settings, I have no doubt it would be spot on to how I'm imagining it.

Am I seriously contemplating purchasing a synthesizer?

Yes.

On it! Alice called from her computer. I'm getting you the best one on the market right now! I think Bella will really like it. It fits her interests so well and it's so sweet of you to compose a song for her.

I hummed, already planning to get Alice a new computer as gratitude for her efforts.

Make it purple, thanks!

Esme took that portion of my attention away as she asked suddenly, "What is the song about?" She had returned to the lounge at some point, feeling curious and excited to hear me composing once again.

I took a moment to formulate my thoughts, because this was important question and I wanted to have the proper answer for it.

Bella's happy grin came to mind, and I found myself smiling in return.

"A zeal for life." I'm going to call it Vitality in Motion.

Hunting isn't exactly a fun activity. I do it because it's necessary and that's it. We all don't exactly linger near each other because despite being more sophisticated than the average vampire, especially in how we can exist in close quarters and not want to rip each other apart, we're still territorial creatures.

If we ever get too close to each other, we tend to get extra violent, so whenever we go out we all split up.

Getting near Emmett when he's hunting bears is never a good idea. I lost an arm once. I mean, I was able to put it back on and the venom reconnected it to my body, but the process of getting it back had been troublesome because Emmett threw it in a river and I had to dive down to the bottom and get it because it was so heavy it sank like a cinderblock.

As I hunted, my mind wandered over to the topic of Bella Swan and everything I think I know about her, and everything she has directly contradicted in her own words, or things she's claimed that her medical files contradicts.

Survived H1N1. Never had it according to her medical file.

Had a phobia of sickness and diseases. No record of it in her medical file. Yet had a very public panic attack over being sneezed on.

Experienced a Bone Marrow Biopsy. Nothing suggested such a thing in her medical file, yet was made woozy at the sight of needles.

Then moving on to other things. J. Jenks was able to dig up a lot of information on her. Hobbies and the like for example. Not a single mention of an interest in Japan or anything that came from it. Anime and Manga included. At most, Bella knew English as far as her records stated, and yet she'd spoken Japanese with very good pronunciation, and her Spanish was superb as well. She also much know ASL as she sometimes started signing while singing to herself, unaware that she was doing it.

J. Jenks didn't overlook things. He was too meticulous in these matters and had enough money and connections to get any information on anyone. Even those overseas.

Bella developed these language skills in secret or out of the blue. It made no sense otherwise.

And then her skill in Piano? Never mentioned anywhere. No lessons. No talent show experiences at all, winning or losing. Isabella Swan was a girl who kept to herself and minded her own business. She never went out, had no friends, and preferred the solitude of a library over anything else.

Yet the Bella I know is nothing like that. Sure, crowds make her uncomfortable, but she has to be the most outgoing introvert I have ever encountered. She's naturally charismatic and in no way a 'wet doormat' as some of her old Arizona schoolmates described her to be.

Too many contradictions. Too many things not making any sense in Bella's life.

She obviously knows a lot about the things she's interested in, but how could she have developed such interests without not even one person being aware of it? She'd never rented an anime or manga before coming to Forks. Had never bought either in all her years of living with her mother. Her bookcase used to be filled with the old classics and but now she found them 'lame' and hated having to do anything in regards to them.

What changed?

How does someone change so drastically and no one notices? Chief Swan didn't seem to notice at all. He thought everything was exactly as it used to be and that his daughter simply because even more mature than she was before. He saw her so little prior to her move to Forks that he wasn't exactly a stable source of information on Bella's life.

I don't know what to do with what I've learned. I want to ask, but as I know things I should not, that would just make me look creepy.

Bella has an entire double life that no one seems to know about. Was she just pretending down in Arizona? Did she not trust anyone with the knowledge of her real interests?

What was it that changed?

"You thinking about the Swan girl?" Emmett asking, stopping at my side now that his battle with the bears was over. He'd lost his shirt in the process and I could already foresee Rosalie losing her mind over it.

I hummed. "She's a contradiction."

"But that's what makes her so interesting, yeah?"

Yes. Yes, it was.

"I'm surprised you aren't more worried about her safety like you were the other day."

That got him a sigh. "I have come to understand that while Bella seems to attract shady characters and a bit of trouble here and there... it's really no different from that of an average human. I do worry constantly if she's in good health and if she's okay, but as what I've observed of her, versus what her medical history claims, I'd say she isn't the accident prone girl she was made out to be."

Bit weird, Emmett noted, how her records can say basically the exact opposite of her. And you can't even call out the discrepancies in the details because normal people don't do in depth background checks on random strangers.

True. Nothing made sense, but that just made her all the more fascinating!

"I can practically see you buzzing with excitement. You really like her." I know I was poking fun at you earlier about inviting her to dinner, but it's a relief to see you get to have normal experiences.

"Thanks, Em."

No problem, kid.

Bella was still in her room when I finally came to a stop outside her home on Sunday evening. According to Charlie's thoughts, she had made homemade bread and stuffed shells for dinner. The Chief of Police was downstairs watching an old taping of a football game, enjoying a can of beer in the process.

In her room, she was playing a video game. Or rather, she had loaded up a video game but was letting the loading menu's music play because she really liked the song and was singing her heart out the same way the vocalist was.

"-ut it's not alwaaaaaays, watcha wanted it ta be! It's not alwaaaaaays, watcha neeeeeeeeed! It's not alwaaaaaays, everythang it could be! It's not alwaaaaaaays, watcha neeeeeee-eeeeed!"

Amused, I climbed a sturdy tree and settled myself in for the evening, just listening to her go about her business and enjoy herself. She grumbled here and there about Shakespeare, or about her mother's emails now and then, but overall she turned in at eleven after having set up her outfit for the next morning.

Bella's sleep was a relatively quiet one. No sleep talking. No crying. She tossed and turned a few times and then was unconscious all the way until seven.

Her morning routine was seen to with ease and her breakfast was just leftovers from the previous day. Something like a French Toast ensemble she'd made in a pan and then baked. Charlie had himself a large piece of it for breakfast with some milk and thought about nothing but how he wished health didn't factor into eating decisions so he could have more.

Bella didn't heat her own portion up. Not because she didn't have the time but because she seemed to like it that way. With a lot of maple syrup on top. She took her time, as the drive to the school wouldn't even take half an hour when driving naturally and not deliberately taking as many turns as possible to prolong the ride like I had done when driving her home.

When Bella stepped out of the house at 7:20, I felt myself swallow the sudden pooling of venom in my mouth.

She'd chosen a pair of black high heels, a wine red shirt with long sleeves, and a pair of skin tight denim jeans. She had a black cardigan thrown over her shoulder, but had chosen not to wear it as it was indeed getting warmer out, even if Forks never got that warm. And there was a black blob bundled up in the crook of her other arm.

The thing was, with the heels on, Bella looked so much taller. She walked with ease in them, side-stepping rocks or uneven portions of the pathway, and not once did her legs or ankles seem to protest the decision.

She got in her truck with ease, started the engine, and backed out of the driveway. I followed easily in the trees, keeping up with her and waiting to see, or in this case hear, what she's doing.

She bobbed her head to an invisible rhythm, and thankfully, I only had a few moments of annoyance to deal with before she started actually singing out loud. "Flintstones! Meet the Flintstones! They're the Modern Stone Age fa-mi-ly! From the town of Bed-rock, they're a page right out of his-to-ry!"

I can't say whether or not I'm surprised that she would know of such cartoons. They are considered far past her generation but at the same time, if her parents grew up when those same cartoons had regular morning television slots, then it would make sense that she knew them. That she would like them is another matter entirely.

Bella repeated the theme song seven more times to herself before she became distracted by something else.

When Bella arrived at Forks High, she met up with Jessica at her car and handed the black blob over. Thankfully, Jessica's thoughts provided information that I lacked.

My wetsuit! Bella is the best! Her mind supplied the sight of Bella in said wetsuit at the beach on the weekend.

"I followed instructions, I promise," Bella told her friend. Her smile was one of amusement in Jessica's eyes.

Jessica nodded as she tossed the bundle into the backseat through the driver's side door. I had full faith. "I see you're in heels again." And then her mind dreamed up what Bella wore to school on Friday. The same heels with a lovely dark blue, long-sleeved shirt. Jessica had found her appearance pleasing to the eye and kept thinking about Bella's legs. Something I personally had tried not to linger on for fear of a loss of self-control.

Is she dressing up for Edward Cullen? The lucky bastard.

Me? She thought Bella's change in clothing was because of me? I don't know if that makes me happy or nervous. It's not good for Bella to want me, but at the same time I am a teenager and she is the object of my growing affections.

Was I allowed to be happy about that?

Bella rolled her eyes. "He's out camping with his family and won't be back until tomorrow. This is for me alone, I assure you."

Yeah right. Bella totally only started dressing this way after Edward Cullen asked her out! Why can't she wear heels when I ask her to? Maybe I want to see Bella dressed to the nines sometimes!

Jessica stewed in her jealousy of me of all people, for a few more seconds, before forgetting all that in the wake of new thoughts. "So you coming with us to Port Angeles?" she asked, internally begging Bella to agree to go with the whole group of girls. She wants a girls' night out.

"Port Angeles?"

Oh yeah! She's totally out of the loop because she isn't going to the dance! "We're going shopping for dresses for the dance!" It's gonna be so fun and it'd be even better if you come, so come with us!

"You have to get a new dress? You can't just wear one you already have?" Bella asked, looking baffled in Jessica's point of view. I can tell that Alice would have had a vampire heart attack if she'd been here to hear such a thing.

It seemed that Jessica was of the same belief.

"No! Absolutely not! You need to wear something new and unique every time so that you can stick out in people's memories! You can't be an outfit-repeater!" Oh Bella. You poor, sweet, innocent bean. Maybe one day all my expertise will rub off on you and you'll understand the world of fashion. Just because Edward Cullen seems attracted no matter what you wear doesn't mean you can't spice things up a little!

Again. She thought I was the cause of this.

"Well, my name isn't Lizzie Maguire so I guess not," Bella said with a shrug.

"You got that? I'm so glad!" Bella likes Disney! Does she watch Phil of the Future or maybe Zenon, Girl of the 21st Century? Those are my faves! I will never let them go! Never!

I have no idea what she's talking about. Maybe this is what Bella meant when she said I'm boring and like an old codger. Basic references to television shows of the present day eluded me.

"Don't be angry if I don't get anything. I'm not much into shopping overall and I'm probably not good at fashion either. I like to rely on something that never goes out of style. All black ensemble for me, thanks."

"Maybe you can get some new heels," Jessica said, giving Bella's legs a telling once over. "Maybe a pair of stilettos!" Bella would look so good in them! Her legs are the legs of a goddess! I want legs like that.

Bella shrugged. "For cheap? I doubt it."

"We can even go thrifting, don't worry." Please come. Please come. Please come. Please come. Please come. Please come. Please come. Please come. She was practically bouncing with excitement.

Eventually, Bella agreed to go, looking not quite as excited, but that didn't stop Jessica from imagining a fun night out with the girls. She had already begun to plan where they'd go out to eat and how she'd convince Bella to agree to buying a nice dress of her own.

Little did she know that Mike Newton was going to ask her out on a date tonight, and no doubt she'd jump at the chance and probably reschedule her outing tonight in order to seize the moment.

The rest of the school day passed with relative ease. Bella drifted in and out of the present as she got lost in her thoughts. Once again, I was left frustrated because I have no idea what it going on inside her head and no body I peeked into could possibly guess what she was thinking about.

What song was she imagining? What could she be writing in her notebook, because I know she didn't take notes all that often, if ever. Most of the time it was doodling.

And as I predicted, the shopping trip got rescheduled for tomorrow.

I was going to have to follow along at a decent pace at some point.

Or, I could be a normal person and not stalk the object of my desires everywhere.

...Yeah, I'm not comfortable leaving her alone for too long. I won't be there for dress shopping because they did not need someone watching them as they did that, but I'd be there for the rest. Just on the other side of the city.

Bella, on the way home, ended up singing to herself once again. "Say, its only a paper moon. Sailing over a cardboard sea. But it wouldn't be make-believe if you believed in me!" Of all the songs I would have expected, that wasn't among them. It's one of my favorites as well.

Jasper's friends, and perhaps they could even be considered extended family, Peter and Charlotte, were visiting. He knew them from back before he joined our family and our way of living. Back when he was a soldier in a vampire army, tasked with changing humans into newborns, teaching them how to fight, and then sending them off to fight newborns from a different factions, all because the leaders wanted the territory as hunting grounds.

Some vampires were appalling people.

Thankfully, one of the few decent things the Volturi had done was outlaw vampire wars where newborns were used. No such wars were to be held anymore if the covens involved didn't want to be annihilated by the greatest coven in existence. So Maria, Jasper's old master, maintained her control of the US/Mexico border. She was unchallenged to this day, and the only possible way for her coven to fall was if a larger coven came in and took them down without newborns and before the Volturi could be given notice of a battle.

We are the next greatest coven and Carlisle is not interested in battles or fighting for territory if he can help it.

I have never been too comfortable with Peter and Charlotte though. This is compounded by the fact that I can hear their thoughts which aren't the kind I typically want to surround myself with.

Never let it be assumed that I'm just rude or unaccepting of people for no good reason. It's not because of their way of life that I don't like them. The difference between me and the rest of my family, when it came to the day we met them, was that I could hear everything they were thinking.

The self-righteous belief in their way of life and the completely rude turn of their thoughts when they learned that we don't hunt humans and don't want to... They're never going to win me over. First impressions, for a mind reader, are impossible to shake once made.

It took several hours into that meeting before they learned of my little talent and by then, the two-faced attitudes had cemented themselves in my mind already. Saying one thing and then quite literally thinking the exact opposite in the most disrespectful fashion? The false sincerity was annoying and while I never said anything, Peter was made uncomfortably aware of the fact that I knew he was a liar.

I show common decency for Jasper's sake, but I don't have to be their friend and I don't have to interact with them if I don't want to.

Too bad.

They also do not like being near me because they know I will be listening to every little thought that crosses their minds and I will know everything. They haven't picked up any of the ways in which people choose to hide their thoughts, because they aren't common nor do they come around often enough for it to be a concern. The chances of them even knowing a language I don't are very small too.

One good thing, I suppose, is the fact that they respect Carlisle's rules. The Olympic Peninsula is out territory. While he might not fight for it, it was recognized as ours by even the Volturi. Carlisle, as our leader, made the decisions. And if any nomadic vampires entered our lands and caused trouble that became noticeable to even the humans, our job was to take care of them and then report what happened to the Volturi for the sake of their records.

Now, while they were around, I didn't fear that Bella would be in danger because they wouldn't want to jeopardize Jasper's trust by breaking Carlie's rules. This meant the humans of the Olympic Peninsula were safe.

Still, I want to catch up to Bella and her friends.

It was boring just sitting around, waiting for an acceptable time to follow behind.

Alice kept sending me smirks, knowing as well as I, what the plan for the evening is.

You can go soon, she told me. They'll be going out for Italian at six-thirty, so you'll have time to get there as the dressing has only just begun.

With a more concrete schedule ahead of me, I knew that I needed to pass the time in a more useful manner. Three hours until dinner after all. Choosing clothes has begun, so I'd say I have an hour to kill before they consider other options of entertainment.

Back to completing the various additional portions of the song I'd composed for Bella. I know what sounds I want, and I know that the incoming synthesizer, courtesy of Alice, is going to be able to record a fixed amount of sounds ahead of time. So choosing which parts needed to be pre-recorded by the time I play it for her, was the next step.

I'm imagining bubbles, a xylophone, and maybe a marimba alongside everything else.

It's so cute! Alice declared as the final product came together in her Vision. I hope she keeps inspiring you.

So do I.

When I finally entered Port Angeles, it took little effort to find the girls. Despite Jessica's worries, she'd managed to get every girl in the friend group to come, and they did indeed spend a decent amount of time shopping. Everyone had successfully gotten their dresses and the additional pieces they'd wanted, and even Bella managed to find some high heels to wear.

The problem?

The girls had left their purchases in Jessica's car, and gone into a Blockbuster at Bella's insistence because she wanted to return some DVDs and possibly get some new ones to watch. She also seemed interested in their video games.

"The PS2 plays DVDs and CDs, did you know that?" she asked her group as she perused the shelves.

From Angela's perspective, Bella looked like a kid in a candy store. Her thrilled smile was the first true one they'd seen since coming out this evening. Not to say that she'd been miserable, but shopping really wasn't something she was interested in.

"So you don't even need a DVD player!" Jessica gasped. "If only I cared about gaming, then I could have gotten my mom to save money. DVDs, CDs, and PS2 games."

"It's also backwards compatible," Bella added as she shifted through the available PS2 games on the lone shelf available for them. "More bang for your buck."

"Huh?" Lauren murmured, as lost as the other two were. She didn't care about gaming in the slightest.

"It also plays PS1 games," Bella clarified. She selected something called 'Need for Speed: Underground' and nodded to herself. "After this, can we stop at the library? I have to get some manga because I'm going to make Edward Cullen read them."

Oh no. I'm dreading agreeing to this already. I wonder fi Alice had seen what Bella's plan was already.

"So he really asked you out, huh?" was Lauren's takeaway.

"I told you he did," Jessica huffed.

"Yeah, but you exaggerate so I wasn't really sure." For all I know she could have been jealous of him and imagined something that wasn't there.

Bella shrugged. "He wanted to go out the night of the dance but there's no good movies out and I got no other ideas without us having to travel for hours to and back. So I've decided it's time for him to behave like a teenager for once, and actually learn how to have fun."

"Video games, anime, and manga?" Angela asked with a fond smile.

Bella nodded with a grin.

The trip was short, but the results were pleasing to Bella so the girls didn't mind.

It was when they left the store, that Bella became incredibly tense. Her sudden alert behavior made me alert, and my senses spread out to try and find the reason for it.

Finding the cause wasn't hard.

Across the street from the girls, was a group of men, all varying levels of drunk, watching them. Had been watching them for a while. Had seen then enter the department store and then had watched them go to Blockbuster. The leader, a piece of scum nicknamed Lanny, was the most sober and his thoughts weren't the sort I wished to be privy to.

Yet it was also a good warning that was necessary, because otherwise I never would have learned his dark secret.

A man with no conscience. No mercy. No respect. He knew nothing of shame or regret and in fact enjoyed his predatory nature. Reveled in it even. And while his friends weren't aware of the extent of his actions, they were willing to follow him to the ends of the world if he told them to.

His attention was on Bella all because of those damn shoes and how they changed the length of her legs. Then he noticed how pale Lauren's hair was, how busty Jessica seemed to be, and how Angela towered over everyone else, 'like a model'.

I have never thought of any of these young women in such a way. Nor any women ever in such derogatory terms. I may not have liked Lauren or Jessica some months ago, but even then I never would use the terms this piece of filth was using to refer to them.

The desire to crush his head between my palms was strong. It would be so much like old habits rearing their ugly heads again. I had a dark past of hunting down rapists and domestic abusers. I still struggled with guilt over it because while I don't regret killing them as they deserved it and worse, I regret falling Carlisle and his vision for our lives.

Though if it was possible to kill Esme's human husband again for what he pulled, I'd do it in a heartbeat regardless of what Carlisle wanted.

But that's neither here nor there.

I had my cellphone at the ready with a call to Alice, who answered instantly. "What happened?"

"Tell Carlisle that Bella's friends are being stalked by a serial killer who is also a rapist, and that I am on the verge of ripping his head off if left to my own devices. Alice, the things he's thinking are repulsive and make me wish I was capable of vomiting."

There was a shift on the other end of the line, and the phone was taken from Alice's hand and placed in someone else's.

"Carlisle's busy at work, but I'm here," Rosalie answered, already enraged. "I'll be there soon. Do whatever you can to keep those girls safe. Even if you have to hit him with the Volvo, do it."

The line went dead instantly.

With Rosalie on the way, it meant that Emmett was also on the way. I felt much better about their impending arrival, and took a deep breath to calm myself.

Bella hadn't taken her attention away from the group of predators even as she lead the girls back to Jessica's car. She was saying, "I can go to the library tomorrow. I'm just super hungry and I kind of want some meat and cheese tortellini. How 'bout you guys?"

Jessica burst into excited rambling about La Bella Italia's food and the other girls all accepted her enthusiasm as something inescapable and slightly adorable. No one but Bella seemed aware of the potential danger they were faced with.

I, two streets over, followed along and waited until they were parked and heading inside before parking myself. The group of filth had followed casually, lingering at the end of the road, around a street lamp. The beast in charge was trying to think of a way to separate the group because large groups of women were harder to target in his experience.

It was dark enough for me to not have to hide in shaded areas anymore. I parked and followed the girls to the front door, calling out a simple, "Bella!" in the process.

They all turned, eyes going wide with shock upon seeing me of all people. "Edward? I thought you were out camping?"

Oh my God! Jessica gasped.

Holy shit, was Lauren's response.

He looks so smitten with Bella. That's cute. Angela seemed the most touched by my presence, because it meant something to Bella in her mind. Also always, the sweetest of Bella's friends.

Fuck! Not another one added to the group! the rapist groused to himself from down the road.

"We got back this afternoon and on the way back home, Rosalie decided we should make a stop. She made me come here to get some Italian for her because she's busy buying some new clothes from some small shop across town and I didn't want to sit there waiting as she had to try every single thing on." It was easy to fall into the role of an annoyed younger brother, because I usually am one.

"What a nice brother you are," Bella teased, smile genuine but stiff considering her obvious concern over the men following her and her friends. "How long do you have?"

"She'll text me. May I possibly join your group for now? I'll even pay as thanks for taking up your time," I offered, practically jumping into the deep end now. "I just don't want to sit and do nothing while waiting, you know?" Was I putting on the extra charm? Yes. I needed to make certain they all stayed safe and if it meant getting them to invite me along, so be it. "Familiar faces are a relief."

Jessica was trying to transmit her desire for Bella to agree through some nonexistent mental link between them. Angela was flushed but also willing to put up with my presence. Lauren didn't really seem to care either way and just wanted to get food so she could sit down and text Tyler Crowley about what he wasn't allowed to wear to the dance.

"If everyone is okay with it then sure."

They all were of course.

We entered the restaurant together as I texted my location to Rosalie. She'd be able to smell my scent on the street and know where the perverts were located. Hopefully, she would be able to get everything handled before the girls were finished eating.

I just hoped the others remained fully unaware of what might have happened tonight. It was a shame Bella had to know, but at least we could protect her friends' innocence for a while longer at the very least.

~.O.~

A/N: Another is done!

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Chapter Text

A/N: Hello, people!

I don't own Twilight.

I have no regular beta.

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~.O.~

SIDE A

The thought of simply sitting down to dinner with a group of friends did sound nice, but the fact that it had to play out this way because of a bunch of creeps and their leader, Rapey McRapeFace, pissed me off. It's hard to maintain composure about the situation knowing full well what had prompted Edward to join us in the first place. And like, I appreciate his offer and the added protection his presence brings, but damn am I uncomfortable knowing what I know.

I can literally feel my own heartbeat in my fingertips and I'm pretty sure there was a literal moment there where I could feel the pounding in my chest. God, I hope that's not some kind of health concern. I can't handle that kind of thing right now.

My distraction meant that I barely noticed the waitress flirting her ass off with Edward. I didn't even get to imitate Bella's displeasure. RIP me, I guess.

Of course, that didn't mean no one else wasn't aware of what was going on in our little bubble. Lauren looked especially annoyed at the college-age woman who was flirting with a teenager as he asked for a more private table and slipped her a Benjamin to prompt the change in seating. She looked to be on the cusp of saying something she would likely never regret, and Angela was sending her eye signals practically begging her not to start something that could get us kicked out when we only just got here.

I kinda wanted to see what she'd say because I am a gremlin of chaos, but I also know very well how important the situation is and know very well that we cannot afford to be kicked out too early. The car is across the street.

Once we were all seated and the drinks and meals were ordered, in which Edward conveniently didn't order anything for himself but did ask for something in a to-go box supposedly for Rosalie, Edward chose to open his mouth and completely blow all of us away.

I'm shocked he chose to say something.

"Rosalie didn't send me to get her food," he confided quietly, face morphing into a expression of guilt and worry. "She wanted me to stay with your group because we noticed a large group of men following you from Blockbuster. Specifically, they'd been following you for a while already and she sent Emmett to handle them, while sending me to keep you company."

There were many implications in his words. Aside from the potential sexual harassment/assault, sending Emmett, who looked like he could lift a truck with one hand, was basically a threat. While no doubt, both Emmett and Rosalie went to handle the problem, telling them that Emmett did just made more sense since he looked so physically imposing. He'd terrify a bunch of rowdy, drunk men with no problem just by being there.

The looks of varying horror on the faces of my friends made the situation feel all the more real. Instantly, Lauren placed an arm around Jessica's shoulders in a rare show of support, and perhaps a moment of her own terror in seeking companionship. Both Jessica and Angela had curled in on themselves, though Jessica was leaning on Lauren for support and Angela's shivering form found mine for warmth. I could literally feel her shaking as she processed Edward's words.

Edward's expression was grim, but necessary. "I apologize for not telling you outright, but they were listening in when I approached and it's better if we stay in a public space with many witnesses until Rosalie gives the clear. The one man is a wanted serial killer who is known to operate best at night, so while Emmett distracts the group, the authorities are on their way and should be arriving soon."

There was a moment of total silence, and then Lauren's head turned toward me slowly, and she said, "That's why you didn't want to go to the library." She didn't even pose it as a question. "You had a whole plan for what you needed and yet the moment we left Blockbuster you clammed up and claimed you were suddenly very hungry for tortellini."

As there was no point in lying, I ended up nodding along because she wasn't wrong or anything. I, being a fan of Twilight, got to have all the dirty details of the canon future of the story, and knew that this would happen. I'd been dreading it forever because every other time I've tried to avoid a major canon plot point, it bites me in the ass and I usually still end up dealing with it somehow.

I hadn't wanted to come, but I also hadn't wanted to avoid coming in case me deciding not to go brought a serial killing rapist to Charlie's house or ended up setting said serial killing rapist on my friends or someone else. When I try to intervene, things go to shit. But… Edward is the one who intervened this time. He's the one that changed the course of the night's events. I just hastened us along to dinner, but Edward called in reinforcements instantly and approached us himself, which is a very different take compared to the book.

I'm not sure of how this will affect things going forward and I'm admit, I'm a bit nervous.

"I'm a paranoid mess," I told the group, since there would be no point in hiding it. "I thought I saw them when we went shopping for clothes and I'm naturally wary of large groups of drunk men just on principle, but then I saw them again as we were heading for Blockbuster. The moment I saw them literally waiting outside the store, I knew we needed to go to dinner and perhaps stay as long as possible. Just to be safe. I wasn't sure if I should bring it up and panic everyone, but considering how things just played out I'm gonna say that was the best course of action."

Edward sat across from us on his own side of the booth. I had originally considered sitting beside him but didn't want to leave the girls on the other side as some kind of clearly drawn line of separation between us. Not now. Not when we were dealing with a matter of safety here. There were more important things at stake than my issues with crowded places and people in my personal space.

"I know this situation isn't ideal, but we're going to do everything we can to keep you all safe," Edward said softly, sincerity pouring into every word. "Rose feels very strongly about things like this and no matter her own personal faults or foibles, she would never let something happen to you if she had the power to stop it."

Beside me, Angela shuddered and leaned on me even further. I soothed her in the way I remember my mom soothing me. A warm hand on my head, and the feeling of support in knowing someone you care for is with you. That had always made me feel better whenever I was sad or scared. And hot tea. Perhaps we could get some of that too? Would a small Italian restaurant have hot tea as a drink option?

Thankfully, the waitress appeared with a tray full of refills, a basket of breadsticks, and a promise that all of our meals were being taken care of. I took the chance to ask for a pot of tea and a few cups, and then asked for two of every dessert on the menu as well since sugar could also be a great way to lighten the atmosphere, even just a little bit. Even if it was just as a distraction.

Edward was looking at me with that kind of timeless gaze he possessed. One that told anyone with common sense that he was not a normal seventeen-year-old and that there was something off about him. It was made even weirder by the fact that his eyes were so bright gold now, compared to the last time I saw him. His pasty white skin coupled with such a vibrant shade of yellow were weird together. In the subpar lighting of the restaurant, the purpling around his eyes looked even more eerie than usual.

Honestly, maybe Rosalie should have been the one to break this news. I'm not really sure which would be better, but at the moment, Edward looked creepy as all hell. It certainly didn't add to the atmosphere or the distant, not-so-Italian music playing in the background.

Of all the girls, Lauren looked the calmest despite the situation. Her expression wasn't a pleasant one, but I can pretty much guess what she was thinking. After all, this was just supposed to be a fun night preparing for the dance, and now it had turned into this. But at the same time, one such as her would want to know the truth of the situation she was in. She would not appreciate being in the dark and then getting some kind of surprise later on.

Like, if she went home and then found out about how there was a rapist int he same city as her while she was out shopping with friends, that wouldn't go over well.

The following meal was very awkward and even while small conversation was made, no one could really muster up the energy to be happy any longer. Thankfully, the typically fun stuff had already happened, so it wasn't as if the entire evening was ruined. I'm just a bit bummed that this had to happen at all, and I find it total bullshit that it couldn't have been avoided entirely.

What was so important about this plot point that it absolutely had to stay in the story? Why was it necessary to be a part of my experience when I already knew about everything? Who was pulling all these damn strings and making my existence here so troublesome?

It was sometime during dessert, half an hour later, that the sound of sirens filled the tiny town of Port Angeles. Rosalie had made do on her promise it seemed, and the sirens filled the silence for quite some time. As the only group aware, to an extent, of why there would be so many cops responding to an emergency in Port Angeles at night, it was hard to not be somber about what it meant.

"I want to go home," Jessica said, her voice shaking just a little at the end. "Do you think we can go now?" she asked Edward, practically daring him to refuse her.

Edward stared down at his phone and hummed. "Rosalie said they've all been detained. The one man was recognized instantly as he's wanted in many states. The news should probably break by morning. I think it'll be safe to leave now if you'd all like that."

The other three girls all nodded very quickly, so Edward pulled a few Benjamins from his pocket and placed them on the table. I grabbed what I could of the remaining desserts and stuffed them in my bag. I'll eat them later. Troublesome situation aside, I'm not wasting food.

"Would you feel comfortable if I follow you in my car, or would you prefer to return to Forks alone?"

Jessica looked to Lauren for advice, while Angela looked to me. Now, while the situation has freaked me out a bit, I'm not quite as affected because I have way more information than they do. So, my feelings and opinions should not be used as an example at the moment. I'm not exactly a natural leader either and I really don't want to be the one making important decisions if I can help it.

Besides, Lauren had her head on straight enough for all of us. She decided, "We appreciate the offer, but we can take it from here if they've been apprehended already." She didn't know Edward like I do so of course she's going to be wary of him even if they were both students at the same school.

Edward nodded. He then looked at me. "I'll see you tomorrow. I can't wait for your answer from our last conversation, Bella. I hope you all can have a better experience next time you go out together."

And then he was gone, leaving us standing at Jessica's car as he strode down the street toward the Volvo which was parked across the road. We watched as he made a sharp U-Turn right in the middle of the street and headed off in the opposite direction to Forks.

We got in the car, the other girls trying to not make it obvious that they were rushing. Angela was incredibly pale and was rubbing her hands together for warmth. Jessica had forgotten the front seat, instead climbing in the back with Angela and I. Somehow, I ended up sandwiched between them with both latching onto me for warmth and probably emotional support.

Angela was dropped off first, and she stumbled up the path and into her parent's house after a quick wave goodbye. I was next, since Jessica and Lauren were literal neighbors who had been friends since childhood. I let Jessica get in an extra hug before taking my leave, and I stood in the doorway, watching as they drove off just in case.

I was home early. Charlie was obviously still up and when he came around the corner to check on how I was doing, he was able to instantly see that I was not happy.

"What happened, Bells?"

How to word it? I'm one of those people who prefer to just say it as it was and not dance around the topic, but in this instance would that really be the best choice?

Mah! I'll just do as I always do.

There'd be no point in trying to hide it since the news will break soon anyway.

"Edward Cullen appeared while we were going for dinner, asking to join us. Apparently, he was out shopping with his older siblings Rosalie and Emmett, and Rosalie recognized our group as well as a group of men that were following us around. She called the cops because the one guy is a wanted serial killer and a rapist. Edward told us to stay in the restaurant until the group was cuffed and taken away."

For the first time since I'd awoken in this life, one of Bella's parents hugged me. It felt awkward as all hell because I'm not exactly someone who likes physical contact all too much, but I'm also aware of other people and their feelings. Sometimes we must endure things we don't like for the sake of those around us. In this case. I am trapped in the body of this man's daughter, and he does not know that I am not Isabella Swan. In his mind he's expressing his worry for his daughter, and it'd be incredibly cruel of me to deny him that.

Again, Charlie Swan was a man of action. He expressed his feelings and concerns with actions rather than words. Finding out that his little girl had been in the same city as a serial killer and had been in a group of girls that said creep was stalking, had to be terrifying news to take in.

"How you holding up, Bells?" he mumbled into my hair. "I know that you're a lot more mature than your friends and that you're like a middle-aged woman on the inside, but you're still a person and no matter your level of understanding and maturity, it's not as if these things would ever be easy to accept."

I took a deep breath, trying to catalog my own feelings on the situation. My hands are shaking a little. Like, I knew what could have happened, so I'd been very nervous all afternoon as a result. I'm not quite so scared of the plot but more of the knowledge that I can't avoid it myself. Judging by how this all turned out, I'll need Edward, or maybe a different vampire entirely, to intervene with each plot point I want to avoid.

Though we can't rule out me potentially being assaulted by a serial killer or rapist yet, I suppose. The night was still young I suppose.

Yeah, it's not exactly easy to deal with. Knowledge of a potential future that you cannot change.

"I'm okay," I told Charlie, since I technically am. "I think I was more worried about everyone else than myself. No matter what happens, I'm stubborn as hell and I'm not going down without swinging, but it's more than just yourself on the line, you have to be mindful of everything you do and say in such a situation."

Charlie's mustache quivered. "I'm sorry you had to be in that situation, Bella."

"At least the Cullens were there to intervene before anything had happened."

"...I'm liking Edwin a lot more now."

That got a snort. I'm sorry, but his desire to deliberately get Edward's name wrong is funny as hell.

"Do you want to stay home from school?"

"Nah, I'm not that messed up." Besides, I got an answer to give a broody vampire. "I wouldn't mind having takeout tomorrow night though."

"Gotcha."

Hey again!

So a lot of shit happened at Port Angeles. Eddie Boy decided to
completely fuck with canon in his own way and ended up saving
our asses while also dragging Rosalie and Emmett into the drama.
And while I'm glad things ended up okay, I'm kinda bummed that
I can't seem to change canon without suffering for it, but he can.

Still, this has given me something to consider. Is Edward able to
change canon around because he is the love interest, or the other
main character, or because he isn't human? And if any one of these
is the case, is there a way to test this out?

I have to go back to Port Angeles to borrow the available Naruto
volumes so I can make Edward read them in his spare time. I will
be going there before returning to Charlie's house. I should be able
to make it back before he gets home, though we'll have to see.

Still, I'll be alone. If we truly avoided the whole put-Bella-in-danger
part of this Key Point, then it is truly Edward who managed to change
it. If I go to Port Angeles and I don't get attacked, get hurt, or die,
then I will know that there is some kind of way to circumvent canon.

So I hope that nothing shitty happens to me.

Scared and Nervous,
Bonita.

On Tuesday morning, I decided to take some of Alice's advice about wearing blue and put on my second blue shirt. It was a form-fitting turtleneck that was a nice shade of royal blue and was a nice contrast to everything else. Coupled with low-rise skinny jeans and my only pair of black heels, I looked a bit too professional for school. Just a bit though. I could have gone the extra mile if I had things like makeup and jewelry on hand but then that would have just been overkill.

In the overcast weather of Forks, Bella's paleness is even more pronounced. I feel like I'm in that Spongebob episode where he got sun bleached. Coupled with my hair now looking almost black thanks to the weather, and the darkness of my ensembles, I could probably pass for like, a Vampire Diaries kind of vampire. Not quite pale enough to be Cullenesque yet, but maybe someday the weather will be even worse and we'll see some kind of progression.

The heels gave me three extra inches of height and it was like living in a whole new world. I miss being tall so much! Bella's 5'4" ass is killing me! How do people handle not reaching the top shelf all the time? I have to climb on the counters and risk breaking my neck just for a fucking cup. Like, I've actually rearranged the cupboards to better suit my now short experience, so I don't have to risk so much every time I prepare dinner.

The struggle isn't appreciated and when things go south, work smarter, not harder.

To top my lovely look off, I pulled my hair up into an elaborate do that had to be pinned into place several times over just so that the random turning of my head didn't dislodge anything. Literally, Bella has so much hair and there is so much weight to it that it needs all of those damn pins just to stay upright. Already I can feel some hairs loosening.

With my neck covered I don't have to wear my hair down today and I really didn't want to have to do that to begin with. With such long hair, the head can get hot very quickly and sometimes my neck is suffocating. And because it's so thick and heavy, the heat it traps in kills me every damn day.

A change in style was due soon anyway. Spring is upon us after all.

Since Edward likes the color blue on Bella, this can be like a little surprise for the dude. I'm nice like that. I wish it was purple though.

No makeup to be seen of course, if you don't count ChapStick as makeup. I still haven't bought any and don't plan on it anytime soon. Bella's skin is clear, she has long lashes, and her lips are a light pink naturally. Doesn't seem like there's a point to wasting money on something that won't be necessary anyway. Like, she's got all the stuff naturally. Though the flat eyebrows do bother me a bit.

Bella's ears aren't pierced and I kinda wanna get them done too. I like earrings. I always wanted to pierce all the way up my left ear but never had the courage because I'm a coward on the inside. Pain and I aren't friends and never will be. I don't want to know that bitch intimately, thank you very much.

Charlie's obvious gaping when I entered the kitchen made me snort. "It's fine, dad. I'm just feeling a little fancy today."

I didn't hear everything he said in response, but I did get 'must really like Edwin'. I am still too amused to correct him on Edward's name. He was committed to the bit and who would I be to take that away from him?

The drive to school was short. I'd taken my heels off for the ride over because driving in heels was dumb as hell. The Chevy was covering me almost completely so sacrificing comfort for appearance while driving was pointless. It's also not like anyone is going to be trying to see into the window in order to get a look at my feet.

…I am a mass of contradictions. Being friends with me must be tiring. Must be why I only had one friend in my first life.

Besides that stuff, as Bella is lucky enough to be a super thin girl during the early 2000s, she already passes a standard beauty test. And being so thin means less weight on the balls of my feet while I'm walking around. Still, if I don't have to wear them while driving, I'm not going to. They're meant to make my legs look longer and no one can see my legs right now. What's the point?

Forks High was such a plain place. Too bad painting bricks always made buildings look like a nursery threw up all over them. Too bad we can't spruce the place up, I say, as a person with no sense of design or fashion. My idea would be anime characters painted on the walls or something. Sailor Moon here, Card Captor Sakura there, the whole deal.

Edward was at the driver's side door the moment I pulled in. He looked excited despite what had happened the night prior. I made him wait though because I had to put the heels back on and it was funny seeing his look of confusion as I fumbled around inside the truck.

"You really need to acquire some semblance of chill, dude. Also, learn about personal space." I hadn't cracked the window or anything, I simply knew he'd hear me easily while still inside the roaring truck. Seeing him get all bashful was good for a laugh.

The silence once the engine was off felt almost deafening.

Obediently, he took three steps back so I could actually get out and close the door without feeling cramped. He looked as beautiful as always which was totally unfair. His eyes were even more golden than last night, so he must have gone hunting for a bit before coming to school for them to be so bright. Maybe because he was hungry, maybe because he was too on edge to concentrate on anything for too long. Who can tell?

I wasn't oblivious to the very obvious once over he gave me either. I hadn't brought a coat today since there was to be no rain or snow and 50 degrees is decent weather in my opinion, even if it ends up being gray all day long. It's a turtleneck and actually made of decent material. It can do its job just fine without a hoodie or a coat.

"Your excitement over Charlie's response is heart-warming," I told him. I'm pretty sure he already knows it considering the way his mind reading thing works.

If he could blush, he probably would be right now. He was too damn obvious and needed to dial it back a few levels at least. I'm not going anywhere any time soon and we both legit have a lot of time to spare. No need to rush.

"Okay, when do you have free time?" I asked, acting like I didn't know that he has no life in every definition of the word.

"All the time," he answered without hesitation. I know this to be true since his immortal life is boring as fuck. All he has is school for the millionth time. Bo-ring! At least the Volturi decide to learn stuff in all the time they'd been calcifying away.

And yes, I know they don't technically calcify, but I'm being dramatic for the effect. Sue me.

I nod in faux understanding. "I've gotten perpetual permission to have visitors over any day of the week so long as they leave by ten. So you can come over whenever really. Though on weekends I'd prefer it be early in the day so we can get through a lot of stuff before you have to leave. My bedroom door must be open the entire time of the visit. I will bake an ass load of cookies for me to snack on since you won't be eating. If the idea of a girl eating offends you, speak now and prepare to get ignored forever."

He looked confused, as per usual when around me.

"It's a whole thing with sexism and body-shaming. Women eating is either sexualized as some kind of taunt for men or shamed because of diet culture and the ideas around weight. Especially weight on women. Can't tell you how many times people have had a comment on what I decide to eat, how much I decide to eat, or if I actually choose to eat since they expect me to fast or some shit." I then patted Bella's flat stomach. "Probably to do with this and the fact that I don't seem to keep on weight or whatever."

Edward shrugged, though his face was set in that usual expression he tended to get when around me. The one where I've challenged his world views and he's very confused and unsure of if he should respond or not. "I don't really care. I never really thought about it to be honest with you."

No shit, Sherlock. He didn't have to eat food at all and would never gain weight as he is now. He was also a man.

"Alright. So you should come by around like noon on the weekends. Weekdays would probably be best to come by at six since Charlie gets home around five-thirty and we will be sitting down to eat at that time."

It was like Hallowe'en, Christmas, and February 15th had all rolled up in one fucking day and presented him with the motherload of free shit. I haven't seen someone get this excited in a very long time. His obsession with my not-Bella self is so odd to me. I'm not like Bella. I'm not mysterious; I speak my mind all the time. I'm so up front that there's really nothing to question about me.

Not to mention that I come across as rude to many people. Bella was like a little mouse and I'm like a yowling house cat. Very different personalities here but annoying on different ends of the spectrum.

"Are you free to come over tomorrow?"

"Yes." He sounded so intense too.

"Sweet. Now I need to get to class, or I'll have to do extra homework to make up for being late."

As I walked away, I ended up humming along to Toxic and wishing I could watch the music video whenever I wanted.

Edward was very inviting come Biology. I sat with the group at lunch because the girls were still shaken up from the night prior but was informed by Jessica that he basically stared at me all lunch period. He really needs to chill. I get the potential soulmate thing going on, but making his entire existence revolve around Bella's was unhealthy as fuck. He needed some perspective. He was a vampire and was technically immortal, shouldn't he be learning a new language or studying some archaic tome or whatever?

Why is it that the first time he encounters an odd human, he somehow has to make them his whole life? I don't get the whole soulmate thing. Even if you're meant to be together, why would you have to dedicate your entire existence to another person like that? As someone who was Team Alice for most of the time that I was super into Twilight, it's still something I struggle with understanding.

Hell, canonically, the Cullens would pack up and move the moment even a single person started entertaining thoughts of them not being normal. Bella wasn't the only person to realize something was off. Was Bella's silent mind really the only reason they haven't packed up and left yet?

"Hello, Bella," he greeted once he caught sight of me. If he was a dog, his tail would be wagging furiously.

"Hey, Eddie Boy."

"We have a pop quiz today. When finished we can do whatever we want until they're handed back."

Well damn. A dangerous ability, that mind reading of his. All the ability to cheat but because he's done this so many times it's not even fun now. "Thanks for the heads up. I've got like two minutes to refresh my mind." I don't like studying, I got better things to do with my time. It's bad enough that I have to be in school again.

He smiled. "I'm sure you'll do fine."

He was right. The test was easy and all stuff I've worked on before. If it was a pop quiz in Trig, I would be feeling very differently. I still don't like studying though, that will never change.

'Some things never change, turn around and the time has flown! Some things stay the same, though the future remains unknown!' Did I just hum a song from Frozen 2? Yes- yes I did. It slaps and it's funny, sue me.

Edward and I handed our quizzes in at the same time and returned to our table where he'd produced a piece of paper with his fanciful script on it and had placed it on my side of the table already. I couldn't even sit first, and he was already up to something.

Dude wanted to pass notes. It really felt like high school all over again. I never partook in this particular activity because it always annoyed me, and I preferred typing overall. I was also a bit of a teacher's pet and never wanted to get on the bad side of one. But this was free time as we waited for everyone else to catch up, so there was no real reason to refuse, and I have nothing else to do while we wait.

What's your favorite movie?

The Dark Knight hasn't come out yet so I can't exactly say that, can I? I mean, I like tons of movies, but a favorite is typically something that would be something you watch over and over and over and never get tired of. There are plenty of movies that I just don't have the patience to watch more than once a year, and not enough movies that I would feel moved to watch all that often.

So really, what was there to choose from when many I like are from like 2010 and onward? It's not like I spent my time organizing my movie preferences by year or whatever.

What did I go watch in 2005? I remember seeing a few movies with my mom. The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl was one of them as Taylor Lautner break-dancing while singing terribly remains an epic moment of pop culture that should never be forgotten. But I also saw Goblet of Fire after school with my mom and that one was infinitely better in all ways, even though we were late and only got the last two seats all the way up front.

I mean, it's better than nothing and actually exists.

I guess Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Why? I really wouldn't have expected such an answer from you.

Can't exactly give him the real reason, can I? I just have to pull some bullshit out of my ass and go with it.

I really enjoyed the use of CGI in it. It mostly lived up to my expectations. Newell made some good directional choices even if, "HARRY! DID YA PUT YA NAME IN DA GOBLET OF FIYAH?!" was painfully inaccurate to the true scene. I mean it was totally a laugh and will probably be a good fandom joke, but it kills me inside to know that it isn't right in the slightest.

Edward hummed as he read my reply, eyebrows furrowed together a bit. I wonder if he's ever watched or read Harry Potter. Would that kind of thing interest him? Did he even know Harry Potter existed? Have I ever mentioned it to him? I can't recall. I cycle through so many fandoms on the daily that I don't even remember everything and honestly, if it was super important, I would have made a personal note of it.

What's your favorite TV show?

None of my all-time favorites have come out yet. Ugh! This is the most annoying 20 Questions I've ever participated in. I gotta reach back into the pool of 90s stuff and while I like Fresh Prince and Family Matters, episodes were hit or miss for me, but Moesha was the shit. Mom got me on that one. I found Sister, Sister on my own and I remember trying to look like the Mowry twins so hard. I think I was like eight when I discovered that show and it was everything to little Bonita. Denim obsession and all.

I don't really watch TV all that much. Live action shows aren't very interesting right now. Though I guess The Nanny is good enough to be considered a favorite, even though it's from over a decade ago. Fran is hot and a total icon. The Proud Family is also great.

Hannibal isn't a thing yet. Good Omens hasn't been made into a show yet. Sherlock is a thing of the future. The Untamed is long into the future. Is Everybody Hates Chris airing yet? So many other things haven't even been thought of yet. I'm bereft here.

Favorite anime then?

Speaking my language! As of right now I do actually have a wide variety to choose from, but which would be the best to answer with? What one do I feel most connected to? What one strikes a chord in me that others simply haven't, or needed longer to do so? There are still a decent amount of anime and manga to choose from.

Oh my God! I know which one!

Revolutionary Girl Utena. Forward with the Gay Agenda! Anthy is my queen!

If Edward does a Google search on that I'm going to die laughing! If he comes to me with questions about it, I will expire! This is something I need now. I don't know why but it would be fucking hilarious, and I want it. I want to know what he thinks about the very unique plot line in that story. So many things would surely get a few raised eyebrows and that's why I'm so excited all of a sudden.

Favorite book?

Hard to think of. I read more fanfiction than actual books in the later years of my life because honestly, some fics were better than the stories they were inspired by. However, none of my favorite fics have been written yet, if they'll be written at all.

I love Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, though the latter took for-fucking-ever to get through. I'm not big on stuff required for reading in schools. Like, time moves on. Can't they choose things more recent? My middle school had the first three Harry Potter books on the reading list. They were the newest books on the list. The next recent books before them were written by Dickens. And not all of his books were allowed for obvious reasons.

When will we graduate to more modern literature in schools? Or like, stuff from 1900 and up? And not for the sake of removing older books because the government is threatened by their messages opening the minds of young people. (EX: To Kill A Mockingbird and Fahrenheit 451.) But more like Austen was like two hundred years ago and times have fucking changed. I would like to focus more on literature that's closer to my lifetime and experiences.

Period pieces get old when every school in the country insists on making you read the same books over and over. My first time through school, I had to read Macbeth four times. Three different high schools, four different high school English Classes. Every single one of them had Macbeth as a requirement.

I was a tired teen. There is only so much of me that is willing to be the Third Witch in four different dramatic reenactments.

Oh yeah, Eddie Boy wanted an answer.

Um…

Fahrenheit 451.

The best I can think of off the bat.

Favorite color?  Purple.

Favorite musical genre? I like all kinds of music.

Greatest fear? Loneliness.

Talents? None really.

I don't consider piano a talent because I had to practice my ass off for that skill. Not after such a disastrous talent show where my bragging about playing by ear got my ass handed to be in fantastic fashion.

My answers, being on paper, didn't have very many details. I could see he was getting frustrated at the limited amount of communication we had available. I can't write fast like him so that's just how it's going to be.

So I wrote back, Answer those same questions for me now. At least to distract him a bit.

He seemed shocked, but his pen was flying across the page, his script covering it pretty damn easily. I wish I could have such nice writing, but I hate it. Typing is my go-to and always will be. And it's so much faster too! Especially when you're trying to write a book. Editing on Google Docs was so much faster than doing it by hand. I shudder when I remember the hell of writing papers in elementary school.

My favorite film is Total Recall.

I do not have a favorite television show  either,  but I have high hopes for the future of fiction.

My favorite book is The Color Purple.

My favorite color is blue.

I fancy myself a classical music buff and have an entire wall filled with music in my room.

My greatest fear is having a lack of self-control in my life.

I can play a few instruments though my favorite out of all of them is the piano, and I like to play high-stakes dart games with Alice. She cheats to win and still loses.

His answers were very informative and actually gave me more questions than answers. Unexpected but not unappreciated.

Dart games? That was never mentioned in the books. Though Alice using her Visions to try and win makes total sense to me. Yet the dude could read minds so didn't he also cheat by technicality?

Also, his greatest fear is sad as hell. Especially if you know all of his other existential issues on top of it all. Self-control is truly kicking him in the nads.

Then considering his favorite movie and book? The Color Purple is his favorite book? That's some deep shit, and I get that he's over one hundred and has witnessed a lot of things in American history, but I don't recall racism ever being brought up in the Twilight Saga. Like, Bella has a line about Shakespeare's writing of female characters being misogynistic in the first book but I'm pretty sure that's it. Twilight didn't really delve into political shit because it was fantasy YA stuff and was about the vampire/werewolf/human love triangle shit that spawned in a Mormon's head one night.

And then the movie. Total Recall? As in Arnold Schwarzenegger? As in sci-fi? I literally would never peg Edward Cullen as a sci-fi dude. He didn't give off that vibe. Like the whole classical music obsession. He felt like a crotchety old man stuck in WWI. I mean, he was dying in the hospital before WWI even ended, but still.

I wasn't really sure what to say in response to his answers.

Nice.

That was the best I got.

I hadn't realized how distracted he got me until the bell rang. Damn.

Edward shoved the paper into his binder and smiled. "That was interesting," he said with a smile. "I have a lot to think about now."

"Ditto."

"Would you like me to bring anything tomorrow? I need to know now because Alice has plans and I'd rather have time to prepare myself."

I blinked, caught off guard for a moment. He meant as in coming over ASAP, huh? Damn, he was eager. "Just yourself, I suppose. Try to dress a bit more inconspicuously though. Less like a billionaire's child and more like the common teen."

His brows furrowed again; he did that a lot today.

"As you wish."

Okay, I need to go and rent the first five volumes of Naruto from the Port Angeles library since the one in Forks has nothing. I am a bit nervous to go alone but knowing that those creeps were handled by Rosalie makes me feel a lot better. I think I can manage a quick run into the library and then a quick run out. if something happens... I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

Edward and I will also play some video games during his visit, but I will be assigning him some reading materials. I am very curious to see his take on the Naruto universe. I'm also going to try and use it as an introduction to a life lesson he needs.

"See you later then."

The entire school day leading up to Edward's first ever visit was filled with him practically vibrating with excitement the entire day. Every time I saw him, he was looking like his day was made. I don't really know what he thinks he's going to be getting out of this experience, but more power to him, I guess.

I didn't even need to call out to him at the end of the day for him to appear at my side. "Endeavor to make yourself look a little less perfect when you come by. People who are too immaculately put together and too obsessed with perfection tend to give off serial killer vibes to people with experience in law enforcement."

Judging by how confused he suddenly became; I knew I had once again thrown him for a loop.

So I may have gotten a bit too invested in certain shows that have to do with serial killers and trying to catch them by thinking how they think - *cough* Hannibal and Sherlock *cough* - but to an extent it was true. Disorder was the norm and in a crowd of random people, the most put-together person would stand out the most.

Kinda like how I automatically don't trust people who are too happy. Excessive joy with no obvious reason to exist, isn't trustworthy in my eyes. And I'm typically right to not trust the people who come at me with face-splitting smiles and far too much flattery, because their true colors will always show in the end. They tend to be some of the nastiest people to deal with.

"I appreciate how seriously you're taking this," Edward said, his smile disarmingly charming in that annoying ass way of his. "It'll be fine. Carlisle, and by extension the rest of us, have built up a very pleasant reputation in all of Forks. If there was ever some kind of disaster or trouble, we would not be the first thought in people's minds."

Well… he wasn't wrong really. Having kids who never got in trouble ever definitely made you stand out as a parental figure. And in such a small town where there really wasn't much to do in terms of entertainment, it meant a lot more to the local police that they didn't have to waste time, energy and resources on trying to tame the rowdy residential teens.

This basically all boils down to me being as careful as possible.

All I have to say is if I moved to a small town and saw a group of teens who are all family but none of them related, yet all have the same skin tone and eye color, I'd be a bit weirded out and a little too curious for my own good. Throw away the fact that I know a lot of Twilight already, and just look at the facts of the situation. The Cullens didn't even appear like a normal family on the surface because they were too questionable.

"Also try not to be super excitable. We don't want the Chief to get the wrong idea."

Edward gave a firm nod. "Do you need me to bring anything?"

"Just you and an open mind."

"Will do."

"Edward Cullen is coming over tonight."

Charlie choked on his pizza. "This soon?" It had been days since I'd asked permission. Maybe he was hoping I'd forget about it entirely.

"He's easily excitable and dedicated once he sets his mind to something."

Charlie grumbled. "Remember my rules. I got you a can of pepper spray. It's in my coat pocket."

Awwwww. My feels. Best bean. "Thanks, dad."

"What will you be doing when he comes over?" Charlie asked, obviously trying to pretend like he wasn't judging our plans for the evening.

"I'm introducing him to Portal Runner. Once he gets the hang of it, we can do the 2 Player mode. I will also show him the manga I rented. I'm expecting an in-depth discussion to occur at some point and have prepared a notebook for him to use because I have questions and need to know if he paid attention."

He stared at me, a slice of pizza hovering halfway between his mouth and the table. I could tell that he was questioning my sanity. "You're giving him homework on your first date?"

Date? I suppose it is a date since we're not going to a restaurant. That shit would be so weird with him ignoring food entirely and only me eating. I wouldn't like that. Especially not after what happened in Port Angeles. I basically got a trial run of it already and it had been a very awkward situation in my opinion.

So yeah, it's a date I suppose, but I refuse to be typical. He needs to know ASAP, that I'm not exactly an extrovert, you know? I will do what I like to do because I don't have the energy that would be required to pretend to be a normal, early 2000s teenager.

"If he wants to understand my interests he has to put in the effort." And when sufficiently informed, I can return the favor. Besides, I have a scattered amount of knowledge in regard to things that Edward Cullen likes and am further ahead on my end compared to him. So if this is truly something he cares this much about, he'll have to try.

Charlie wisely chose to stay quiet. Instead, he took up the pizza box and went out to the living room where he'd probably rewatch an old taping of a football game he had. He liked doing that every night, and then watching the news before going to bed. On my end, I had prepared myself with snacks I'll be having upstairs. Cookies mostly, but I also got my hands on some beef jerky and while it's only a single slab, that shit will last me forever as I work to chew through it.

I wonder if Edward was already here and was just waiting for us to finish eating our dinner.

As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Right as Charlie walked into the living room. Suspicious most definitely. I know his hearing works really far naturally, and his mind reading even further than that. I wonder where he was waiting this whole time to be ready for right now.

As expected, it was Edward at the door. Charlie was half a step behind me as I opened it and revealed the youngest(physically) Cullen waiting on the stoop. He was almost as tall as Edward was. Only about an inch shorter at the most. Both were much taller than me of course so it was kind of awkward standing between them as they stared each other down.

"Hello, Chief Swan," Edward said, tone polite and smile friendly. He had the look of someone who was used to getting what he wanted if he smiled hard enough. And that would technically be the truth of the matter. "I'm Edward Cullen, a friend of Bella's from school. Thank you for having me over."

I could feel Charlie's disbelief. Edward was very attractive and gave off a sort of wholesome vibe, at least at the moment. It was hard to appear threatening and annoyed with his charm and good looks smacking you in the face. And the fancy, baby blue knitted cardigan definitely lowered the assumption that he could be a threat by a considerable margin. Alice's doing no doubt. They'd taken my advice to heart it seemed and wanted him to look as soft and unassuming as possible.

Also, Charlie might have been expecting Emmett who definitely didn't have the somewhat boyish good looks of Edward. Emmett would never pass for a high schooler no matter how hard he tried, so it made sense that he only ever faked being a Senior because it was the most believable excuse they could come up with whenever he actually joined them in school and didn't go off to college from the jump.

"Well, Bells has given you the okay, so it only seemed fair to give you a chance. I also trust Dr. Cullen and have a feeling his children wouldn't be anything but upstanding citizens." Hint hint, nudge nudge.

From what I know, none of the Cullens have ever gotten into any trouble in any of the places they've been to once they started the school hopping thing. That had to be good in Charlie's eyes. And because Carlisle was such a sweet bean, people trusted his children instinctively, giving them the benefit of the doubt.

Good for them.

"Alright," I said, cutting into the awkwardness like the jagged knife I am. "We've got content to get through before you have to leave. Dad, enjoy watching your game. Eddie Boy, do you want any pizza?"

He smiled. "No, thanks. I ate before I came." And judging by how light golden his eyes still were, he probably had a last-minute snack of some sort before coming just to prepare himself more. He's been snacking a lot lately. "A glass of water wouldn't be turned away though. Sometimes a dry throat is unavoidable."

I'll probably end up drinking that.

"Cool. Upstairs, first door on the left. It's open already and looks like the rainbow threw up inside. You can't miss it and if you somehow do, you're beyond hope."

I got him the water as he went upstairs. I wasn't blind to the fact that Charlie hadn't put his handgun away. Usually, the weapon went into a locked box for the night, but he left it hanging by the door, very much out in the open. The shotgun was also on the coffee table in clear view when you walked past the living room to get to the stairs. Obviously, some kind of play involving cleaning it.

Charlie stopped me before I went up, handing me the can of pepper spray he'd mentioned at dinner, without a word.

He was such a good dad. Bella should have appreciated him more.

Edward found himself a seat on the rocking chair in the corner, looking around the room in wonder. He probably hadn't actually been inside yet, so it had to be some kind of culture shock. I don't really radiate rainbows and sunshine as a person, you know? He'd probably assumed I would use dark colors and be all mysterious in the privacy of my own room.

Typically, I might have, but his time I felt like being really out there, just because I can. Normal people only lived once, but I'm stuck in this cycle for a second time, in a life that isn't really my own, so I'm going to be more open this time and attempt to do more interesting things. I have greater opportunities now anyway and I'm trying not to be bummed about that specific detail and what exactly it entails.

The glass of water I'd gotten was placed on the bedside table and promptly forgotten about. "I'm going to introduce you to my favorite video game. Once you've played through the entire game, we can battle each other in the various worlds in 2 Player Mode. The split screen is a bit annoying but it's easy to get used to after a short time."

I grabbed one of my pillows and threw it on the floor at the foot of the bed. Bella's bony butt desperately needs it as I'm not buying a fancy chair just for this of all things. Maybe when technology really does go crazy, I'll do it, but only then. "Do you want a pillow to sit on?"

"I'll be fine," Edward assured me. "If you need anything else I'll get it for you, so you don't have to get up."

Stand-up guy.

"Alright. Now, let me acquaint you with Portal Runner…"

When it got closer to ten, we had to put the game up. Edward had made it through the first eleven levels of Portal Runner. He probably would have gotten further but he wanted to explore every level and find all the secrets within. I was allowed to hint but not allowed to directly tell him where to go, since this was his first experience.

It had been great to watch him though! The playing ended right before my favorite section too, but that meant his next visit was going to be super good because we'd be getting into the best music of the game as well as the best visuals. He'd probably even finish the game by then.

"Finally," I began as I gathered up the books I'd placed on my desk beside the TV, "I have some reading for you. This is Naruto. In terms of English, only these five volumes have been released right now. Japan is obviously like two years ahead of us. We should be getting the next volume of the manga in a few months. I want you to read them and take notes. Write down any observations, opinions, and theories you come up with, and then we can discuss them. I got these from a library, and I need them back before next Monday."

Edward looked determined as he accepted the stack of books as well as the new notebook I'd given him. It was kind of adorable to see him taking me so seriously. "Would you prefer to do that at lunch, so we don't have to waste time while here?"

"Yeah, that sounds good." I'm going to put him through it. The lore conversations and theory discussions are going to be great with someone who has a perfect memory and didn't need things explained multiple times before they could grasp everything.

"Then I will get to reading immediately." He'd have all night on his side, so he'd probably read all of them over and over.

"No cheating by looking things up online either," I warned him. "I want your unfiltered, unedited thoughts about this."

Charlie was fiddling around in the kitchen when we came down. His bedtime was minutes off and he was probably waiting around for Edward to leave. Not as slick as he thought he was being. It was kinda hilarious though. Seeing him putting on this whole show just because he was feeling protective but didn't want to be overbearing with it.

"I will be ready to discuss the books at lunch," Edward told me.

"You can take more time, you know. We're not exactly in a rush." I had to be outwardly contrary to my own desires because Charlie was our witness and to him, Edward Cullen was just a normal, rich teenager trying to impress a girl.

Edward smiled secretively. "Don't worry, I read fast. See you tomorrow, Bella."

"Night, Eddie Boy!"

Charlie stared at me once the door was closed. "He's got it bad."

"Hm?"

"He takes everything you say like it's some kind of edict from God Himself. He's abnormally interested in you and it's almost as if he's a magnet completely drawn to you."

Charlie was very… observant.

I gave a shrug as if I didn't care or maybe didn't mind, just so he wouldn't try looking even more into it. "He's pretty intense like that all the time no matter the situation. He's like an old man on the inside." I hope he heard me say that.

The next morning, Edward met me at the truck door, as usual. He had a small bag in hand, which ended up holding all the Naruto books. "I've finished them so you can take them back. I have the entire notebook of observations on hand, and I even recreated some panels that stood out to me."

Damn. That was a lot more than I was originally expecting.

"Now you're just making me excited for lunch."

He smirked. "I am looking forward to sharing everything I've taken in with you."

He escorted me to class, humming a low, pleasant tune the entire way, and then winking in farewell.

I had to suffer through Jessica's waggling brows and insistent questions, plus the pain of doing classwork when I was so focused on something else. Eventually though, lunch decided to come around as it should, and Edward was there to escort me along the way.

"Do you mind if I begin now?" he asked, pulling out the notebook he'd used. He'd written NARUTO on the cover in both English and Japanese.

"Go ahead," I encouraged as I eyed up the salad bar. "I'm so invested in this."

"Okay, so I know you told me not to use the internet for clues, but I wasn't using it for that purpose. Specifically, I was looking up the original Japanese names or terms used for certain things so I could better understand either translation choices or translation errors. This is because I am aware of some words not having direct translations and needing the next best thing. Such as the word 'youkai' which technically doesn't have an English version because it could reference all manner of supernatural creatures typically with a morally dubious character. Terms such as 'demon', 'ghost', 'spirit', and 'fairy' could all fall under the umbrella of youkai but they would not be the same creatures between Eastern and Western definitions."

Already, I am impressed by the start of this.

"Therefore, with all the terms used, I had to borrow a few books from Carlisle's office as well as consult Jasper since he's the only one of us with any extensive knowledge of Japan. It was a very enlightening experience and I have no doubt that I will have to do more research in the future."

My usual was acquired, along with a brownie as an extra treat because I felt like it. We took our places at the table that I'm assuming he's chosen as our main table for whenever we decide to spend lunch together. Edward had his notebook open, several pieces of colored tape sticking out all over the pages.

"First off, Uzumaki Naruto, the protagonist and titular character. Surname means Whirlpool, given name means fishcake?"

I hummed. "Narutomaki is a type of kamaboko(or fish cake), often used as a ramen topping. But it's the kind best known for the pink spiral in the center." She smirked then, like she had some secret information she didn't feel like divulging in regard to that topic. "Let's just say that spiral designs are very closely tied to Naruto as a character, so while it is technically correct to say his name is that, there's a lot more detail to it under the surface. Also, he's actually named after a real place in the Tokushima Prefecture that is known for its whirlpools."

Edward proceeded to make several more notes with a pen that he pulled out of thin air. "Interesting. Thank you."

After a few more moments of me chewing, he finally decided to continue.

"So this boy is a newborn the same day the Fourth Hokage(or Yondaime as he is called), defeats a great monster, the Nine Tails(or Kyubi no Youko as it is known), and dies in battle against it. I have a question about this already. If Japanese numbers of one through five are ichi, ni, san, shi, and go, why isn't the Japanese for the Fourth Hokage, Shidaime? Yondaime threw me for a loop when it showed up on google."

"Shi, the number four in Japanese, is a homonym for the Japanese word for 'death'. That is viewed as a bad omen and things with the number four are usually skipped over. Like floors in buildings or airplane terminals. The characters for the words may be different when you look at them, but the pronunciation is the same. Now, there is an inside joke about the Forest of Death in Chapter 45. Its Japanese name is Shi no Mori. Shi meaning Death and Mori meaning Forest. It's also the forty-fourth training ground in Konoha."

Edward's pen was writing madly as he nodded.

"Okay. My first observation that I wrote down here is that Naruto is severely neglected if not outright abused. His desire for attention is so strong that he's even willing to take negative attention because at least it means people are acknowledging the fact that he exists. He has no family and no friends and not even a real role model to look up to because everyone just hates him for no obvious reason."

RIP.

"The first thing that bothered me was Mizuki. Didn't like him instantly despite how friendly he looked, but that's probably why. Not one person thus far had been nice to Naruto, and even Iruka only changed tone because Naruto was so blasé about his orphaned status and not caring how long his punishment would last. Mizuki offering to help when no one else has by the eighteenth page in, just bothered me when there seemed to be nothing in it for him. Two pages later I was proven right."

I'd love to say that I picked up on his fake ass instantly, but I was like ten when I got into Naruto for the first time. I didn't notice shit. I was more concerned about what an idiot Naruto was.

"I think it is an absolute mess that the news of Naruto's condition got out to the public. I don't know how it spread around or why everyone needed to know about it, but it feels very deliberate. And I'm not even sure I can rule out the Third Hokage as the source of all of this because I don't find him as kind and grandfatherly as he's supposed to seem. He is, essentially, a dictator, even if it's dressed up in the kindest version possible right now. One does not earn such a position through entirely scrupulous means."

Edward Cullen clocking Sarutobi Hiruzen from the jump?! We might have to stan.

"As for Naruto being the Nine Tails, I don't personally believe it. Not just because his whole character screams otherwise, but because it would make no sense. He was a baby that existed already so it is literally impossible for a human child to become this demon creature even if it was sealed inside of him. Unless there is some other fantastical magical ability in the future of this story, it just doesn't seem like something even the laws of this strange fictional universe would allow. He is no more a monster than any other human."

Right in one! Now if only I can get him to realize that he did not lose his humanity or his soul the moment he became a vampire and that such a thing does not make him a monster! Joy. Something terrible, outside of your control, happened to you. That doesn't mean you aren't loveable, or you lack a soul.

"My next point of note is that Naruto took time out of his day, and probably many of those days, to create a skill to turn himself into a girl."

Oiroke no Jutsu time. Let's see Edward's delicate sensibilities when faced with such an interesting decision from a Shonen protagonist.

"I know it was played off as a sort of joke to expose perverts and that he drew inspiration from adult magazines, but I wonder if that's really all there is to it? Considering how the people treat him, I wonder if he's ever just used this ability to wander around his own village without having to deal with people hating him. It just feels like it's a deeper thing than a prank, even if he's apparently known as a prankster."

Hm… an interesting thought process. Edward didn't seem to care about the genderbending thing and instead chose to focus on the motivations behind it.

"Then there is the frankly depressing behavior of the Hokage's grandson and his motivations. Why is it that even the privileged children aren't treated right in this story?"

"Perhaps to show that humans are flawed and that even privilege doesn't make life perfect," I suggested.

Edward gave my words a moment of consideration, before nodding. "Very well then. Into his terrible tutor. I cannot stand him and I hope we don't have to see him ever again. I read only five volumes of this story and I can safely say that I'm not very much on board with Naruto's underdog character. I don't think it is his job or duty or what have you, to earn anyone's regard or respect. He is a child, he should not have to put his life on the line over and over in hopes that one day, the judgmental people of his village will like him."

Damn. Tell me how you really feel, why don't cha?

"To be clear, underdogs are usually inspiring. They tend to be not very good at certain things and have to work really hard to attain their goals, but village-wide government-sanctioned ostracism is typically not what underdogs face in their stories. This is a child who has been treated terribly his whole life and he thinks he has to become the leader of his people for them to finally like him. I really don't like that. I can already see the ending. He's going to nearly die many times, save the village many times, become Hokage in the end after losing so much he values, and he'll come to realize that it's a miserable life and that people are fickle."

OOF!

It's really hard to not let my face give away the fact that I know the ending and then the… non-canon aftermath. God, it's painful. But also super interesting how Edward seems to be on a similar train of thought as many Naruto fans.

Why didn't Naruto just go with Sasuke in the end? What did Konoha ever do for him? It wasn't as if he actually had anything worth staying forever. His classmates who became his friends were pretty damn fickle themselves until Shippuden. Sorry, but Iruka wasn't exactly a good enough reason to stay in such a place. Sakura sure as hell wouldn't be anyone's reason to stay. He barely knew Tsunade or Jiraiya at all when Sasuke left.

Seriously, how things eventually panned out were just annoying in my opinion.

"There is also the lack of female characters," Edward went on to say, unaware of my mental turmoil. "Why is there only one girl in every three-man team? Do they just not let women become ninja? Or is it some kind of misogynistic thing where they're encouraged to follow more feminine pursuits? On the flip side, the girls are all obsessed with… Sasooke?" he paused, looking up at me for confirmation on his pronunciation.

"The U in his name doesn't get a hard or long pronunciation and you also don't emphasize it. It's hard to explain but it's not Sa-soo-kay, it's more like Sas-kay. Su is not like Soo. It's not an extended double oo sound like in Shoot. You are more often than not, pronouncing it with the same U used see in the word Sugar, or the sound in the word Brook. More of a Sa-suh-kay than a Sa-soo-kay. If you can get the suh in there quickly it doesn't sound as obvious."

"Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke," Edward quoted rapidly, getting the pronunciation perfect. "Thanks."

"It's the same with names like Tsunami or Tsuki. It's not soo, and the T does produce a sound at the beginning. The names Tsuki and Suki are totally different."

Edward nodded. "Okay, so Sasuke has no interest in anyone who apparently isn't Naruto or doesn't have something he thinks he needs. He comes off as arrogant and selfish but was willing to die to protect Naruto even when supposedly not liking him. His body literally 'just moved' without him realizing it, risking his entire life's mission in the process. Said mission involving his brother and terrible childhood trauma that resulted in him being the way he is. From what he told… Sakura, he has no family of his own and that's probably connected."

My response was cut off by the bell.

"There ain't no way we were here that long," I whined. "We were just getting to the good stuff!"

Edward chuckled. "I'm sure we'll have time in the coming days to get everything out, Bella."

"Fine," I huffed. "I suppose I can be patient." That is a bold-faced lie, I have no such ability in my body or Bella's body.

SIDE B

Rosalie: [Tell them what's going on.]

Rosalie: [They deserve to know the truth.]

Me: [Are you crazy?]

Rosalie: [I'm experienced. They should find out now rather than later.]

I withheld the urge to groan as I followed Bella and her friends inside the restaurant. I'm not so sure it's a smart idea to tell the girls what's going on. Even if Bella seems to be aware to an extent, the rest of them are too innocent for this. This would just ruin their night.

My phone vibrated again.

Rosalie: [I already know you're arguing with me, do as I say.]

"Hi, welcome to La Bella Italia, my name is Mandy and it's a pleasure to serve you tonight!" God damn he's hot as hell! The girls aren't going to believe me! I gotta handle his table no matter what.

Anther sigh held back just for the sake of appearances. I smiled as charmingly as I could manage at the moment and murmured, "Party of five, please." Internally I was begging her to not have R-Rated thoughts about me in the process.

She glanced around at the girls with me. Four girls? And he doesn't look to be related to any of them. But why would a man be out shopping with a group of girls? And then the assumption struck her like a bolt of lightning. IS HE GAY?! No! We can do damage control; he just hasn't had the right thing yet.

Putting aside my great discomfort for the moment, what does 'the right thing' even mean? And how presumptuous to think she was it.

People can be so annoying.

Against my own desires, I handed her a small tip and asked for a more private seating arrangement, preferably in booth form since they were more comfortable that hardwood chairs when being forced to learn unpleasant information. She took the money as some kind of attempt at flirting, which baffles me. How she came to that conclusion I have no idea when I haven't even made eye contact with her.

Oh! He can't be gay! He's obviously flirting.

Bella would hate this woman with a flaming passion.

The booth was indeed more private, and the girls all took one side together. On my end, I was simply glad they were no longer outside.

The hostess came back, apparently intending to be our waitress despite how this section wasn't hers, but she'd apparently convinced herself that I'm flirting with her, and that she has a chance with me. She is twenty-three and in her final year of college. Six years older than my body currently is. In her eyes, I look just like any other Freshman male she's seen, just better.

"The special tonight is mushroom ravioli, and we have cannoli available for tonight's dessert menu as well," she told the table as she handed out menus to everyone. "Can I get you guys anything to drink?"

Water, Coke, Coke, and Lemonade were the chosen options. Lauren, Jessica, Bella, and Angela in that order. I almost chose a Coke like Bella did, intending on shoving it her way once she finished her own drink, but then decided against it. There would really be no need on my end for a drink anyway, I'm just pretending that Rosalie sent me here.

The funniest part in such a sour situation was Lauren's disdain for the hostess/waitress. Why is this grown ass woman hitting on a teenager? Bella should have sat by him to stake her claim because this isn't right.

Lauren, please oh please don't do something rash, Angela was practically begging, eyes wide and pleading for peace. We really can't afford to get kicked out! I'm so hungry. Look at how Edward's staring at Bella too! Don't ruin this for them!

Ruin what for us?

When it came time to order, Bella followed her previously stated desires for tortellini, Angela got herself a large bowl of soup filled with extra acini de pepe, Jessica decided to get a family-sized caprese salad for herself, and Lauren stuck with a traditional chicken salad.

"Can I steal one slice of mozzarella?" Bella asked Jessica.

"Sure, if I can get a tortellini in return." Just one should be fine. I'm already spoiling myself with the salad. I need to be able to fit into my dress for the dance. And then we have prom to worry about! I can't be gaining too much weight when I don't even know how to hem and sew!

When the drinks finally arrived, I decided it was a good time to finally explain what was going on. Rosalie had sent another text because she hadn't heard me speaking yet.

Rosalie: [TELL THEM!]

"Rosalie didn't send me to get her food," I told them all, watching as this news confused them. Well, everyone but Bella it seemed. She wasn't even slightly put off. The others didn't know what to think though Lauren was getting suspicious.

"She wanted me to stay with your group because we noticed a large group of men following you from Blockbuster. Specifically, they'd been following you for a while already and she sent Emmett to handle them, while sending me to keep you company."

Watching as they all internalized what I said was a saddening experience. I don't relish the idea of telling young ladies terrifying information about their own safety. It just doesn't sit right with me and my old-fashioned sensibilities.

Maybe that's a bad thing, I'm not so sure. We're in the present after all.

Outside of Bella who seemed to be the most expecting of bad news, Lauren put the clues together first, her mind supplying a very hazy view of the men in question. Then, it flickered to Bella's sudden change in attitude once leaving Blockbuster and how she insisted they all go for dinner early.

Still, even through her growing fear, she felt the need to give support to Jessica who was her best friend since childhood. Jessica took that gesture for what it was, curling into Lauren's side as her own mind finally caught up with the meaning of my words. Angela was just as scared, maybe even more so as she clung to Bella for support.

Was it the drunkards across the street?

"I apologize for not telling you outright, but they were listening in when I approached and it's better if we stay in a public space with many witnesses until Rosalie gives the clear. The one man is a wanted serial killer who is known to operate best at night, so while Emmett distracts the group, the authorities are on their way and should be arriving soon."

Oh my God.

Is it ever safe to go anywhere ever when you're a girl?

I think I'm gonna puke.

Lauren looked at Bella, mouth firm and annoyance practically in the stratosphere. "That's why you didn't want to go to the library. You had a whole plan for what you needed and yet the moment we left Blockbuster you clammed up and claimed you were suddenly very hungry for tortellini." She'd been going on about those damn books all afternoon and yet changed plans so quickly.

"I'm a paranoid mess," Bella told her friends, hands repeatedly tightening and loosening around her cup of soda. It was like she wanted to grab something else but couldn't.

"I thought I saw them when we went shopping for clothes and I'm naturally wary of large groups of drunk men just on principle, but then I saw them again as we were heading for Blockbuster." She paused to take a very long sip from her straw. "The moment I saw them literally waiting outside the store, I knew we needed to go to dinner and perhaps stay as long as possible. Just to be safe. I wasn't sure if I should bring it up and panic everyone, but considering how things just played out I'm gonna say that was the best course of action."

She was right of course; they had been followed that entire time. I got to see it all first-hand even.

Bella's honesty only served to make her friends nervous. Even if Lauren was the most controlled one of the group, she didn't take the revelation well either, no matter how strong she was trying to appear for Jessica's sake. As for Angela, she just really wanted to go home.

I still stand by my personal belief that it would have been better for them to not know about this.

So, in an effort to alleviate some of their worries, I said, "I know this situation isn't ideal, but we're going to do everything we can to keep you all safe." Even if it literally extends to something Carlisle wouldn't approve of, Rosalie would have no guilt whatsoever and honestly speaking, neither would I. "Rose feels very strongly about things like this and no matter her own personal faults or foibles, she would never let something happen to you if she had the power to stop it."

There was a moment there, where the group of young ladies were all silent, watching me with grim expressions, before the hostess returned. Behind her was a disgruntled waitress, the one who originally was supposed to serve this section. She wasn't carrying anything, but it seemed that they'd been in a small argument on the way over. About how she was supposed to do the serving and get the tip from the rich customer.

Lovely.

Bella traded out her empty Coke for the new one, and then asked, "Do you guys have hot tea, perchance?"

"Um... yes, we do. Earl Grey, Chamomile, and Sugar Plum Spice," the woman said.

"Could we get a pot of Chamomile with four cups, please? Do you have Splenda?"

"Mhm! I'll get on it for you!"

"Thanks. Could we also get two of every dessert option currently on the menu? I'm feeling adventurous tonight." What an interesting request to make in the middle of all of this. I'm aware that sugar can do its wonders in situations of stress but it's fascinating to see her act in such a way without letting it slip that it was for specific purposes.

Very motherly in a way.

"Sure thing!" Your pants aren't going to fit tomorrow if you eat so much, girl.

She then turned to me with expectant eyes, lashes fluttering obscenely. "Would you like anything too?"

"No, but thank you."

The waitress felt unholy glee at the hostess's attempts as flirting being ignored. The two shot death glares at each other as they walked away, verbally tearing each other apart as they went.

That's what you get, you grimy bitch.

I can't wait to get this bitch fired.

Lauren had her cellphone in hand and seemed to be weighing the decision to message her parents or Tyler Crowley. She'd intended to do the latter but got sidetracked by the current situation. All I wanted was a nice night out with the girls and instead I have to deal with this shit. Why us? Why do bastards like that even exist? Why can't people just be decent human beings?

She decided to text Tyler.

The tea was brought out swiftly and Bella poured it for her side of the table. She selected Splenda because she personally seemed to dislike the other substitutes and the rest of the girls were on diets. Even though Bella didn't seem to be too thrilled by the idea of dieting, she also wasn't going to shame someone for it or interfere with their dietary choices if it didn't seem like it was harming them.

Jessica sipped at her tea, using the cup to warm her hands and mentally thanking Bella for being so considerate. At least Splenda dissolves and doesn't taste like crap.

Eventually, the hostess and waitress returned, both carrying platters. One with the dinners and the other with the desserts Bella had ordered ahead of time. Both were still in a terrible mood because of each other but managed to pretend to be on good terms for the sake of the group of teens.

Bella thanked them as she stabbed one of the tortellini and placed it on the rim of Jessica's plate. In return, she got the slice of mozzarella she'd wanted.

Everyone was pretty subdued though, and even when Bella drew Angela into a discussion on Avatar the Last Airbender, nothing really seemed to change among them.

Though dessert did seem to lighten the mood a little. Mostly because Bella got a little overexcited about cannoli.

Rosalie sent me a text.

Rosalie: [Police are on their way.]

I can hear the sirens. Long before anyone else did of course. By the time the rest of them registered the arrival of the police, they were already in Port Angeles.

Because of my nature, I got to hear the entire exchange. There were guns, threats, and a lot of swearing. Emmett had successfully trapped the group of monsters in a dead-end alleyway and had been patiently waiting for the cops to arrive and handle things.

He and Rosalie were drawn into conversation, Rosalie playing the concerned but irate damsel with ease. She described what I told her. They'd been following a group of girls around and saying terrible things. She'd recognized the one from the news and immediately reported him.

Rosalie: [They're all cuffed and in police custody.]

Me: [You're going to station to give statements, yes?]

Rosalie: [Yes. See you later. Make sure they get home safe.]

"I want to go home," Jessica murmured as she pushed her remaining slices of mozzarella around aimlessly. "Do you think we can go now?" Please? I want my mom.

Bella was already shoveling the rest of some tiramisu into her mouth while wrapping the remaining cannoli in a napkin and shoving it in her bag.

I gave a hum of agreement. "Rosalie said they've all been detained. The one man was recognized instantly as he's wanted in many states. The news should probably break by morning. I think it'll be safe to leave now if you'd all like that."

The prospect of getting home thrilled the three I could hear. Only Bella seemed concerned with getting her fill of her Coke and the desserts before she stood with her friends.

I didn't want to chance any further interaction with the hostess, so I placed three hundred dollars on the table and covered the bills with the empty breadstick basket. She'd intended to give me her number, but I wasn't in the mood to even slightly humor her fantasy. Also, considering how she monopolized an opportunity for a tip from that poor waitress who was in a worse position financially, I'm going to have to tip her separately just because I feel bad.

I flagged down the waitress who was supposed to have handled our party and slipped her a rolled-up tip of her own. "Thanks for putting up with the sudden change to your workload," I told her quietly before turning to escort the girls from the establishment.

HA! Bitch, he knew what you were up to the whole time, and he was not playing your game! Five hundred bucks as a tip! Jesus Christ, he's loaded! She missed out.

Once we were outside, I deemed it safe to ask the final question. "Would you feel comfortable if I follow you in my car, or would you prefer to return to Forks alone?" I asked the girls. I'm totally going to follow them, but they don't need to know that.

Lauren shook her head. "We appreciate the offer, but we can take it from here if they've been apprehended already." We also don't know you all that well, dude. Dinner is one thing, stalking us home is another.

I nodded and smiled to show that there were no hard feelings. I then gave Bella a pointed look. "I'll see you tomorrow. I can't wait for your answer from our last conversation, Bella. I hope you all can have a better experience next time you go out together."

While I may have gotten in the Volvo and drove off, I actually circled around and followed them anyway, but from a distance they were unaware of. It was situations like this where my extensive hearing and mind reading were actually useful.

They remained silent during the entire ride, Britney Spears playing in the car despite how no one seemed interested in singing along to how Toxic she was. Lauren was hyper-vigilant the entire ride, keeping an eye to for anything she deemed suspicious. Angela was extremely sad, and Jessica just wanted to hug her mother.

I waited patiently for each girl to get home before heading off to my own home, trusting Chief Swan to handle Bella for the evening.

Alice and Jasper were already there and waiting. Alice was going through Visions to make certain that everything would be safe for the next week at least.

"Guess you had a good reason to be worried after all," Jasper murmured once I walked through the door. "She seems to attract all kinds of danger no matter where she is."

In the haze of all that had happened, I'd forgotten my stress from the whole weekend. Even with Emmett's attempts at calming me down, I'd been a wreck the whole time. And it seemed that I was right to be indeed.

There was a very primal part of my being that wanted me to cling to Bella Swan regardless of her own feelings on the matter. If I'm with her all the time, then the only danger to her is me. But at the same time that was invasive and inappropriate. Rosalie would also stab me and then castrate me as punishment if I did something like that. Esme would be Disappointed, which I really don't like seeing.

The immediate future of Bella Swan seemed to be fine as far as Alice was aware, which did make me a little less worried.

Jasper was aiming all of his Calm at me in order to make me more tolerable to be around. "Sorry," I mumbled. "It was a real test of my strength tonight. I almost slipped back into old habits."

"I wouldn't have blamed you," he told me with a shrug. "Vigilante justice is sometimes the only kind of justice available. You would have found no shame from us over it."

Alice nodded along. "And Rose and Em wouldn't have minded at all either."

My whole family's opinion on such things were pretty lax. Carlisle would have been Disappointed though, and I want to do right by him. If only to prove that I'm not a monster with no self-control.

But I am aware of how no one else in the family would have cared if a serial killing rapist died tonight.

That kind of made me feel a little better about my homicidal thoughts and reactions. Wishing death on people technically wasn't a healthy mindset, but literal serial killers and rapists, people I used to hunt down and drain the very life out of... they don't really deserve any sort of mercy or kindness.

Hell, the only thing that stopped me was how Carlisle would feel about what I did if I did it, not necessarily because it was wrong to murder.

I doubt Bella would have been disappointed in me. She's engaged in very interesting conversations during lunch at school, and she has straight-up declared that she thinks rapists deserve death.

For some reason(that's a lie, I know the reason, but I refuse to acknowledge it), Bella's potential support for my thoughts and actions made me happy.

And I'd be seeing her tomorrow morning.

A new Vision from Alice swam into view. Apparently, I'm going out on last-minute hunt, despite already doing it this weekend, because I'm too on edge and need to calm down to prepare myself for tomorrow.

Fine.

Morning can't come quick enough.

"Don't spoil anything for me," I told Alice the moment we left for school in the morning. "I don't want to know what she's going to do or say, I want to be totally surprised."

Instantly, she went from searching the future for Bella, to searching for the lottery numbers. She apparently had a plan involving anime costumes and needed some easy cash despite how Carlisle literally had millions if not billions saved up all over the world because of her little talent in watching the stock market.

"I wish we were alive just so I could tell you to breathe," Emmett said from the backseat.

"Bella tells him to chill out a lot, that works," Alice threw in as she made plans around Esme's eventual lottery win.

"Yeah, chill out, bro!"

As my siblings entered the school, I wasted time waiting for Bella to arrive. For example, according to the mind of Angela Weber, who was nervously standing in the doorway to the school, Bella's foray into high heels had been a new choice and she wondered if Bella was going to wear them again today.

I must admit that I might be interested. Maybe.

Bella's truck grew closer and closer, the loudness announcing its presence with ease.

I was at the driver's side door before she'd even cut the engine. She was in a blue turtleneck, the shade so startling against her fair skin and the muted tones of the inside of her truck.

She'd yet to get out though, fumbling around with her shoes before doing so.

"You really need to acquire some semblance of chill, dude. Also, learn about personal space," she said over the roaring of the truck's engine.

The teasing of my siblings from mere minutes ago rang clear in my head. Alice had truly gotten used to Bella's personality despite barely being around her. I wonder just how many Visions she's had about Bella, and what she was hiding from me in the meantime.

Not that I'm angry or anything. I specifically asked her not to spoil things for me after all.

Still, I'm surprised at how well everyone is taking Bella's presence now. Even when she's not with us, she's practically with us anyway. Every action I've taken in the past month or so has revolved around her to an extent. This in turn has affected the entire family.

I'm not unaware of the fact that I've become even more annoying than I usually am.

To give Bella the space needed to actually get out of her truck, I backed up a few steps and became distracted instantly. Heels.

Bella was wearing heels again. They gave her a significant amount of height, though still not enough to overtake me of course. Still, I found myself agreeing with Jessica in her observation of Bella's legs when she was wearing high heeled shoes. They looked very long.

And nice. Very nice.

I'm trying extremely hard to not be disrespectful about it, but it is safe to say that I might have a weakness of sorts for this type of thing. Or maybe it's just because it's Bella wearing them.

This has never happened to me before. I hate being a teenager.

I spent so long ignoring or avoiding the knowledge of my technical youth and now it keeps getting thrown in my face every day.

"Your excitement over Charlie's response is heart-warming," Bella went on to say, patting my forearm in a friendly if disinterested manner. I could feel the heat of her palm through the fabric of my jacket and found myself wishing she was touching my actual arm.

If only my skin wasn't so abnormal. How would she react if she touched me, and my skin had no give?

Feeling like this is stressful. Jasper is going to end up going on vacation at this rate, all because I have a mild(not really) obsession with a human. If it was possible to not be like this, I would have stopped myself ages ago. Hell, I actually tried to distance myself and everything, but nothing had worked!

I am pathetic.

Perhaps moments like this proved that it was good I wasn't human. If I was like Mike Newton or Eric Yorkie, my thoughts and feelings would have been exposed instantly. At least this inhuman nature of mine aids me in this way. My stone-like skin allows my face to remain unchanged.

If Bella knew how loud it is inside my head, she'd be very uncomfortable talking to me.

Speaking of Bella, she'd just adjusted her bag on her shoulder, drawing my attention to the fact that the fabric of her turtleneck clung very nicely to her shape.

Shame!

I've been dead for a long time, why couldn't the hormones die as well?

"Okay, when do you have free time?" she asked me plainly.

"All the time."

Convincing Bella that I'm not a 'lame and crotchety old man' is not going as I hoped it would. I am far too eager even for my liking. I could have worded that a bit differently. Made it sound like I have more interests going on behind the scenes. Pretended that I have other pursuits to dedicate my time to or something.

I can hear Emmett laughing at me from where he was waiting in class. I refuse to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he's made me feel self-conscious. After all, I have to pretend to be in the present moment and present situation.

Bella is giving me a look of pity. I don't know if she's aware that she's doing it, but it certainly isn't making me feel any better about this.

I truly am boring, huh?

Excited to hang out with the girl who refused me when I asked her out on a date.

Yes, that does sound pretty lame, huh?

I hate it here.

"I've gotten perpetual permission to have visitors over any day of the week so long as they leave by ten. So you can come over whenever really. Though on weekends I'd prefer it be early in the day so we can get through a lot of stuff before you have to leave." I am dreading whatever it is that her mind has cooked up. I swear her eyes are gleaming with glee.

"My bedroom door must be open the entire time of the visit." A rule expected of a concerned father. I have no arguments there.

"I will bake an ass load of cookies for me to snack on since you won't be eating. If the idea of a girl eating offends you, speak now and prepare to get ignored forever."

...Why would that offend me? Am I missing something? Is this a common modern teenager concern that I am unaware of? How is it that as a mind reader, I am often confused about the things Bella Swan says? Shouldn't I have a natural advantage or something?

The stern set to her jaw and shoulders told me that this was an important point but honestly speaking, I'm just lost.

"It's a whole thing with sexism and body-shaming. Women eating is either sexualized as some kind of taunt for men or shamed because of diet culture and the ideas around weight. Especially weight on women. Can't tell you how many times people have had a comment on what I decide to eat, how much I decide to eat, or if I actually choose to eat since they expect me to fast or some shit."

Ah, like Lauren had on her first day. She'd since stopped and even her internal opinions had calmed down to the point of her not caring what Bella did or didn't eat anymore.

So strange that people cared what random strangers fed their bodies. Humans have so little time on their hands, but some people would really waste such precious moments on the habits of complete strangers.

And this obviously bothered Bella a lot.

She patted her own stomach like it was a drum, though it certainly didn't give off the sound of one. "Probably to do with this and the fact that I don't seem to keep on weight or whatever."

Considering how much salad dressing she inhales every day; I suppose that is something of note.

I have to tell her the truth though. "I don't really care. I never really thought about it to be honest with you."

She nodded as if understanding every single thing that informed my comment. "Alright. So you should come by around like noon on the weekends. Weekdays would probably be best to come by at six since Charlie gets home around five-thirty and we will be sitting down to eat at that time."

Six on school nights was very generous in my opinion, but noon on weekends was amazing. So much could be done in such time.

"Are you free to come over tomorrow?"

"Yes." I'm free at any time to be specific.

"Sweet. Now I need to get to class, or I'll have to do extra homework to make up for being late."

She patted my arm again and sauntered off toward the school, proving that she was in fact very good at walking in heels and that not even the uneven pavement could ruin her stride.

I've got it bad. I can hear Usher now.

Bella chose to escort Angela to class once she saw her in the doorway, and I was left alone to go to my own class.

While in class, I kept tabs on Bella and her friends. Specifically, how she was handling them after the disaster that was last night.

Jessica was doing much better. On her end, she'd had a talk with her mother and had been sufficiently calmed down from a near-panic attack. Also, her family was planning to send Rosalie flowers, which was sweet. I hope Alice keeps that to herself until they arrive. Rose likes gifts even if she has no use for them, and as she took charge yesterday, she deserves it.

Lauren wasn't quite so affected. She didn't bring up the situation with her parents, and instead waited for her father to see the news this morning. She was then given permission to go on the date she wanted so long as it was in the bounds of Forks. Probably as some kind of way to cheer her up, which she appreciated.

As for Angela, her father had basically told her she wasn't leaving Forks for a few weeks just to be safe.

It was obvious that Bella had opinions, but she kept them to herself. Probably out of respect for her friends and their families.

I wonder what exactly she was thinking at lunch when surrounded by her friends and watching them with her ever-vigilant doe eyes.

Since Bella had eaten lunch with her friends, it would have been odd for me to offer to walk her to Biology. As a result, I arrived long before she had and awaited her arrival with barely bottled excitement.

I really do need to calm down. I wish I was human purely so I could be affected by medication meant to calm one down. That'd be lovely.

She had obviously stopped to fix her hair. Some strands had escaped by lunchtime, and she'd spent a good amount of effort pushing them out of her face as she tried to eat. Now her hair was back in place and all those bobby pins had been moved around slightly.

"Hello, Bella."

"Hey, Eddie Boy."

"We have a pop quiz today. When finished we can do whatever we want until they're handed back."

One of the few times where being in school over and over again was actually beneficial. I don't need to worry about surprises and have most likely done everything at least five times before. Sometimes more than that.

Biology in general was an easy class to deal with. In my opinion, high school Juniors should probably be working on Chemistry already. I've gone to schools where Biology was Eighth Grade and Biology II was Ninth Grade. But we supposedly have Chemistry as an option next year.

The records we have on Bella suggest that she's already done Chemistry though. In her Sophomore year.

"Thanks for the heads up. I've got like two minutes to refresh my mind."

I doubt she'll have to do any studying if she was in AP classes back in Arizona. "I'm sure you'll do fine."

The quiz papers were handed out the moment class officially began. Bella's pencil was flying through the questions faster than the rest of her peers. She'd already done something like this before and found it to be as easy as I expected it would be.

Off to the side, Mike Newton and Eric Yorkie were sharing commiserating looks of pain as they realized that they had no idea how to tell the differences between the pictures provided. To their credit, the copy machine obviously ran out of ink and toner.

"It's multiple choice," Mike murmured to Eric. "Each question has only two possible answers so there's a 50% chance of failure on each."

Eric cared a little bit more about his grade though and was honestly trying his best.

Bella was humming to herself as she finished, looking pleased by the outcome of the quiz. I joined her in returning our papers.

Back at the table, I'd already prepared for how we'd spend the class period as we waited for everyone else to catch up.

Something I've never done. Pass notes.

I felt like a misbehaving child, but since Mr. Banner said we could do what we want so long as we're quiet, it'll be fine.

I decided to start it off simple. I've been holding in so many questions this entire time and what better way to get answers than when we have nothing better to do?

What's your favorite movie?

Bella stared at the piece of paper like it had mortally offended her. It was a very simple question in my opinion. I'd started off easy enough.

She ended up bent over the question for forty-nine seconds. Finally - FINALLY! - she started to write. Eventually she passed the paper back to me.

The answer was not one I expected.

I guess Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

...That film wasn't due to release until November of this year. It hadn't even come out yet. Is it possible that she mistook the order of the book titles and thought of Prisoner of Azkaban?

Why? I really wouldn't have expected such an answer from you.

Truthfully, I'd expected something completely different, but for the context of the answer given, it also made no legitimate sense in the slightest.

Bella seemed to have an answer ready though. She was writing as fast as she could while still keeping her script legible.

I really enjoyed the use of CGI in it. It mostly lived up to my expectations. Newell made some good directional choices even if, "HARRY! DID YA PUT YA NAME IN DA GOBLET OF FIYAH?!" was painfully inaccurate to the true scene. I mean it was totally a laugh and will probably be a good fandom joke, but it kills me inside to know that it isn't right in the slightest.

Alfonso Cuaron directed Prisoner of Azkaban, and Chris Colombus directed Chamber of Secrets and Philosopher's Stone. It's public knowledge that Mike Newell is the director for the next film in the series. But how would Bella, with her limited resources on hand, know what the film is like?

She explicitly suggested that the scene where Harry Potter's name ends up coming out of the goblet, was changed in the film. Drastically.

It makes no sense!

Of course, this isn't the first time that Bella has done something that has made no sense in the slightest, but usually there is some kind of realism to it. This is far outside the scope of reality.

Would Alice be able to look that far into the future just to tell me if Bella was right?

I searched out Alice's mind instantly, knowing that she would have a Vision of my thought process and already look into it for me. Together, we both watched the future scene in the film that is still unreleased as of right now.

Harry Potter, hair far longer than it had ever been before in the films, backing away as a host of teachers and officials came barreling down the stone stairs of the castle, screaming various versions of his name. Michael Gambon's Dumbledore grabbed onto the front of his uniform and pushed him against a table, "HARRY! DID YOU PUT YOUR NAME IN THE GOBLET OF FIRE?!" Dumbledore asked 'calmly'.

The Vision ended there, but it had sounded exactly as Bella had dramatically written it out.

Bella knew about this.

She shouldn't have.

Alice seemed to sigh. Boy, you have quite the evening ahead of you.

Her thoughts then devolved into Tagalog, of which I am not even slightly conversational in. Great.

Back to Bella though. I'm not really sure what I should say about her responses, but for now I'm not going to call the timeline of her knowledge into question because Biology Class isn't the time or place for such a conversation. I can ruminate on this later and then confront her at some point in the future because things are beginning to align very oddly, but at the same time, still make no sense.

What's your favorite TV show?

Bella seemed to agonize over this as well, staring at her open palms like they were holding all the answers she needed and she just had to stare at them harder enough to find them.

I'm curious how something so simple can be so confusing for her.

I don't really watch TV all that much. Live action shows aren't very interesting right now. Though I guess The Nanny is good enough to be considered a favorite, even though it's from over a decade ago. Fran is hot and a total icon. The Proud Family is also great.

Hm... Not surprising but also totally surprising.

That wasn't a show I ever watched, but Alice did like it and had an obsession with recreating every single outfit Fran ever wore. She had them in a storage unit somewhere last time I thought about it.

However, if television isn't what draw's Bella's attention, I know what does.

Favorite anime then?

She beamed upon seeing that question and wrote her answer quickly.

Revolutionary Girl Utena. Forward with the Gay Agenda! Anthy is my queen.

I'm going to have to Google that later on. From what I know, things like homosexuality are heavily censored in Japan and relegated to a specific demographic at a specific time of night surely, so I wonder if it is as 'gay' as she claims it is?

If it's her favorite then it has to have some deep meaning, because Bella feels things very intensely and will go to verbal war to defend the things she has an attachment to.

Also, I just want to understand her better.

Favorite book?

I got the pleasure of watching Bella have an internal debate with herself over what to choose. Based on her interests, I'd assumed that the collection is massive, and she simply can't pick out of everything. Or maybe she's read so many manga she's not sure which tale is best.

Does she even know that I counted manga as part of the question? I should have added a note about it to make it easier for her! I'm a fool.

Eventually, she seemed to come to some conclusion, shrugging to herself as she hummed.

Fahrenheit 451.

Unexpected. That she would have read it already to be more specific. I can see Bella reading that and definitely thinking it was important but knowing that she already read it is interesting. How old was she when she read it? Was it a school assignment, or a personal choice? Or maybe encouragement from her mother?

Not only did she read it, but she was certain it was her favorite? Why?

What exactly called to Bella for it to be her favorite?

Favorite color?

She didn't even hesitate to answer this one.

Purple.

I'm surprised. She decorated her room with rainbows instead of purples. Why? What was the thought process behind it? Rainbows didn't exactly scream BELLA SWAN in my opinion. Purple actually made a lot more sense.

Though I may not be one of those people who assign colors to certain people, Bella's temperature does feel more like an intense purple. It's hard to explain, but it feels like a royal purple would suit Bella very nicely.

Favorite musical genre?

I like all kinds of music.

This has been proven already since she sings to herself so much. She's done songs in Japanese, English, Spanish, Chinese, and French. She's sung Country, Pop, Jazz, Punk Rock, and even Classical stuff. She was also a fan of musicals and Broadway.

When Bella is distracted, she sings a lot.

Greatest fear?

What could be the greatest fear for someone like Bella? I'm aware of the possibility for all sorts of fears, but when I think of Bella and her personality, it's hard to truly think of something that even she would decide to do anything to avoid it.

Loneliness.

That is fascinating. Bella was so outgoing and to learn of this... it made me wonder if she was that way to try and avoid being alone with her thoughts. Or maybe she hadn't had many friends while growing up?

Bella seems to have all the potential to be a rather popular person with very little effort. How people just gravitated toward her upon arrival is proof of that. Even now they hadn't lost their interest in her.

How could someone like Bella be without companionship at any point in her life?

Talents?

None really.

She could play the piano and hold conversations in multiple languages! She could draw rather well and sing decently enough, though she could benefit from a few proper lessons on that front.

Bella was very smart and good at reading the people around her. She noticed things others did not, judging by how quickly she noticed I'm not human and that my family aren't 'normal'.

How could she be capable of so much and think of herself as untalented?

Before I could question her about it, she's written something more on the paper.

Answer those same questions for me now.

Bella was probably tired of all the writing by hand, since I know she hates it. As a way to get a break she'd turned my own questions against me.

Clever.

It took not time at all for me to write down my own answers to all the questions I'd put her through.

My favorite film is Total Recall.

I do not have a favorite television show either but I have high hopes for the future of fiction.

My favorite book is The Color Purple.

My favorite color is blue.

I fancy myself a classical music buff and have an entire wall filled with music in my room.

My greatest fear is having a lack of self-control in my life.

I can play a few instruments though my favorite out of all of them is the piano, and I like to play high-stakes dart games with Alice. She cheats to win and still loses.

Bella slowly took in all of my responses, nodding here and there as she contemplated them each in earnest. I didn't often have the opportunity to talk about myself or my own interests so I must admit that it is a bit nerve-wracking to sit and wait for her final judgment.

Was this what it was like on her end? Her heart had remained steady during the entire exchange and only got a bit excited whenever she didn't have an immediate answer.

Did she not care what I thought?

If so, when can I develop such a skill? I'm in dire need of it.

Finally, she had a reply.

Nice.

The bell rang, interrupting us. I smiled in an attempt to hide my disappointment. "That was interesting. I have a lot to think about now." So many things to think about. I'm going to ask Jasper to do another background check just to be sure.

"Ditto."

"Would you like me to bring anything tomorrow? I need to know now because Alice has plans and I'd rather have time to prepare myself." Alice wants to plan what I'm going to wear to every single 'date night' at Bella's. She had said she'd make sure I looked 'hot'.

The way to the gymnasium was crowded and we had to squeeze close together just to not bump into anyone on our way. "Just yourself, I suppose. Try to dress a bit more inconspicuously though. Less like a billionaire's child and more like the common teen." She was smirking, a single eyebrow barely able to arch.

I don't dress like that.

Well... Alice is the one who technically dresses the entire family but even if we look wealthy, I don't think we'd look like the children of a billionaire... even though Carlisle is technically a billionaire.

"As you wish," I agreed, already sending all of my worries for tomorrow toward Alice so she'd have a better idea of what to do.

Bella patted my arm for the umpteenth time today and nodded. "See you later then."

She disappeared for Gym and I hurried off to my own class.

I'm a bit nervous for tomorrow.

"Why can't I wear it to school? What's the point in an outfit change?" I demanded.

The look of total disappointment Alice sent my way would have made me laugh on any other occasion. Right now, though, I don't think I'm in the wrong for being annoyed by the idea of changing clothes mid-day.

"This is a date! You can't just wear anything on a date? Certainly not clothes you've been in all day!"

"If we were capable of things like sweating or losing dead skin all day, then maybe I could understand, but we literally don't change at all. And we're literally going to be in her room playing video games the entire time. Why does that require a fancy new outfit?"

Alice gestured to the clothes she'd hung on the back of my door. "It's nothing fancy per my requirements, but it's certainly better than what you're planning to wear to school. She sees you in stuff like that all the time, so why not give her something new to look at?"

"But-"

"She wore that blue shirt for you!"

If my heart was capable of beating, I'm certain I'd be hearing it in my ears right about now. "You don't know that."

"And the heels," Alice insisted.

"Bella just likes them. Such a decision has nothing to do with me no matter how much you or her friends insist." Why do I have to factor into her outfit choices? Why can't Bella just have preferences outside of my existence or influence?

I mean, I like the color of the shirt, but I don't think I'm important enough in her life to be the sole reason for what she wears to school.

Gone was the usual choice of a long-sleeved shirt typically with some kind of jacket over the top. Alice was aiming for the proverbial jugular by doing away with 80% of the sleeves entirely.

We typically keep well-covered during school because our skin is so obnoxiously cold to the touch and if we somehow end up brushing up against someone, they will notice how abnormal that is. Add on to our lack of pigment and prominent off-color veins and it's just best to avoid that kind of potential attention. Avoiding necessary nurse visits is hard enough as it is, but thankfully having a doctor as your father was useful in such a scenario.

Also, it's best to be covered up as much as possible to avoid sunlight on the off chance that the weather changes while we're at school and we don't have an opportunity to escape.

Alice wants me to wear a t-shirt to Bella's house. Under a new cardigan of course, but still, a t-shirt. Who wears a t-shirt under a cardigan in the first place?

The fabric was soft and was obvious finely made, but it just seemed so silly to fixate on this. How would a t-shirt look better than what I usually settled for?

"It's for that Cool Factor," she told me.

"'Cool' isn't exactly a word I would ever ascribe to myself. Besides, you make us wear jeans all the time. We're modern enough as it is when it comes to fashion."

She glared at me like I'd offended her in this life as well as the next. "No one is wearing slacks to a school that has no formal uniform! That's just ridiculous! We're not supposed to stand out that much but if you went to school in a suit and tie when no one else does, you'd be drawing far too much attention."

"I wouldn't go in a full suit and tie," I grumbled. "I just like that classy look."

"You'd go in a fedora if you thought you could get away with it."

...I hate it when she's right.

"Now come and pick out the wristbands I custom-made for you. The Cullen Crest has been slightly redesigned and we're all getting a few items to wear."

Joy.

"After that, you can go back to compiling your suspicious information on Bella."

"Thanks for the permission."

After school the following day, Alice met me at the Volvo with an overly pleased smile on her face.

"Just because she doesn't want me to look too perfect doesn't mean you were right."

She snorted. "But I'm still basically right which means you need to listen to me more. Now let's get home because you're going to shower and then I'm going to do your hair."

"You keep adding steps to the process and I don't appreciate it."

Rosalie groaned from the backseat, "Can we just go so you can at least agonize about your date while we're all comfortable at home?"

Just because the conversation ended verbally did not mean it was quiet in my head. Alice was putting me through the whole mental plan she'd made while I was stressing about other things.

We have a couple hours on hand so we're going to completely pull out all the stops for this. Wash your hair with what I had Esme put in your bathroom, and no, it's not Old Spice. I'm not doing that to you again, don't worry.

Good. That stuff is probably the closest I've ever been to sneezing as a vampire.

I'm going to blow dry your hair and then style the best bouffant you'll ever see.

It's not as if we can do much else with the hair we have after turning. Being dead, everything on our bodies changes because of the venom in our bodies spreading and taking over. Even our hair is incredibly strong, but as it is of the weakest parts the body produces when human, the hair is not as strong as everything else.

Technically our hair can be cut with an industrial strength chainsaw. About ten strands at a time if you don't want to risk breaking the chainsaw.

It is not worth it for many reasons, but the most important are the most serious. It takes too long just for a change in hairstyle, and as we are dead, our hair does not grow back. Once it's gone, it is gone forever.

My hair is all over the place. It just does what it does naturally, and I don't have to worry about styling it. Alice worries enough for me.

This though... is unnecessary effort.

Too bad we can't get piercings. We'd look good with them, Alice lamented. I can see you with a cute little earring in your left ear. And because of her imagination, I can indeed see what she was thinking very clearly.

I would look ridiculous with pierced ears and my current hair, no thank you.

Upon arriving at home, I was encouraged to get ready and told not to touch anything that didn't have a Post-It note attached to it.

Everything had numbers on them, ordered from 1 to 9 and I was to follow instructions only until Alice arrived to help out.

This is ridiculous.

There was also a Styrofoam cup full of mountain lion blood placed on my desk to tide me over.

Gross.

I arrived at Bella's house exactly at the time given. She and Chief Swan had just about finished off a single pizza by themselves and she was rummaging through the cupboards looking for cups. Chief Swan was planning to start on the second pizza as a treat to himself.

When driving over, I got to hear Bella's plan for the evening, and I knew I was right to be concerned!

"You're giving him homework on your first date?" Chief Swan asked, incredulous as his daughter's plans. What teen boy would be willing to go through all of this just for a girl's attention? Is she trying to put him off or something? I get that she really loves these things, but this is a bit much.

"If he wants to understand my interests he has to put in the effort," Bella said, hands on her hips in a look of defiance.

The story of my life right now it seems.

Chief Swan was amused, but seemed to feel that commenting would either be pointless or might lead to a rant about anime. He chose to make a tactical retreat, taking the second pizza with him into the living room.

I pulled right up and parked with ease. I was dressed exactly as Alice wanted me to be, and I looked 'hot and approachable' or whatever.

The doorbell for Bella's house consisted of four notes in descending order. Both father and daughter came to open the door, with Chief Swan right on Bella's heels, and his mind full of the pepper spray he'd bought her, which was apparently still in his coat pocket.

Bella had a good father.

"Hello, Chief Swan. I'm Edward Cullen, a friend of Bella's from school. Thank you for having me over."

Seeing myself in Chief Swan's mind made everything come together pretty well. Alice's full Vision had come to fruition just as shed planned.

Edward Cullen isn't the big one then. Looks around Bella's age, but she claims he's much older in terms of personality. Wouldn't have expected him to be her type after all that talking about Alice Cullen. Well, they are siblings, so I suppose it makes sense.

Even Chief Swan knew of Bella's crush on Alice.

"Well, Bells has given you the okay, so it only seemed fair to give you a chance. I also trust Dr. Cullen and have a feeling his children wouldn't be anything but upstanding citizens." A chance of a lifetime, boy, don't ruin it, he warned me mentally. I'd hate to have to call your father.

I gave him a cheerful nod in return.

"Alright," Bella cut in, "We've got content to get through before you have to leave. Dad, enjoy watching your game. Eddie Boy, do you want any pizza?"

Pizza looks atrocious. Not even as an example would I ever fake eating it.

"No, thanks. I ate before I came. A glass of water wouldn't be turned away though. Sometimes a dry throat is unavoidable." I meant this for her of course. She tends to talk a lot and she will exhaust her voice after a while if given the chance.

"Cool. Upstairs, first door on the left. It's open already and looks like the rainbow threw up inside. You can't miss it and if you somehow do, you're beyond hope."

I nodded to both Swans, and headed toward the stairs, taking in all the details of the house with my own eyes for the first time. Even the guns on proud display for any intruders who decided to try their luck with the Chief of Police.

Bella's room was as I'd seen from her father's eyes before, but somehow much more vibrant. She truly liked the paint splatter approach, but then decorated with the most random things. Pictures of the La Push beach were taped to the wall, as well as many of her own drawings. She had black, light-blocking curtains as well as light purple tulle curtains over them for decoration purposes. There were red Chinese lanterns strung up above her bed, and a shag rug on the floor. The duvet was dark purple and the string of lights above the door were bright green.

I found myself a seat on the rocking chair in the corner, taking in everything as it was.

The whole room was a labor of love for Bella. She's moved across the country and had to make a new life here, so she decided to take the bull by the horns and do what she could to make things more habitable for herself.

She'd covered her desk in sparkling ballerina stickers of all sorts, and it looked like she had a collection of gel pens and scented markers, plus a smaller collection of ChapSticks called Lip Smackers in Skittles and Starburst flavor.

Every little thing was a new piece of information to add to my growing collection.

Bella apparently really liked drawing eyeliner on her characters.

And eyes.

Nearly every drawing on the wall was surrounded by half-done sketches of eyes or strange, angular S shapes. She also had a really long purple pencil, and a hot pink, Big Bird-like pen resting on her bedside table.

There was a closet, but I'm not quite so nosy as to look through it when she didn't say I could. Same with the dresser.

Her scent was all over everything. It caused a sweet sort of burn. More intense than it had ever been thus far, because this was her personal space. She lived in it daily and had covered everything with her natural presence.

I had to swallow down a mouthful of venom and scold myself into controlling my body's physical responses.

Self-control. I have self-control.

Before Bella joined me, Chief Swan managed to give her the pepper spray he'd bought. Use it if you have to, he mentally implored before heading off to watch some old taping of a football game.

Bella had a glass of water in her hand when she entered the room. She walked with purpose, placing it down on the bedside table before going to turn her TV and PlayStation 2 on.

"I'm going to introduce you to my favorite video game. Once you've played through the entire game, we can battle each other in the various worlds in 2 Player Mode. The split screen is a bit annoying but it's easy to get used to after a short time."

Before sitting, she took one of the fluffier pillows from the bed and placed it on the floor in front of the TV stand. She patted the empty space beside her. "Do you want a pillow to sit on?"

"I'll be fine. If you need anything else I'll get it for you, so you don't have to get up." I'd be much faster at it anyway. The floor didn't bother me in the slightest, but Bella did have to wiggle around for several seconds until she found a good position.

Her PlayStation 2 had two controllers plugged in, plus a bright red memory card.

"Alright. Now, let me acquaint you with Portal Runner…" she explained, grabbing the game case in question from her small stack beside the TV stand. "The disc is already in there, but we have the booklet here. Do you want to read it as everything loads up?"

Reading the entire booklet took very little time. In fact, the opening theme of the main menu, which I've heard Bella singing plenty of times from outside in the forest, only got through one verse by the time I finished.

I handed the booklet back. "I'm ready."

"Do you want any information ahead of time or would you rather go in blind?"

"I'd like the full experience of a new player. It's a story, right?"

"Yep."

"Then I will explore to the best of my ability and learn as I go."

To be nice, I let the entire song in the main menu play out because Bella liked it so much. She wiggled in place the entire time, singing it to herself and smiling like it was the best time of her life.

Finally, we started the story.

"The music for every level is amazing," she told me quietly as I explored the first level, following Emmett's instructions of 'always check behind the waterfalls' and finding gems needed for leveling up and a secret cave with weapons in it. "I have a few specific levels I like the most and one of the Worlds is my all-time fav for the music and vibes alone."

"To be clear, Vicky is basically a Barbie and these are toys, yes?" I asked in passing.

"Yeah. Like an off-brand Barbie is we're being specific. You'll see in the next level."

As I played, exploring a giant chessboard set in Outerspace now, Bella hummed to herself, rocking side to side as she watched.

It took a few seconds for me to put together what song it was, but it was finally one I recognized! And just when I realized it, she started to sing it, though a bit more quietly that she usually would if she thought she was alone.

"Alors je t'ai accompagnée,
On a chanté, on a dansé,
Et l'on n'a même pas pensé,
À s'embrasser.
Aux Champs-Élysées!"

I haven't heard this song in a long time. Esme had really taken a fancy to it a few decades ago, and she even had many versions of it.

Bella's pronunciation was very good, and she seemed to prefer a version of the song with a bit more bounce to it. She rocked to the rhythm of it in her head, and smiled the entire time, moving on to the third verse with ease.

There was the temptation to join in but what if that made her stop? I like catching Bella unaware. It's a rare thing for me to see beneath her daily persona that she wears at school.

But the seventh level, Bella was bouncing again, but for different reasons. "This one is treated like you're on the clock but you're really not. Up until the last section you can roam around and explore however you want without worrying. Even if she's telling Leo to hurry or whatever, you're fine until then. Just make sure you search thoroughly because once you get to a certain point, you might not be able to go back. You don't want to repeat the level, right?"

She had a devious smile and looked like she was going to vibrate out of her skin.

The game itself was nice. The story was interesting, and the music definitely made the experience so much better. But it was actually Bella's genuine enjoyment that made everything worth it in the end.

It was ten to ten and we had no more time to dedicate to Portal Runner.

"Finally, I have some reading for you," Bella told me as she shut the TV off. Right beside it was a stack of five manga and a notebook. I'd noticed them before but hadn't considered them directly important in the moment.

She grabbed the stack and shoved it into my arms. "This is Naruto. In terms of English, only these five volumes have been released right now. Japan is obviously like two years ahead of us. We should be getting the next volume of the manga in a few months. I want you to read them and take notes. Write down any observations, opinions, and theories you come up with, and then we can discuss them. I got these from a library, and I need them back before next Monday."

I flicked through the books quickly, taking in the art on each cover and how they faced the opposite direction. Yes, that was the thing in Japan. Interesting.

The notebook had my name on it in black Sharpie. A messy sort of scrawl that barely looked like my name at all. The attempt was appreciated, nonetheless.

She really wanted to get me invested in this. And judging by the intense discussions she had at lunch with Mike Newton and Eric Yorkie, she was going to grill me relentlessly to make certain I paid attention.

"Would you prefer to do that at lunch, so we don't have to waste time while here?" I asked as it made more sense to do that at school with the free time we had, and then come back here and do something else.

She beamed. "Yeah, that sounds good."

"Then I will get to reading immediately." No time like the present, and I have so much time on my hands that there will literally be nothing else to do until school tomorrow.

She didn't even question my decision, she merely gave me a stern look and said, "No cheating by looking things up online either. I want your unfiltered, unedited thoughts about this."

Chief Swan was lingering in the kitchen, waiting for me to leave so he could lock everything up properly and then head off to bed. He glanced over as we came down the stairs and his eyes zeroed in on the manga in the crook of my arm. Good God, she really got him doing homework. Poor kid has got it bad.

I turned back to give Bella a smile. "I will be ready to discuss the books at lunch." Best for her to be ready to hear what I have to say at least.

She looked thrilled by this news, but that didn't mean she wanted to rush me too much apparently. "You can take more time, you know. We're not exactly in a rush."

"Don't worry, I read fast." She quirked a brow at my answering smirk. "See you tomorrow, Bella."

"Night, Eddie Boy!" I'm never escaping that damn nickname.

Chief Swan waited until I'd started the Volvo and was driving away before speaking out loud. "He's got it bad." Smiling like that over getting attention from the girl he likes. Even when he's being forced to read stuff he doesn't care about.

"Hm?" Bella asked.

"He takes everything you say like it's some kind of edict from God Himself. He's abnormally interested in you and it's almost as if he's a magnet completely drawn to you." The way he stared at her face the entire time as she spoke... must be a first crush or something.

I hadn't paid too much attention to his thoughts while playing Bella's game. We were focusing on the game after all, plus all the little notes and tips Bella wanted to give me.

I should have considered him and his point of view. He was in fact very observant, just like Bella was. Enough to be correct with only a minute of speaking to me and watching as I interacted with his daughter.

And this is the one Bella decided to say yes to. Chief Swan sighed to himself. Guess I should get used to him coming around then.

Bella shrugged off her father's words. "He's pretty intense like that all the time no matter the situation. He's like an old man on the inside."

I'm never escaping the old man accusations either it seemed.

It's not like she's wrong though.

"Jazz, you're the only one of us with any sort of extensive knowledge on Japan."

I had a feeling this was going to happen, Jasper sighed to himself once he realized I was coming toward his room in particular. Come in.

"Hi," I said in greeting, the stack of manga still in my one arm as well as a few books from Carlisle's library in the other. "I've been given the assignment to read all of these and begin writing down my thoughts, theories, assumptions, and what have you. However, I have many questions if you have the time."

He technically did have the time, just like every one of us, but wanting to spend that time doing this of all things was a different story entirely.

Jasper's laptop was already out and ready to be used though. State of the art and definitely far too early in production to be officially released in any way. DVD player and touch screen for accessibility. Jasper really put in the effort on it and every single laptop in the house.

To think, he'd only gotten into tech because of a dare from Emmett. And look at him now. Designing advanced technology for our entire family and licensing the ideas out later on. If only we could use the cellphones he made us, in public spaces. We can't afford the questions though so not yet.

"What exactly is the issue?" he asked as I placed the books on his bed. Is it related to war?

"Not exactly. I was using my own laptop for a bit already. Bella told me not to cheat, but it was just translation things I was checking, and I realized that I am confused on much of what's going on in these books."

The first book was flipped open so I could skim through the pages until I saw what I was looking for. "Are weapons like this real or is this just a fictional stereotype attributed to Japan and its culture?"

Jasper glanced at it for a second. "That is a shuriken, and they are real and have real historical meaning. They also come in more shapes than that. They were often used by samurai as an additional way to control the battlefield. Use of them in combat is traditionally called Shurikenjutsu. I'm not so certain there are shuriken of that size in real life unless they are just for decoration."

"And this?" I asked, pointing to another picture.

"Kunai. It began as a tool often used by the working class and the poor, much like a trowel in gardening. Many working tools were adopted by samurai and ninja alike because they could be very dangerous if sharp enough and if the wielder possessed a good enough imagination."

"This story is full of ninja, and they all seem to use these two weapons the most when they aren't using chakra to do what looks like magic tricks."

Jasper grabbed the second volume of Naruto and looked it over. The titular character was front and center with his teammates on either side of him, wielding hand-sized kunai. In Naruto's hands were two massive kunai that looked to be half his size. "Traditionally, the weapons would not be that size if we're talking about their origins, but in a fictional world of child soldiers who have adapted to this lifestyle after however many years, enough to have a flourishing economy where they treat this as a viable career option, then it's more understandable."

He hadn't even read the story yet. Simply by looking at the book covers available, he gleaned that much about it already.

"Next question, what's with the headbands and why are they worn like that specifically?"

Jasper stared at the cover for a moment longer, before saying, "I'm not sure of their purpose in this particular fictional setting, but it does harken to hachimaki, which is basically a headband worn for a plethora of purposes." Jasper's mind drew up the image of a Japanese man in traditional clothing with a white band tied around his forehead and a large red circle in the center of it. "Could be for military purposes, or inspirational words could be added, or even to just to catch their sweat and they perform some kind of hard labor. It depends. However, judging by the metal plates on them, they denote one's military association in this story. The three kids depicted here all have a leaf on their headbands and are from the same place."

"And they live in the Leaf Village in the Land of Fire" I murmured in understanding. "So their allegiance is to the Leaf Village." Makes sense.

"Now onto the magic system. Everything is called Jutsu according to Google. Based on your comment about Shurikenjutsu, that is also a real topic based in history?"

Jazz sighed. "Sit down and listen."

I did so.

I learned a lot with Jasper and Google's help.

The notebook that Bella had given me was already almost completely full of my thoughts. I'd spent so much time on Google that my search history would probably confuse anyone not in the know about my assignment. During class, I even refined some of my thoughts to better express what I'd noticed or liked about the story. There was a lot to sift through and the blue of the ink almost made the words blend together when coupled with my incredibly small but neat script.

I ended up liking what I'd read thus far. I wasn't expecting to either.

Though it did feel like a very slow start to what seemed like an incredibly long tale. I have a few negatives opinions but those can be saved for later. What I'm most interested in at present is the plot itself and where it is going.

Bella was obviously glad to see me waiting for her when it came time to go to lunch. I tried not to be too pleased by that, but I've also just accepted that I am weak in the ego and any kind of positive attention from Bella is enough to make me happy.

Jessica seemed especially interested in our lunch date. Bella had warned her ahead of time and had even told her what happened yesterday. Jessica was practically vibrating out of her skin with excitement and couldn't wait to tell Lauren and Angela about Bella making me play video games and read manga.

So cute! she gushed to herself. I need to get Mike into Gilmore Girls and Charmed. Imagine what we could get through on a Saturday night.

As we headed for the salad bar, I asked, "Do you mind if I begin now?" The notebook was ready, and I was excited to start.

"Go ahead. I'm so invested in this."

I followed after her as she went about making her usual salad.

"Okay, so I know you told me not to use the internet for clues, but I wasn't using it for that purpose. Specifically, I was looking up the original Japanese names or terms used for certain things so I could better understand either translation choices or translation errors. This is because I am aware of some words not having direct translations and needing the next best thing," I told her.

"Such as the word 'youkai' which technically doesn't have an English version because it could reference all manner of supernatural creatures typically with a morally dubious character. Terms such as 'demon', 'ghost', 'spirit', and 'fairy' could all fall under the umbrella of youkai but they would not be the same creatures between Eastern and Western definitions."

I felt the need to get that out just as a warning because I'm not the one who focused on Asian languages, so I need to do extra work for things like this. English borrows from mostly European roots so naturally I'm not going to be overly knowledgeable in things outside that realm of reference. I have a lot to learn.

"Therefore, with all the terms used, I had to borrow a few books from Carlisle's office as well as consult Jasper since he's the only one of us with any extensive knowledge of Japan. It was a very enlightening experience and I have no doubt that I will have to do more research in the future."

All of the pages with connecting information/theories were labeled with the same-colored stickers. It was just easier to find threads that way.

Of course, I remember the whole order of the book, but if Bella wants to specifically look things up on her own, it would be better this way. She could see for herself just what I'd gotten up to last night.

I'm already on my way to conversational fluency in Japanese as well. I might be able to speak to her in it at some point in the near future.

"First off, Uzumaki Naruto, the protagonist and titular character. Surname means Whirlpool, given name means fishcake?"

Jasper hadn't really had any insights into that unfortunately. He said Japanese names can vary from anything, like Hari which means Needle, or Midori which means Green. Fishcake Whirlpool wouldn't be too odd apparently. Also, there could be cultural context as well that I as an American simply am unaware of.

Bella took a long drink from her lemonade before she chose to say anything. And might I just add that I knew she'd have an explanation for me.

"Narutomaki is a type of kamaboko(or fish cake), often used as a ramen topping. But it's the kind best known for the pink spiral in the center." She smirked then, like she had some secret information she didn't feel like divulging in regard to that topic. "Let's just say that spiral designs are very closely tied to Naruto as a character, so while it is technically correct to say his name is that, there's a lot more detail to it under the surface. Also, he's actually named after a real place in the Tokushima Prefecture that is known for its whirlpools."

I opened the notebook to one of the last empty pages and wrote down everything she said verbatim. Including an additional note about the part where she seemed to hesitate, because she obviously had more information but didn't think she should share it. Probably spoilers or something.

It also made sense. Naruto seemed obsessed with ramen no matter the form it came in. His name came from a ramen topping which was actually adorable. But then the spiral of the topping probably harkened back to the whirlpool of his name. Such attention to detail was something easy to appreciate.

"Interesting," I told her. "Thank you."

Back to the beginning.

"So this boy is a newborn the same day the Fourth Hokage(or Yondaime as he is called), defeats a great monster, the Nine Tails(or Kyubi no Youko as it is known), and dies in battle against it. I have a question about this already. If Japanese numbers of one through five are ichi, ni, san, shi, and go, why isn't the Japanese for the Fourth Hokage, Shidaime? Yondaime threw me for a loop when it showed up on Google."

Bella placed her fork down for a moment to give me her full attention.

"Shi, the number four in Japanese, is a homonym for the Japanese word for 'death'. That is viewed as a bad omen and things with the number four are usually skipped over. Like floors in buildings or airplane terminals. The characters for the words may be different when you look at them, but the pronunciation is the same. Now, there is an inside joke about the Forest of Death in Chapter 45. Its Japanese name is Shi no Mori. Shi meaning Death and Mori meaning Forest. It's also the forty-fourth training ground in Konoha."

More notes. And an interesting little moment of cleverness on the side of the author.

I have to remember that this fictional universe operates under an entirely different set of beliefs and folk tales. Their culture believes heavily in things like bad omens.

Avoiding the bad omen of a number would make sense.

Still, Bella was smirking like she once again was holding back information.

"Okay. My first observation that I wrote down here is that Naruto is severely neglected if not outright abused. His desire for attention is so strong that he's even willing to take negative attention because at least it means people are acknowledging the fact that he exists. He has no family and no friends and not even a real role model to look up to because everyone just hates him for no obvious reason."

My siblings were listening in on our conversation and already, Rosalie was in a poor mood as a result. Abused kids was always a way to bring out the worst of her personality.

What kind of sad shit is Swan making you read? Emmett called out. This is some depressing stuff.

I wasn't finished though. "The first thing that bothered me was Mizooki. Didn't like him instantly despite how friendly he looked, but that's probably why. Not one person thus far had been nice to Naruto, and even Iruka only changed tone because Naruto was so blasé about his orphaned status and not caring how long his punishment would last. Mizooki offering to help when no one else has by the eighteenth page in, just bothered me when there seemed to be nothing in it for him. Two pages later I was proven right."

Judging by the look on Bella's face, she was trying her best to not laugh. I'm not exactly sure what it is about what I've said so far that elicited such a response, but I am now dead curious.

But she also looked pleased with me which stroked my ego something fierce.

Also, the Mizuki situation just really annoyed me on top of it all. It was disgusting how he talked to a twelve-year-old boy and if I could reach into the pages of a book to smack someone, he would be the first character I'd hit.

"I think it is an absolute mess that the news of Naruto's condition got out to the public." How did that even happen in the first place if so few people were involved in the event itself? "I don't know how it spread around or why everyone needed to know about it, but it feels very deliberate. And I'm not even sure I can rule out the Third Hokage as the source of all of this because I don't find him as kind and grandfatherly as he's supposed to seem. He is, essentially, a dictator, even if it's dressed up in the kindest version possible right now. One does not earn such a position through entirely scrupulous means."

I know it's because I don't have all the information right now, and as a story is written, it would make sense that the audience does not learn everything right away. Still, there is just something off about him that bothers me entirely.

Also, the village-wide agreement to keep silent about the secret that resulted in Naruto being ostracized is terrible.

Why couldn't he have been adopted if he's so important to the safety of the people? Surely a happy and healthy child would have been better. Loyal from the start at least.

Though I am aware that an emotionally and perhaps physically beaten down child is easier to manipulate, if the right person shows them kindness and then repeats that kindness. I really don't want to give that theory too much weight right now. I don't think I'm in the mental space to do so.

"As for Naruto being the Nine Tails, I don't personally believe it." For many reasons. "Not just because his whole character screams otherwise, but because it would make no sense. He was a baby that existed already, so it is literally impossible for a human child to become this demon creature even if it was sealed inside of him at a later date. Unless there is some other fantastical magical ability in the future of this story, it just doesn't seem like something even the laws of this strange fictional universe would allow. He is no more a monster than any other human." None that we've seen in the first five volumes at least.

And you know what? Even if Naruto became the evil demon that destroyed everything... he just doesn't seem evil. Naruto is told from a Third Person Omniscient Perspective, and we can at any time, see the thoughts of every single person on the page. The Unreliable Narrator is a popular trope in fiction, but it's not quite so easy to pull off in stories like this.

Even if Naruto's POV is unreliable, we've literally seen him try and fail and struggle and doubt himself many times. He cares too much about the opinions of others and only wants to be a leader because he thinks power makes people like you. A very childish assumption but understandable at least.

So even if he became the same thing as the monster that was sealed into him as a newborn, it doesn't mean he is an evil person. He is a child who did not ask to be put through such things. He didn't get to consent to becoming whatever it is he is now.

I've seen true evil. I've heard true evil. I have personally done things I would classify as evil.

Naruto the fictional character, is not evil.

"My next point of note is that Naruto took time out of his day, and probably many of those days, to create a skill to turn himself into a girl."

It had been an unexpected thing to see from a child so young.

He's so short I assumed he was ten at first. Twelve is hardly any better of an age to be doing that, but it's basically on the cusp of teenhood at least.

The choice to go naked it a bit more questionable in my opinion.

"I know it was played off as a sort of joke to expose perverts and that he drew inspiration from adult magazines, but I wonder if that's really all there is to it? Considering how the people treat him, I wonder if he's ever just used this ability to wander around his own village without having to deal with people hating him. It just feels like it's a deeper thing than a prank, even if he's apparently known as a prankster." The boy defaced a monument with swirls of paint. That seems to be his grand idea of a prank.

Being able to change his gender at will, even if it's just a 'Jutsu' seems overpowered. Does he change completely? Iruka had everyone practice turning into him and even the girls managed it, but Naruto literally devised a way to do it that causes a physical reaction in people who possess perverted thoughts.

Another Japanese belief. Bloody noses equal perversion. And in Naruto, it's apparently a good way to stun someone.

But how did he manage to do that?

What exactly did he do when creating it?

"Then there is the frankly depressing behavior of the Hokage's grandson and his motivations. Why is it that even the privileged children aren't treated right in this story?" I demanded, thinking of Konohamaru and his nasty teacher.

"Perhaps to show that humans are flawed and that even privilege doesn't make life perfect," Bella murmured around her fork. I could tell that topic didn't make her happy either.

Still though, her words made sense. "Very well then. Onto his terrible tutor. I cannot stand him, and I hope we don't have to see him ever again." He would be the next fictional character I would reach into a book to slap. "I read only five volumes of this story and I can safely say that I'm not very much on board with Naruto's underdog character. I don't think it is his job or duty or what have you, to earn anyone's regard or respect. He is a child, he should not have to put his life on the line over and over in hopes that one day, the judgmental people of his village will like him."

Fuck yeah! Emmett cheered.

Rosalie obviously agreed with me.

Bella seemed curious though.

"To be clear, underdogs are usually inspiring. They tend to be not very good at certain things and have to work really hard to attain their goals, but village-wide government-sanctioned ostracism is typically not what underdogs face in their stories. This is a child who has been treated terribly his whole life and he thinks he has to become the leader of his people for them to finally like him. I really don't like that. I can already see the ending. He's going to nearly die many times, save the village many times, become Hokage in the end after losing so much that he values, and he'll come to realize that it's a miserable life and that people are fickle."

Already his reasons for wanting to be Hokage are shaky at best, but this kind of tale isn't going to end happily.

He's probably going to fight to the death, maybe even be legally dead for a few minutes before he's somehow resuscitated, save the world, and go on to realize his dream. And he's going to be unfulfilled.

Alice has already told me to just start reading fanfiction for any Naruto-doesn't-kiss-Konoha's-ass re-tellings. She even said that I should ask Bella for suggestions.

"There is also the lack of female characters." Sakura, Ino, Hinata, TenTen, and Temari as green ninja, then Anko and Kurenai as a veteran ninja. Finally, the Tsunami woman from the first mission. There are like seven times more male characters overall.

"Why is there only one girl in every three-man team? Do they just not let women become ninja? Or is it some kind of misogynistic thing where they're encouraged to follow more feminine pursuits? On the flip side, the girls are all obsessed with… Sasooke?" Based on how Mike and Eric pronounce it, that's close enough I suppose.

Bella shrugged. "The U in his name doesn't get a hard or long pronunciation and you also don't emphasize it. It's hard to explain but it's not Sa-soo-kay, it's more like Sas-kay. Su is not like Soo. It's not an extended double oo sound like in Shoot. You are more often than not, pronouncing it with the same U used see in the word Sugar, or the sound in the word Brook. More of a Sa-suh-kay than a Sa-soo-kay. If you can get the suh in there quickly it doesn't sound as obvious."

Ah! That makes a lot more sense actually. "Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke." And because my body and mind are capable of moving faster and retaining information forever, I'll never forget it. "Thanks."

"It's the same with names like Tsunami or Tsuki. It's not soo, and the T does produce a sound at the beginning. The names Tsuki and Suki are totally different."

Fascinating.

"Okay, so Sasuke has no interest in anyone who apparently isn't Naruto or doesn't have something he thinks he needs. He comes off as arrogant and selfish but was willing to die to protect Naruto even when supposedly not liking him. His body literally 'just moved' without him realizing it, risking his entire life's mission in the process. Said mission involving his brother and terrible childhood trauma that resulted in him being the way he is. From what he told… Sakura, he has no family of his own and that's probably connected."

I did not like his attitude from the start, but the moment where Sakura tells Sasuke that Naruto was lucky to not have to be bossed around by parents, I felt like I understood him a lot more. Everything after that was like peeling open an onion, layer by layer.

A traumatized onion at that.

Him being so offended by what she said when it technically had nothing to do with him, was proof enough that something horrible happened, and based on Bella's lunch conversations, it is truly something terrible that his brother is to blame for.

Most likely murder is involved and I'm already dreading it.

My desire to continue on was halted by the bell. We'd taken up all of lunch with me just talking about Naruto. And there was still so much more to get through.

Bella's head hit the table. "There ain't no way we were here that long! We were just getting to the good stuff!"

Alice was snickering and Emmett even seemed a little sad about it.

We really were getting to the good part. I wanted to hear all about your thoughts on the sexism.

"I'm sure we'll have time in the coming days to get everything out, Bella."

"Fine," she groaned. "I suppose I can be patient."

We gathered our things and proceeded to head to Biology. I honestly couldn't wait to continue our discussion tomorrow at lunch, because it's going to get interesting. Like how I have a theory that the Fourth Hokage is Naruto's father. Can't wait to hear her response to that.

~.O.~

A/N: Another is done!

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Chapter Text

A/N: Hello, people!

I don't own Twilight.

I have no regular beta.

ENJOY!

CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON.

~.O.~

SIDE A

"It's got layers to it!" Mike said, stacking his hands atop each other to better prove his argument. "Layers!"

"Like onions!" Tyler chirped helpfully.

"Or parfaits," Lauren added suddenly, looking away from Jessica to participate in the boys' conversation for a moment.

I snorted. "Parfaits may be the most delicious thing on the whole damn planet."

And just like that, the entire table burst into snickers. You can never go wrong with a good Shrek reference. They were just as great in 2005 as they were in 2020.

Once we all managed to collect ourselves like the young adults we were all supposed to be, Mike continued his argument with Eric over the newly released(to America anyway) manga Fullmetal Alchemist. They'd been at it for like six minutes already and there was no sign of them stopping any time soon.

With them busy once again, Jessica recaptured Lauren's attention in her discussion about some new book she wanted to read but wasn't sure her parents would let her. This was the day that I discovered that Jessica has a thing for bodice rippers, which, you know, thinking back on how she behaves as a person, this really shouldn't have shocked me at all.

Hopeless romance and stuff seemed to be right up her alley. Desperately wishing Mike had a romantic bone in his body. The whole works.

On my end, I like fantastical things that explore mythology and folklore of different cultures. Romance is good so long as it makes sense and isn't forced.

I don't remember what kind of books Edward's into. I'm not even sure if that ever came up in either the Twilight Saga or Midnight Sun. I should probably ask him about that at some point.

Maybe later on tonight when we're finishing off Portal Runner.

Angela shifted her book to the side to ask, "Are you going to eat with Edward tomorrow?"

"Probably. It seems like a fair deal if it's every other day."

She smiled. "I'm glad he's finally reaching out and making friends. I think you're a good friend for someone like him. Mature enough to make him feel like he's among his peers but also full of enough wonder at life to make him think about relaxing a little."

The fact that Edward was no doubt listening in on this very conversation made me dead curious to know what he thought about her words. See, I'm not the only person calling him an old man!

"Yeah, he needs to extricate his head from his ass now and then. The roses are a lot nicer than he thinks."

-ou ever forget who you are and where you come from, okay? Promise me you won't forget our history."

"I promise… mom."

I jerked awake from the sudden sensation of falling and landing in water. God, I hate that shit. It's not as if I was having a peaceful dream that I didn't want to wake from, but still, the pounding of my heart and the minor panic from thinking I was falling and then potentially drowning isn't exactly fun.

Frustrated, and rightly so by the way, I sat up in bed and pressed my thumbs into my eyes. Yes, I'm one of those people who massage my eyeballs whenever I get a bad headache. I know you probably shouldn't do that, but it's always worked to help relieve my tension and I mean like, you aren't supposed to eat raw cookie dough, but I've been doing both for ages and neither of these things are what killed me so… What can I say, I'm a risk taker.

Once the sharp pain had lessened and my heart had decided to finally chill the hell out, I sighed and flopped back down so I could stare at the ceiling with unrepressed hatred.

So, I dreamed about my mom.

Ever since waking up as Bella Swan, I've been steadily ignoring any real information about my past because I'm not really sure I'm emotionally or mentally ready to address that kind of thing. Like, there are perpetual reminders all around me every day, that I am not home and not with my mom anymore, but I'm actually very good at pretending to be okay when I'm not, as well as ignoring blatantly obvious red flags in my vision if I decide I'm not ready to notice them properly.

The biggest issue… I am not Isabella Marie Swan. I am also nothing like her and I don't have enough oomf in me to give a damn about trying to be 'in-character'. Like, I suffered from a pandemic, then I died, and I lost my mom at the same time. I think I should be afforded some basic concessions by now, you know?

So yeah, I'm just being me because it's what I'm best at.

But I can't actually be me at the same time, and that's hell to deal with.

I shoved the covers aside and sat up. I typically don't use the bathroom at night since I sleep all the way through the night on most occasions, but since I'm alert anyway I might as well. I doubt I'm going to be getting any more sleep for the rest of the night.

And I didn't even need to use the bathroom, I was just going to look in the mirror since it was big enough to see all of my torso with ease.

Something I often avoided was direct eye contact with the mirror in the bathroom. Every morning and evening. Every shower. Every single time I needed to relieve myself. I never looked down if I could help it and I avoided eye contact with myself because it was uncomfortable.

I shivered. Showering in a body that wasn't your own was just off-putting. All those reincarnation and transmigration fanfics don't really touch upon just how fucky it is to have to touch a body that wasn't your own, just to clean it. Like, until further notice, I'm stuck here, in the body of a minor, and I really don't want to die from some weird disease or contract something because I wasn't clean enough.

My hands have to go in places I wish they wouldn't.

Staring into the mirror, I was very overwhelmed and underwhelmed at the same time. I miss my hair even though it took hours to handle every Saturday. I miss my height, because it was nice when men were hesitant to approach me because of their own fear of having height lorded over them. I even miss my big feet because they were at least my feet and I was used to them.

Bella Swan is so unnaturally pale that it's hard to believe she has Indigenous American ancestry. Yeah, Charlie's mother was Quileute. That's why he's so close to the people on the reservation and why they don't mind the white dude always coming around. Why that was never mentioned in the books or the info book either is baffling. It could have brought a lot more interesting depth to Bella's character and her connection to Jacob Black. Maybe Meyer was scared to go too far in abusing another culture? Which, you know, was kinda pointless since she'd already gone far enough already.

Anyway, the point is that Bella is pale like a ghost and the exact opposite to the real me.

I always had the dream of making enough money to go on a trip to Haiti. To visit my mom's home and see where her entire ancestry came from and get the full scope of what happened centuries ago.

But now I'm a white woman. In body. If I was still a brown woman who could speak English, Spanish, and French, and I decided to visit Haiti to research my family tree, locals wouldn't really care. The name and the features would be a dead giveaway. The accents when I speak would have let me slide by.

However, I can't exactly go searching for ancestry in Haiti while looking like Bella Swan, without looking like some kind of culture vulture! White Americans going to foreign countries and poking their noses in business that wasn't theirs wasn't new, but damn was it annoying to deal with.

Yes, the racial tensions in Haiti see the black citizens as lesser than the small percentage of white citizens there were, but that wouldn't make it any less weird. I never wanted white privilege, I wanted me and the people like me to just be treated like people, where no one was favored because their skin was pale enough to represent some boring ass Euro-centric beauty standards. If everyone was treated equally, then there wouldn't be white privilege to begin with, cuz no one would be privileged based on skin color.

I can't go with my mom to Haiti and see where she grew up now, and that's something that's ultra fucked up. I don't want to go when I'm like this and I don't want to go without her.

But like, say this was actually a strangely long dream and I was actually aware the entire time - you know, lucid dreaming specifically - if I wake up, will there be anything to wake up to? No.

I'd like to think that I'm owed an identity crisis now and then.

Why don't the transmigration fics ever talk about characters waking up as different races? And few do the different gender thing either.

I wish there was someone I could talk to about this without sounding like I'm crazy.

Lunch again, and this time it was with Edward!

A time where I mostly get to listen to him speak while I eat. Today they had pizza that didn't feel like cardboard, so I decided to be adventurous and get that for once. Also, an orange and a chocolate milk for that extra pizzazz.

"Okay, I'm so excited that we finally have more time to address your journey through the Naruto Universe. I'm looking forward to hearing about your next collection of theories and assumptions, and then working through them together," I said as I opened my chocolate milk and completed butchered the carton because for some damn reason, I can't seem to get those damn things to open the right way any time I have them!

Edward nodded and flipped through his notebook until he was at possibly the fourth- or fifth-page in. "I know this is going to sound insane and I don't really have any concrete proof of this because the entire volume is black and white, so I'm not sure about the coloring of every character, but I just have this incredibly powerful feeling that Naruto is the son of the Yondaime Hokage."

When I tell you that I have never been more shook in my entire life, I mean it from head to toe, inside and outside, all around, shake it all about and all that stuff. Like, I have very few things that I can brag about when it comes to the Naruto fandom because I'm not really good at making theories that are actually anywhere near true...

However, there are two things I did get rightish very early on when I got into Naruto. It had started airing as a television show on adult swim and the first episode I saw was when Jiraiya has to unseal whatever Orochimaru did to Naruto in the Shi no Mori. I had watched the entire episode with vague interest and then the next episode came, and it was even more interesting, but then there was nothing else and I had to wait for more episodes to come.

Sometime around a year later, I decided to actually actively get into watching the show, and decided to watch it from the start, and this was where my very first theory came into play, and where I actually ended up being right. I am so proud of myself for it and I know that I will hold this too much for the rest of my life, okay?

There was a shot in an early episode, that was panning over the village, and then it moves to pan over the Hokage's office, showing pictures of all the Hokage there have been so far. And I swear to God that the Yondaime Hokage looked exactly like Naruto all the way down to every miniscule detail. Then my mom got me one of the Naruto video games on PlayStation 2 and the game had these cool attacks and one of Naruto's abilities was being able to summon Gamabunta who just so happened to have a shadow of the Yondaime on top of his head, and again he looked exactly like Naruto in that animation.

So, me and my limited wisdom had gone and decided very early that the Yondaime absolutely had to be Naruto's father. And if you put all of the information we had together at the time; it would make sense too. Naruto was born on the very night that the fox was defeated by the Yondaime Hokage and apparently nobody else in the village was born on the same night? And it would make sense that a leader would choose to use their own child to try and save the village over somebody else's child, you know if they're actually a good leader and a good human being.

It wasn't Minato's fault that people suck and that the Sandaime Hokage allowed his crappy former teammate to have so much power in the village. And also, it wasn't his fault that his former student had gone off the deep end and then was so unfairly manipulated by his own ancestor.

So, also on the topic of theories that actually ended up being right, my second theory and the only other one that I managed to get rightish, had to do with the massacre. Yes, the massacre did not make any sense to me when I was a youth. Like, Itachi supposedly kills an entire clan's worth of people in the span of a few hours and doesn't get caught until it's all over?

My first thought was if a bunch of them are ninja and are outside of the village doing missions and stuff, how could he have potentially killed everybody in a single night? It made no sense to me at the time. But then I had a thought that if he did in fact manage to kill everybody then that would mean all of the active servicemen in this massive clan would have to have been in the village all at the exact same time and that is very unlikely when you have people of different ranks going on different types of missions and coming and going at all hours of the day.

It just seemed so suspicious to me that somehow every single person was there and not even one was out on a mission and came back to the disaster. Like, sorry Sasuke but how could half of your clan which are either cops or ninja, all there at the same time on the same night?

It was obvious to me that there was at least one other person who was involved in this massacre. My theory was that Itachi was not the only guilty party and that there was most likely somebody even stronger above him who was pulling the strings. I didn't predict that he was gonna have a Snape moment where he actually wasn't the bad guy in the end. When I ended up being right about how that entire night played out and had there actually been more than another person who was involved and definitely deserved to take blame for what happened, I was shook. The forum was shook! I felt like a queen!

So anyway, hearing Edward literally saying my very first theory to my face made me feel so validated. Like, there were people who legitimately told me that I was crazy, and it would make no sense as if they had never read a Hero's Journey/Monomyth type of story before.

Still, I am having a blast discussing this. It's more fun to do it in person than on an online forum while pretending to be older than you are so you can fit in. "I can't begin to tell you how funny this is. This is literally one of the greatest things I have ever heard in my entire life."

"Judging by your mad grin, I can see that you are very happy to hear about this, and I can only assume that you have the same exact theory as I do?" Edward asked, looking pleased with himself. He even did a little wiggle. "Did I do something right?"

I snorted. "I mean, if we ignore the fact that I had access to the raw scans of many of the volumes ahead of time, my theories make sense. That one was one of my very first theories and I am so happy that I'm not the only person who had this thought!" It's interesting that Edward Cullen is the only person I've met who actually just agrees with me outright and he didn't even have to hear me tell him about it or go through a period of me trying to convince him.

And boy did I make many people suffer through me convincing them of my theories.

"Then I think you're going to find my next theory to be very interesting and I have even less available content to use to prove it so…" he drifted off, turning a page in his notebook.

Honestly, I don't care if any of his other theories are right or wrong. I just find it absolutely fascinating to be able to have a conversation with Edward Cullen about the status of the Naruto manga. This is a very surreal experience for me, and I am going to treasure it deeply for however long I manage to keep existing.

And then once I get him so deeply invested in this story and he has to see all of the prejudice that this poor kid and the other Jinchuuriki have had to go through, I am then going to beat him over the head with the knowledge that he is not a monster just because he was turned into a vampire against his will. It'll be a glorious day indeed.

Like, I know that Carlisle is a good person, and that he was following Edward's mother's request to save his life in the only way that he knew how, but in the end, it still happened without Edward's permission. It is perfectly okay for him to be a little messed up inside over it. Especially if Edward happened to be a very religious person like I'm pretty certain he was based on some of the things he said in the books. He had to be religious in some fashion because the creator of the Twilight books is literally a Mormon and Twilight was a kind of dark fantasy she had.

So yeah, the conflict of religious beliefs with then his current status of being, and then adding on the fact that he can literally hear the thoughts of every single person around him, and that's gotta be a very complicated existence to have just suddenly thrust upon you. Edward deserved a bit of leeway over his feelings about being a vampire.

Eddie Boy murmured something to himself and added something to his notes. "My next theory is that Sakura actually has a crush on Naruto and she's trying to hide it by overly hyping Sasuke up when he doesn't deserve that much praise."

Never in my life have I had to hold in the urge to let out a mad cackle, like I had in that moment. Edward's very first theory was completely spot on. He was right and he didn't even have a lot of information to back it up. He just had it by a feeling, but the second theory... It was so wrong. It was so unbelievably wrong and that is the funniest part about it!

Sakura's obsession with Sasuke goes so deep and so far, all the time, that she loses any kind of self-control when it comes to him. She has to make his pain and suffering all about her and has to perpetuate a nonstop feud between herself and her former best friend, who she'd broken friendship with over Sasuke. And then we get the time skip, and we get into the next portion of the story, and she just doesn't get any better in terms of character. You could even say she got worse. Then, after the end of the main story, she still gets worse after she gets what she wants in the end but has nothing to show for it beyond the need to brag about her hollow victory.

So, the fact that Edward has somehow come away with the assumption that Sakura actually has a crush on Naruto and was just using Sasuke as a distraction... I'm so baffled. I'm tickled pink. I'm shooketh.

And I desperately need to know what he is thinking. "What about her behavior towards Naruto would make you think that she has a crush on him? Like, I'm not trying to shoot down your theory no matter how laughable it is, but I'm just wondering if this is some kind of straight thing where you're looking at it through a heterosexual lens because that behavior isn't exactly romantic at all and them being a boy and a girl aren't really strong enough reasons in my opinion."

"It just feels to me that she is being dramatic all the time because the very things that she will praise Sasuke for doing she will then have a problem with Naruto doing the same thing. So, either she's just a hypocrite, or she actually doesn't have a problem with these behaviors. And not to be mean, but Sasuke isn't exactly an approachable person, whereas Naruto is very positive for the most part and tries to be happy and get along with others. Perhaps I'm just biased in that I prefer Naruto as a character over Sasuke."

I'm not sure Edward has understood that people, even fictional characters, are capable of being hypocrites. Like Sakura is probably one of the biggest hypocrites in the entire series and never grows out of that problem even after having a child, but you know, I'll let him have his theory no matter how laughable it is.

He wasn't finished anyway. He still had even more to say.

"My next theory actually has to do with Sasuke a little bit too. In fact, I think it has to do with everyone that Naruto graduated with, and that is my belief that everyone has some kind of crush or obsession with him to some extent. I'm not sure if this is because he's the main character and therefore everybody else's stories have to circle around him to some extent, but it just feels like there is something there from every person that he graduated with."

This is juicy. Edward was getting into shipping dynamics.

"So, who do you ship Naruto with, Eddie Boy?"

Edward Cullen gave an awkward side-eye towards the table where his family was sitting, and then he sighed. "Shikamaru and Naruto and then Sakura and Rock Lee."

…Poor Lee. But also, Sakura shouldn't have to like him back just because he likes her. Same with Sakura not having to like Naruto back just cuz he likes her, and the same with Sasuke not having to like Sakura back just cuz she's obsessed with him.

We don't support shit like that here.

Still, it was nice to know that even Edward Cullen could see the potential in ShikaNaru! I may be a SasuNaruSasu shipper until my dying breath, but I also ship Naruto with like half the cast of characters. Because of who he is as a person, it just works really well in my opinion.

"Now, do you mean Rule 63 or just as they are, or does it not matter to you so long as it's just the characters as we know them?" I asked, because exposing him to this side of fandom is hilarious! What if he gets into actual fanfic?

"I don't know what that means," he confessed with a frown.

"Gender-Bending. Rule 63 is to take the gender of a character which has been strictly noted in the canon universe and change it. So, Naruto can change himself into a girl in the canon universe and typically uses it for pranks, but that persona lets us know what he looks like as a girl. So, if you take his name Naruto, and replace the last character with the feminine 'Ko', it becomes Naruko. The same can be done with a name like Sasuke, which would become Sasuko for the feminine form if gendered names really matter that much to people."

And he was back to taking notes again. Adorable. His pen moved so fast, yet his writing stayed perfect. The asshole. "I don't think it matters much in my opinion, so long as the writing would be decent."

"It should also be noted that a lot of merchandise of Sasuke and Naruto are sold as sets. Even figurines where their pieces connect and shouldn't be separated if you don't want to ruin the effect. Figurines where Naruto is in his girl form specifically and where Sasuke is just as he is normally." Mind you, that was a bit later in the timeline, but he has no real way of verifying that now, does he? Not unless he flies to Japan personally and does a whole hunt for information and merch by himself.

"So, Rule 63 is where you take the confirmed gender of a character, and change it for fandom purposes?"

"Yeah. If you go on FFN and check the fanfics in the Naruto section, Naruto and Naruko are the same character tag, but one is male and the other is female. So, if you're looking for ships to read about, just know that selecting Naruko ensures it's the girl version and Naruto ensures it's the boy version. And if you're interested in broader explorations of gender identity in fanfiction, there are many better sites to explore with fewer rules to prevent people from writing what they want."

"Do you write fanfiction?"

"In my head," I told him. "Like, I'm writing a few books right now and I want to get all of that information out as soon as possible. Once I do that, I will get around to spending my free time writing fanfic."

"If you want help in getting your works published, we have many connections we could put you into contact with," he offered as he continued to write.

Now, maybe a better person would not have taken such a handout. Maybe they'd want to get to where they want to go by their own efforts alone, but I've been through this whole song and dance before and I have to say that I hated how long it took to get published. I had to do so much of the work myself because I could not get people to give me a chance. I had to self-publish through Amazon first and it wasn't exactly a lucrative business deal.

However, having the chance to possibly do better this time around… it's really hard to pass up.

I want to do what I love, which is write queer fiction exploring cultures that don't get much attention in popular culture. I want to show the world a different side to romance that isn't often explored in the early 2000s. And I want to influence a growing generation of young adults with something different than what was popular when I was growing up in the early 2000s.

Of course, this time… I'll have to use a pseudonym. Or just my actual name under a pseudonym. It hasn't escaped my notice that my real name Bonita isn't much different in meaning than Bella. In a way it could work.

There are many people out there who are better than me and wouldn't accept such an offer… but damn it all I died from a global pandemic and never got to fully realize my dreams. I think I should be allowed some level of leeway in things like this.

"I wouldn't mind a bit of help… when I'm finished. We can come back to that bit later."

He nodded. "Okay. So, my last relatively big theory has to do with Naruto himself."

The fact that this could be literally anything has me like, eagerly leading forward in my seat as if that's going to bring me any closer to Edward's revelation.

"And I have this incredibly strong feeling that despite my lack of interest in him, Sasuke is going to end up being very important in the long run. Him being willing to die for Naruto without ever getting to achieve the dream of vengeance that he had set for himself, and then Naruto's actual reaction to that sacrifice, tells me that he is very important to the main plot of this story."

"Of course."

"So, my idea is that Naruto and Sasuke-

And that was when the fucking bell had to ring! GOD DAMMIT!

"Would you like to hang out with me this weekend?" Edward asked, completely blindsiding me at lunch two days later.

I just realized that I have no idea where we're at in terms of canon. Okay, so the last thing that happened in terms of major Key Plot Points would be the night in Port Angeles, and that went completely differently from how it actually did in the book thanks to Edward's interference and apparently my existence in the story.

After that, I can't remember exactly how many days went by, but I do know that Edward and Bella both played a very, very long and annoying game of 21 Questions that might as well have been like 1,000 Questions by the end of it. Edward had managed to monopolize several days of Bella's time just to learn more about her, and Bella hadn't felt that it was an important enough event to detail out word for word.

Midnight Sun thankfully covered that all for us and Edward really used every opportunity he had to grill her for info.

You know, now that I think about it, Bella was a bit of an unreliable narrator. From Edward's perspective in Midnight Sun, she was a lot more interesting in my opinion. All those things she felt uninteresting about herself and therefore not worthy of note, were what drew him in as a person. Bella Swan in Bella's eyes was average in most things except intelligence. Bella Swan in Edward's eyes was like an enigma that provided him nonstop entertainment.

Hm… food for later thought.

So, instead of us going about doing what the canon couple did, Edward and I have been hanging out at Charlie's house playing video games, and then every other day we sit together at lunch and talk about his theories for Naruto. So there hasn't really been a chance for him to grill me for personal information because I haven't really given him the opportunity to. Once again, I am completely steamrolling this entire friendship.

It is becoming too one-sided here and that isn't fair.

"What would we end up doing together if it's not the normal playing video games or hanging out on my end?" I asked him, trying to suss out his intentions. "Because I will tell you right now that I am not a big fan of nature or sunlight if I'm being honest, and I really don't find an interest in sports or outdoorsy activities." At least not those without access to good internet. "If we're not going swimming or maybe bowling, then it's going to be a struggle to even get me to give a damn."

It's best if he knows these things ahead of time so as not to get his hopes up.

I know he probably wants to show me his precious field of flowers out there in the middle of nowhere, but I personally am not all that interested in going on a long hike to a place that I don't know, where I don't know how to get home on my own, and where something bad could potentially happen to me. I read Midnight Sun when the first few chapters got leaked online, and I read the version of it that was actually published, and I definitely know that there was a lot of stuff going on in Edward Cullen's head, and much of it was not good.

That whole thing with the Knot that Alice kept bringing up stuff. No thanks, I want to avoid dealing with that.

Like, there's a whole area of this story where Bella had to hike for hours in the morning just to reach that place, and I personally am not getting my jollies off at the idea of sitting there for like two or three hours doing nothing, after all that effort. Maybe I became too reliant on technology but being out in the middle of nature without access to anything remotely interesting to do the entire time, would probably kill me inside.

There are no apps that we can download to our phones in this day and age. And no means to read a book without physically bringing a book with you. We would just be sitting there in the dirt and the grass, under the fucking sunlight, with me perspiring out the ass, staring at each other. Like, does one of us have to bring a board game to play… outdoors of all places?! Or like, a pack of cards or something?

You know, the more I think about it, the more I just really, really don't want to go outside all for a hike and some grass. I can 'touch grass' any time I want, I just don't want to.

"I suppose a hike would not be something you would be willing to partake in then?" he asked, looking amused at my dislike, like the dickhead he was.

"Hey, if you can do your little zippity doo dah magic running stuff, and make it happen instantly so I don't have to do all that walking, then sure. But if not, then the hiking idea is out of the question, and I'd rather suffer through something else." And yes, I mean suffer.

Look, I know that people often want to connect with others and get offended when a friend doesn't want to do the same activities, but why should they commit to doing something they don't like or want to do, for the sake of others when it wasn't necessary?

One time in high school, I once got blackmailed into going to some weekend party because my then-friend group decided I didn't go out with them enough and that I somehow made them feel excluded. So, after some suggestive words, I ended up going to the stupid party and not one of them talked to me the entire night. And I wasn't popular or conventionally attractive enough, so no one else wanted to talk to me. I was bored the entire night and didn't even have the wifi password to use so I just sat in a corner by myself for four hours.

Every damn minute was a struggle, and I was super pissed to have been put in that situation. All because they didn't like how I didn't want to go and do things I didn't like.

Let's just say that I saw myself out of that friend group in every possible way after telling them all off in the group chat and then Blocking all of them in every way right afterward.

So no, I don't think people should have to force themselves to do unimportant shit, for the sake of someone else's feelings. Me not wanting to go on a hike with Edward Cullen, because I don't like hiking, shouldn't be treated like some major insult or offense.

"I'm surprised that you really don't like the outdoors and sports considering how well you do during gym class," he observed.

I scoffed and leveled him with an unimpressed look. "That is a class taken inside of a controlled environment, and I would even swear on the Bible that if we were doing it out in a field somewhere, I would be far less interested or willing to participate. You know, we're running on hardwood floors, not dirt. There's no chance of a stray pebble getting in the way or somehow tripping up because part of the trail is uneven in certain places. The temperature indoors is always even and pleasant, and there is a water fountain literally like twenty feet away at all times."

I was never very good at track and field stuff, and I was a chubby one back then, so it was especially bad on my end. Any kind of sport we would have to do in gym class that required me to run around, was usually something that I wasn't good at, but if it required you to stay relatively in the same place, then typically I was pretty good at it. Bella is super thin and has good stamina so there's no problem for me in this body when it comes to gym class.

And I know that Bella Swan supposedly was somebody who really liked the sun and really liked living in Arizona, and that this totally conflicts with her as a character, but I just can't force myself to like the sunlight, okay? I was born in the northeast and even though my parents' people were from a relatively sunny and hot area, I am not meant for the sun. Also, the body that I'm in now will probably burn like a biatch! So no thank you, no thanks. No sun for me of my peeps. Forks is actually quite nice for that. I wish it wasn't quite as dreary, but we take what we can get.

Edward looked over at his family, who are all watching us very intently I might add. Like, they tend to do this whenever he and I are anywhere near each other. I really have to wonder what kind of conversations that they are having at home that requires all of them to be this focused on what we're doing. I am pretty sure that in the original books they weren't this invested in what Bella had to say and do. Not all of them thought she was amazing after all.

"What if I can guarantee that I can get you to where I want to show you in only a few minutes, and then get you back just quickly when it's time to leave?" Edward offered with a cheerful smile, like nothing was wrong.

"You know, sometimes I wonder how you manage to trick anyone into thinking that you're normal because you are really not normal, and you are very not good at pretending to be."

See, if he was offering to show me the vampire speed ahead of time and therefore not make me have to do all of that hiking, then maybe I could consider the trip. We'd be back much earlier as a result. Maybe have time for some more gaming. Maybe I can introduce him to some forums even.

But there is a drastic difference between being alone with Edward Cullen in a field that is miles away from civilization and being alone with him at our own table in a crowded cafeteria, or alone with him in my bedroom with Charlie downstairs and an entire street of nosy neighbors aware that he is inside the house with us.

Edward, if we use animal terminology, is what we call a predator. Literal top of the food chain kind of predator. Making this harder on him is not good for either of us in my opinion. But making it easier on me is definitely the best option, sorry not sorry.

I'd like to come out of this alive and in one piece.

"We'll need to get Charlie's permission before we go anywhere," I told him. One of those situations where I don't want to go, but also do kinda wanna go, and the parental response is what decides how I feel in the end. I used to love making my mom make the decisions for me, so I didn't have to.

It used to stress me out so much. I was never good at making decisions for myself back then, too worried about offending people if they thought I was the one deciding where I went. Usually, it would take pissing me off to an extreme degree for me to blatantly make it obvious that I personally wanted nothing to do with someone or something.

I have no idea how Charlie will react to this upcoming conversation.

I didn't want to do it. Mostly because beating around the bush on things like this would stress me the hell out. I'm playing like Five-Player 3D Chess and am the only one at a disadvantage in this situation. Being on your toes around vampires was a smart thing.

"So, Edward wants to take me on a hike out in nature."

Charlie stopped everything he was doing just so he could slowly turn around all dramatic and give me a look. "You're telling me that you are going to go out on a nature hike in the middle of Washington, a day or so after it rains. And you're just going to tolerate that for the sake of a boy's feelings?" He sounded as baffled as I had expected him to.

"On one hand I'm being very nice because I kind of really don't want to go, but at the same time he's been humoring me by coming over and playing video games and reading the material that I've given him, and then doing the homework I assigned him, so it is only fair that we do something that he would like to do and he promised that it would be worth it." Yeah, that's me, all about fairness and stuff.

No, but I'm really hoping that 'worth it' actually means like we're gonna stop for ice cream before we get back because that would be cool. I would totally be down for some ice cream. Order some pizza at a local shop or something. I'm not really that picky, but if I'm gonna be out in the wilderness for any amount of time, I think I deserve a little treat for my efforts.

Charlie shook his head, completely blindsided by this information. "You know, despite what you've said before, you seem to really like this boy a lot more than the other boys. Or girls," he added.

"Well, Edward is technically a crotchety old man and the inside, so him seeking out somebody a lot more mature than his fellow peers makes sense at least in my opinion."

I guess you could say I now have two different groups or maybe three if we're being technical. I've got Edward who is literally a century or almost a century older than me, and then there is Jessica, Lauren, and Angela who are- I guess the feminine representation in my life presently, and then there is Mike, Eric, and Tyler and sometimes Ben on the side, who are there for things that it's hard to get girls in the early 2000s to be so open about liking.

And save for Edward, everybody else is also part of the overarching umbrella friend group. So, they're like factions all part of a bigger picture.

I'm personally not interested in going on a date with anybody if we're talking like in terms of dating, but if anyone wants to approach me in a friendly manner and with only the intentions of a friend at heart and wanted to go to a movie or go on a walk or bowling or something like that, I wouldn't mind. Yes, I would even bother to go out and deal with nature and its natural form if it was just a friendly thing.

"So long as you keep your phone on, and you are back before 5:00 PM then do whatever you want," Charlie decided, spearing some penne with his fork. "I got you a new can of pepper spray, it's in my coat pocket. And I'll fill the ice cube trays tonight so you can bring cold water with you."

The best character in Twilight, y'all. It always did bother me that Bella didn't bring anything to keep herself hydrated in the story. Nothing to even snack on either.

Guess I'm going on a hike. And it'll be right after a rain shower, so I'll probably need a coat too.

"So are you actually going to do the Speedy Gonzales thing and zip our way up the mountain, because I don't think I wore the right shoes for this." Though to be honest, I don't have many shoes to begin with. Chucks were the best option I had but not the best choice overall.

Edward looked entirely pleased with himself as he gave me a once-over. "If I asked you to, would you close your eyes and hold on tight?"

"I don't suffer from motion sickness."

"If that's what you like." He crouched down, not enough for his knees to have to touch the still damp ground, but enough for me to be able to climb onto his back.

Would this be a good time to say that I've never gotten a piggyback ride before? I'm suddenly a bit nervous if the truth must be told. Though I don't want to be princess carried anywhere either. That would be even more awkward in my opinion. Especially when I look like this.

Okay...

"I was gonna threaten to choke you if you tried to drop me even as a joke, but I realize that it won't have an effect so the best I can hope for is you being serious about this and getting it over with ASAP."

I then hopped onto his back to make it less awkward for me specifically. It was like flopping onto a marble statue and I think I bruised my stomach in the process or some shit. There wasn't even a slight give under my weight and honestly, that was a bit freaky.

Perhaps, to a small degree, I can understand why he's so fucked up about his existence as a vampire. That is a little weird to think about.

Edward stood with ease and adjusted me like I was some kind of backpack, and everything was all dandy. "You're as light as a feather to me, so don't worry about being dropped."

Not something I was ever told before.

"If you've got questions afterward... I'll do my best to answer them," he promised.

And then we were going.

I'm not exactly sure how I can describe being stationary and then moving as fast as a car only a second later, but boy did my stomach almost revolt once my brain grasped what was happening. And the thing is, Edward's running isn't uneven. He literally loped through the forest at an even pace, and I wasn't jostled even slightly, but everything was passing by me almost too fast for me to appreciate the scenery. His grip remained firm and not a sound came out of his mouth. Not even his steps on the forest floor made enough noise to register.

So maybe being a vampire would be pretty cool if moving this fast all the time was a thing.

"Can you maintain the same speed underwater?" I asked with my face pressed into the back of his shirt so I could avoid the wind getting in my eyes.

He laughed delightedly. "Relatively. The added pressure does slow me down a little."

"How much is 'a little'?"

"About ten miles per hour give or take a mile per hour."

Jesus.

Vampires probably do the butterfly hella quick. I'd pay to see that and record it with a modern camera from the 2020s so I can slow it down and cackle over it.

"What are you snickering about?" Edward asked.

"Butterflies!" I gasped, until the snickers stopped coming out.

If I'm still laughing by the time we arrive, then there is no hope for me.

Our arrival took only about ten minutes from our departures into the foliage. Edward set me down gently and placed a single hand on my mid-back to keep me steady. I hadn't realized how moving that way would make me slightly dizzy but damn do I kinda feel weightless and also heavy as hell.

"Is there a scientific reason for why I can move that fast in a car and not be lightheaded, but that superhuman run is having this kind of effect on me?" I asked, hand on my head in an attempt to stop the weird weighty feeling. My hands were clammy.

He smiled, as if charmed by my question. "I'd say your body just acclimates to motion differently. So perhaps you can ride in a fast car or on an unsteady boat without a problem, but your brain simply cannot reconcile this method of travel as it is technically humanly impossible. So, this would be more along the lines of spacial motion sickness because your vestibular system could see the speed but not feel it."

Right. I was expecting something a bit more complex, but I guess that works too.

"It's a little further up ahead," Edward said. "I didn't want to spoil the whole surprise, so I hope a minute or two of walking is okay."

I sighed. "Yeah. I'll deal with it."

To prepare myself, I took a long swig of water from the bottle clipped to my belt loop. Charlie had set it out for me the moment I came down at eight and it was huge! Also freezing cold!

The remainder of the journey really wasn't a problem for me, but the squishing of the damp earth beneath my feet did not bode well for my shoes.

And it turns out my concerns weren't unfounded!

I was concerned because a minor worry I'd had before we'd even set out on this adventure was what was going to happen to my Chucks? Like, if you want to go outside and do sporty stuff or you wanna go hiking on a trail or traipsing through the stupid forest for three hours or something like that, you don't wear Chucks. They aren't exactly a shoe that's really meant to give support, at least in my opinion. They're meant to look cool.

Personally, I like to think that people wore them for the aesthetic because they looked awesome and that was certainly worth it in my opinion. However, there was also the concern about potentially staining them or scuffing them and I had the right to be concerned.

"I'm going to have to go and buy some Wite-Out after this."

Edward glanced back at me, a look of confusion on his face, "Why would you need that?"

"Unfortunately for me, no matter what product I would use, and no matter how much elbow grease I would put into it, no amount of effort is going to remove these brown streaks from my shoes, so I'm going to buy some Wite-Out and then I'm going to paint over the streaks."

Though it's not as if I'm not going to try and clean them first you know. If it's possible to save money I will totally do what I can to make sure that these damn shoes are squeaky clean, but I'm also being realistic when I say that certain scuff marks just really don't come out and it's better to just use Wite-Out nail polish depending on the situation.

"I'm going to be honest I haven't had to think about my shoe being scuffed in a very long time, so I won't be able to help you," Edward confessed awkwardly. With his natural and completely unfair vampire grace, obviously he never had to worry about things like tripping, falling, or staining his clothes. You know, the usual things that people deal with day to day.

"Wite-Out can be used for a lot of things, my guy."

Though to be honest I would totally prefer to use the kind that was popular in the 2020s because it was so much better by then.

"Would a Magic Eraser work?" Edward asked.

Mr. Clean?! The Magic Eraser was out before 2005?

"Maybe it would," I relented, already making plans to spend more money.

And... because of who I am as a person, Edward just had to start me on this shit by reminding me of a catchy jingle.

"Mr. Clean gets rid of dirt and grime and grease in just a minute! Mr. Clean will clean your whole house and everything that's in it! Floors, doors, walls, halls, white sidewall tires and old golf balls. Sinks, stoves, bathtubs he'll do. He'll even help clean laundry, too! Mr. Clean gets rid of dirt and grime and grease in just a minute! Mr. Clean will clean your whole house and everything that's in it!"

Edward had even started humming along because of course his old ass would know the song.

We managed to finish the song the moment we reached the clearing, and Edward had the brightest smile I've ever seen from him, on his face.

Okay, so the field of flowers was actually nice, I just wish I had a good camera on hand so I can take some pictures. It'd be nice to get some good angles.

Edward went and plopped down amid the cluster of purple flowers and patted the space beside him. You know, for a dude who is struggling to not turn me into his next Happy Meal, he sure seems pretty chill about all of this.

"I was hoping we could talk while we're alone."

And that's why he wanted this so badly. Right.

It was that time.

"So, we are out here in the middle of nowhere, Charlie knows that we went out together, Jessica knows that we went out together, your entire family knows where we are in general terms, and I have no doubt that Jessica spread the word so everyone in school probably also knows we're spending today together. Whatever internal struggles you are going through when it comes to being near me should also keep you aware of the fact that despite being alone and our location being secret, the mere fact that we are together will cast suspicion on you and your family if anything happens to me."

I mean, he already knows that I'm suspicious of his humanity and the fact that he's not good at pretending to be normal, like not at all. By now his entire family has no doubt come to the conclusion that I am aware that they are either not human or not normal humans. And with the two of us being alone it is much easier to address the situation without having to worry about being eavesdropped on by the local teenage population or his actual family members.

I mean, I've already made mention of the fact that his ass does not breathe. I told him that right to his face because unfortunately it is very obvious that he struggles to keep himself in check around me. You know, 'cause Bella is supposedly advertising her edibleness or some shit.

Edward seemed like I had just completely ruined whatever idea or plan he had in mind. "Is it really that obvious?" he asked, brows furrowed.

If we really are being honest here, then fine, I can be brutal with it. "I told you many times that you are absolutely terrible at pretending to be normal, and that's not just me like joking or making fun of you. I know for a fact that you don't breathe, and I also know for a fact that you like to pretend to breathe so that people don't notice how very much not normal you are. I also know that the moment you come anywhere near me, you go back to not breathing and I've come to the conclusion that breathing around me is probably not a good idea for you."

He looked completely baffled by my explanation.

"Remember when I approached your brother because I felt that he was the most threatening person in your entire family?"

He nodded.

"There is a legitimate reason... your brother looks like he is constantly on the verge of beating the shit out of somebody. Some days it looks even worse than others, and when he gets especially bad, his body locks up and he stops breathing. He looks either like he's going to jump someone and beat the tar out of them, or that he's going to faint. You have very rare moments where you resemble him in that manner, and it is always when you are near me for too long."

And this isn't even me just using my knowledge of the Twilight Universe in order to get ahead in the story, I mean this literally. I have been obsessively watching him and the entire Cullen Coven because, you know, I really don't have much better to do. Like, I am being forced to relive high school in a body that isn't even mine, okay. I should be allowed some odd behaviors of my own now and then.

You would be surprised at the kind of things you notice when you literally have nothing better to do with your life- or rather your borrowed life. So just as they were obsessively watching me because God forbid the situation be normal in any way, I was obsessively watching them in return because I have nothing better to do.

"The fact that you notice so much unnerves me," he told me through gritted teeth. As if he was finally struggling now after we'd alone for like an hour by now.

"My observation skills tend to unnerve a lot of folks, you're not special. Anyway, based on everything I have just said, it is very obvious that being alone in the same vicinity with me is a problem for you, so that's why I made sure everybody knows where the hell we are."

See, this was the section in Midnight Sun where Edward was going through his little internal struggle thing based upon what Alice said. Something about a Knot and everything being tangled, but then there was like that slim chance that he makes it through and then everything is nothing but smooth sailing or whatever afterward.

I'm going to be honest; it's actually been a while since I bothered to read that book, but that was the general gist of it. And since things have played out differently now versus how they actually did in the book, I'm pretty sure it is safe to say that Edward's opinions and feelings and even the opinions and feelings of his family, are a lot different this time around.

Like yeah, he's still going through that, 'Woe is me! I'm a monster. I'm craving the blood of this girl!' thing or whatever, but there are now layers and levels to the situation. Also, with my incessant need to fucking ram Naruto's relatable troubles over his head, I think that this could possibly be considered a form of therapy that he's been going through. And therapy, whether good or bad, tends to have results.

So, I guess you could say that we have reached another Key Plot Point in the story and that this is just one of those moments that we're just going to have to go through in order to progress anywhere. Like how I could not escape the night in Port Angeles. It's just something that's gotta happen. As a result, I played my cards a specific way. I set boundaries, limitations, and expectations, and hoped for the best.

As in, I hoped that I had left enough of an impression that perhaps he was not going through his internal struggles quite as strongly as he had in canon. Also, unlike Bella, I'm not thinking about jumping his ass every two seconds. I haven't fantasized about putting my mouth anywhere on him, thank you very much, as a result, I haven't gotten too adventurous with his personal space.

You know, sometimes I consider what it would be like to be able to hear the thoughts of everyone around you or at the very least be able to choose when you hear someone's thoughts, because I really want to know what the hell's going on inside his head. Like if he is panicking, or if he's just confused, or if he's sending a mental email or something like that to Alice from several miles away. Just because they can't mentally talk to each other doesn't mean they can't communicate without phones.

All Eddie Boy has to do is think of something he's going to do and then Alice will get a Vision of it, and then she will think at him from however far away she's at, and then he will pick it up. Honestly, reading my minds sounds like a pain in the ass. I take it back. I don't want it.

"I know that I've said in the past that I find your thought process to be quite fascinating and that I always want to hear anything you have to say or think, but at the same time, hearing what's really going on inside your head bothers me."

Welcome to the club dude, you're not special.

To distract himself I suppose, he decided to pluck an entire handful of grass right out of the ground and proceed to attempt to braid the blades together. This was not typical Edward Cullen behavior as far as I'm aware.

"I found myself not so inclined to acknowledge the fact that you are aware of the fact that I am not human. However, tiptoeing around the revelation seems rather pointless by now because you keep basically saying it without actually saying it."

That got a snort from me.

"Dude, you know the most interesting part about this is the fact that all the information I've collected about you and your family actually fits several folklore descriptions of various mythical creatures, so honestly you could be anything," I told him. At least if we go by what I have personally witnessed with my own eyes and not all of the information that I have collected over the years of being slightly obsessed with this franchise.

"And you have certainly noticed very specific things."

"Yeah. The super speed, super strength, apparently absolutely perfect hearing and vision, and, you know, the fact that you seem to know what to say and when to say it's at exactly the right moment, and how to get in and out of trouble at the right moment. The whole eyes turning black and then turning bright gold by the next day and the fact that you don't breathe, plus the fact that your skin is as cold as death and hard as stone. Yeah, it's a really confusing thing to know that nobody else has seemed to clock any of this, my guy."

"There's actually a rather simple explanation for this and it's the fact that you personally are not normal either," he said simply. "Just as it's very obvious that I and my family are not normal people, you also aren't normal. The average person actually finds us somewhat unnerving to look at. There is an unsettling quality in the abnormal perfection of our skin and the set of our muscles. They actually do not want to look at us for too long because there is something in the primal part of their natures that tells them that it isn't safe to.

"On your end, there seems to be something completely lacking from your internal structure because you'll watch us a lot, whether you know it or not. When you look at us, there isn't even a slight bit of repulsion. Your friends all think that Rosalie is beautiful, but they've all had thoughts now and then about how she looks like a psychopath, and they don't really want to be around her," he explained. "We don't elicit that kind of fearful reaction in you, and we typically should."

Edward sighed. "Now on my end, I can't personally verify your thoughts or your feelings overly much, but it is very clearly obvious that you don't try to look away when we look in your direction, and you don't try to avoid gaining our attention, and you especially don't have a physical reaction when any of us are near you. Even if we had none of these advanced senses, it would still be rather obvious that the other students at Forks High School are a bit repulsed by us."

...I just got called the fuck out for being a mini stalker.

But it was also an interesting thing to suggest. This is Bella's body, so did that mean that perhaps she was born with little to no self-preservation? She believed that she was born to become a vampire. Perhaps this was also another point in favor of her theory.

"So, the biggest thing we're dealing with right now is the fact that you are not human, and the fact that I am human, and I am at least aware of the fact that you and your family are different, so this puts us in a weird predicament."

"Typically, this would be incredibly bad news for you because we're not supposed to tell humans about us, but if you don't actually know what we are, then we technically wouldn't be able to get into trouble."

That was in fact a very good point.

If I recall correctly, the reason they managed to circumvent the entire 'don't tell humans' thing with Charlie, was because Charlie was aware that something had changed and that she was very obviously not human anymore. He obviously noticed that Rhododendron(I could never spell it right) had grown much too quickly. But since Bella hadn't told him what had happened, she simply said that there were things he did not need to know the details on and got him to agree to not ask. Since he didn't know what was going on, the Volturi couldn't do anything about it.

So much so that it didn't even come up during the whole confrontation situation. Aro hadn't even tried to use that as an angle as far as I recall.

In a way, I could possibly coast through all of this without ever having to hear the word vampire come out of any of their mouths, and that is kind of hilarious. Hell, I'm sure that Bella could have avoided a lot of trouble if she didn't push to know so many details about everything. Like, she also would have avoided a lot of personal danger as well.

Personally, I was deliberately going against what she did in canon because I'm not obsessed with Edward in the same way. She wanted his attention alone and wanted to monopolize his time as much as possible, so she was fine with not telling people they were spending time together. She didn't want anyone to interfere in their private business, but in my opinion, the more people that know about our plans for the day, the more incentive he will have to resist whatever urges he has to drain Bella's body dry.

Edward himself even agonizes over this very fact in Midnight Sun, so I'm not crazy.

"You and your family's business are none of my business. I can go the rest of my life not hearing the details of your potential mutant genetics or whatever, and I'd be just fine. Now, if there is an absolute need for me to know something, I'd appreciate it if you warned me first so I can choose whether I want to hear it or not."

This gives us both some wiggle room.

He smiled again. "That sounds nice... Um... my family wants to meet you."

Of course, they did.

SIDE B

I've been sitting in the forest on the edge of Chief Swan's property for five hours just listening to Bella go about her day and I wait for the time in which I'm allowed to arrive.

Alice had helped me plan to arrive just as she was leaving the bathroom after her morning ritual, so I wasn't being too creepy by listening to her go about her business. Cleaning the kitchen, baking some bread, and making homemade lasagna. She'd eventually moved onto finishing up her homework and spent forty minutes hating on Trigonometry very intensely.

Several times had Bella broken into song either because she had her CD player on, or because something came to mind and she had to pause the current song to get whatever was in her head, out safely.

So, once again, Bella is singing to herself, but it's a song I'm not familiar with. Again. Though no words have come out of her mouth yet, she's been humming the same tune for the past nine minutes and it is totally unfamiliar to me.

I hate how she can just have information that I can't even find the origins of!

Suddenly, Bella began to sing the very song she'd been withholding from me.

"Oh, well imagine. As I'm pacing the pews in a church corridor, and I can't help but to hear, no, I can't help but to hear an exchanging of words! 'What a beautiful wedding! What a beautiful wedding,' says a bridesmaid to a waiter. 'But what a shame. What a shame the poor groom's bride is a WHORE!'"

Bella then burst out into loud guffaws which were accompanied by the sound of her slapping her own knee four times in rapid succession.

I guarantee that if I go home and look up those lyrics, nothing is going to pop up.

I wish I could just ask her about it, but she likes to dodge things like this. It was just one of the many mysteries surrounding her and to be honest, all theories I've entertained, don't make sense because despite all her oddities, she is still painfully human.

Carlisle had suggested that perhaps she had a dormant supernatural talent based on the fact that I cannot hear her thoughts in any way and therefore cannot glean the same kind of information from her mind that I would get from others. With how long vampires had been around, we still don't know too much about how our kind functions and how it's even possible for us to exist.

Perhaps it was a natural defense mechanism because of how she was as a person.

We literally cannot know.

What I do know personally, versus what I know technically, is very different.

Bella Swan on paper, sounds like someone who could not walk across a flat, stable surface without endangering her life. She'd been rushed to the hospital so many times in just the first decade of her life and she hated it. Her list of injuries was massive and spanned multiple pages of notes. She was withdrawn and quiet and tended to avoid attention if at all possible.

However, Bella Swan as I know her, was almost manic is a sense, but strangely confident and smooth. She didn't trip up on anything when she walked, she didn't seem like attention bothered her, and she was very outspoken about her opinions and beliefs and didn't think she should hold back on sharing them.

If I was told that these descriptions were of two different women, I would believe it easily.

But how does that make sense? How does someone undergo and entire personality change after moving across the country because of her mother's new marriage?

Even with the thoughts of Bella seeing the future like Alice, or even being from the future, I doubt a Bella Swan of the future would be all too different when she was on the cusp of adulthood already. She didn't give off signs of overt trauma presently and seemed to be doing well mentally. Or she could be good at hiding it.

Still, this loud and boisterous personality would probably not be a result of terrible trauma.

Guessing when you have no answers is difficult.

Bella had seen films that didn't even get released yet and sang songs that I couldn't find on the internet even with advanced search options on hand thanks to generational wealth and benefits. She acted differently than she was expected to. She was supposedly a victim of a terrible pandemic and had a very acute fear of germs and things she considered to be dirty or infectious.

Yet Bella Swan had never been admitted to a hospital over sickness...

Curious.

Bella seemed to live to be an enigma.

Do you know any German?

Nah. I've never even taken a class for it. Never thought about it either.

How about Italian? It's a quite beautiful language and the operas are lovely.

Nope. Though, being a romance language, it can't be much different from French and Spanish, right?

I suppose? I think it's pretty different still.

How many languages do you know anyway?

I can speak eleven fluently, and sign fluently in four.

Dang. A lot of people don't put in that much effort at your age.

And yet I still have more to learn. There are so many languages in the world.

So long as you don't give up then that's all that matters.

Do you plan to learn more languages?

I'm working on Mandarin and Cantonese.

That sounds incredibly difficult.

Meh. The tones are what's killing me more than anything else. I keep confusing them.

Unfortunately, I cannot offer any assistance in this area.

That's fine. It's the thought that counts. I'll get to it, it just takes time.

Do you also know Chinese songs?

Maybe... :P

"Mr. Cullen, Ms. Swan, eyes to the front and pay attention, please!" Mr. Banner called out, breaking us away from out note passing. He proceeded to take the page we were using to write notes on and read the entire exchange out loud, getting progressively more shocked the further down he went. These kids are insane.

Our fellows were also surprised.

"Of all the things students have passed notes about over my time as a teacher... never has anything been like this." He then looked down, noticing how both of us still managed to copy down what he'd been writing on the boards at the same time.

He sighed. "Please just pay more attention in the future." He then walked away, thinking about how, 'AP students are so hard to teach' and shaking his head the whole way.

Usually, it'd be embarrassing to be called out in the middle of class, but everyone was gaping rather than laughing, so I'm pretty sure this wasn't normal for any of us.

Bella looked far too pleased to be in trouble with a teacher.

I wonder if she's ever been a rulebreaker in school before.

Bella looked especially excited to be sharing the lunch period with me, and I tried really hard not to feel smug about it because Jasper had taken to teasing me as of late and I know that he's paying close attention our interactions. Something about trying to understand Bella and myself when together and apart and how she's influenced my behavior ever since I met her.

He liked things like that. Human behavior was an interest for obvious reasons, and he didn't often like to get my input, preferring to come to conclusions by himself and rarely even needing my help at all.

I followed Bella along the line of students getting their lunches. On her hands was a pair of latex gloves. From what I'm aware, Mike Newton has a cold and Bella had been extra careful to not touch him or anything near him when she spoke to him earlier.

There was a small bottle of hand sanitizer in her pocket, and she'd already used it twice this morning.

Bella chose pizza for the day and looked pleased with its appearance. It all still looked disgusting in my opinion.

Once we were at our designated table, she waved for me to pick up where I left off during our last lunch conversation.

I'd been ruminating since then, and even placed an order for my own copies of the Naruto volumes because I would like to own the physical medium the story comes in.

My notebook was full of Post-Its and stickers. I channeled Esme's love of scrapbooking to make it look unique at least.

"Okay, I'm so excited that we finally have more time to address your journey through the Naruto Universe. I'm looking forward to hearing about your next collection of theories and assumptions, and then working through them together," Bella said as she struggled to open her milk. I considered offering to help, but she'd already ruined both sides of the carton before the thought actually popped up.

She rolled her eyes and shrugged.

I flipped the notebook open to the page marked with a blue Post-It note. On the note were a few small sketches I'd done, replicating the appearances of Naruto and the Yondaime Hokage based on the shape of his face on the monument. In the few volumes released in English, the creator had already given the audience many angles of his face to work with, so I just compiled them into a proper frontal appearance.

"I know this is going to sound insane and I don't really have any concrete proof of this because the entire volume is black and white, so I'm not sure about the coloring of every character," Only the front and back covers gave us some inclination as to what people looked like specifically, "but I just have this incredibly powerful feeling that Naruto is the son of the Yondaime Hokage."

To be honest, I tried approaching the subject objectively.

From what little information was given to the readers, twelve years ago, on the very day of Naruto's birth, and large monster fox with nine tails, attacked the village(Kyuubi no Youko). It was so powerful that a single swing from only one of its tails was considered capable of crushing a mountain. It has caused massive destruction and death in mere moments since its arrival, leaving many devastated by its actions.

The Yondaime Hokage arrived, capable of doing what his regular ninja couldn't do. Despite there being at least a dozen ninja trying to fend it off, they didn't have a hope in hell of defeating the monster let alone saving everyone in danger at the same time. So, the Yondaime confronted the creature in battle and just so happened to have access to a newborn that he could use in an elaborate ritual to seal the monster away and put an end to the creature's rampage.

And he had time to set everything up too.

Based on the words of the Sandaime Hokage, his successor had known the consequences of his actions. He'd fully expected the people of Konoha to view the boy as a hero who saved them from the danger. It also suggested that he was there when the ritual had taken place if he was able to impart the man's final words onto others. The Sandaime had an abnormal interest in Naruto despite their lack of relation.

Up until the Wave Arc, there had been no suggestion of Naruto being able to use the Kyuubi's power, so up until that moment when he thinks Sasuke took a fatal hit for him at the risk of losing his life and future goals, I had severely wondered why the man would be so closely linked to Naruto. It's one thing to have someone tail the boy to make certain the monster can't escape and cause havoc and mayhem again, it's another to be on a first-name basis with the boy and walk into his house when he wasn't there.

However, if the Yondaime used his own son to save the village, then his predecessor having a vested interest in Naruto's upbringing and personality would make more sense. Naruto was even allowed to break convention and the rules of respect and refer to him far too familiarly based on what I've learned about the Japanese language so far. He was given considerable allowances for a supposedly random orphan child the Yondaime just plucked out of nowhere to use as a sacrifice for the village's Greater Good.

It all makes sense in my head.

Everyone seemed to think the man was a genius and a great person and such a person would see the best option, in the middle of an emergency, would be to minimize the danger to his people. He lost his life in the process, and knew that he would die as well, so entrusting his newborn son with the task of keeping that fox sealed up made sense. How could he put another family through such a thing? It was bad enough that his family had to go through it.

And there was no mention of Naruto's mother, which implied that she did not make it that night either. So literally, there would be no one left to suffer the consequences save for Naruto himself.

Yet the people hated him because they truly believed her was the fox incarnate or something. Ridiculous.

How that news ended up being spread still concerns me by the way. The Sandaime was obviously involved to an extent, but if it was just home explaining what happened, then I have no doubt people would understand. The fact that they assumed the worst implies that someone spread misinformation about that night and that rubs me the wrong way.

Bella looked to be thrilled by my conclusions. Her eyes were practically sparkling with how excited she was. "I can't begin to tell you how funny this is. This is literally one of the greatest things I have ever heard in my entire life."

She bit into her pizza and wiggled in her seat, like I'd done something especially pleasing.

I tried not to let that get to my head, but it was nice to be appreciated for my line of thinking. "Judging by your mad grin, I can see that you are very happy to hear about this, and I can only assume that you have the same exact theory as I do?"

Her chair creaked with how much she was practically bouncing in it.

"Did I do something right?"

I'm not even sure if I care whether I'm right or not, but if she's this excited about my theory then it must mean that she agrees with me.

Bella gave a low snort. "I mean, if we ignore the fact that I had access to the raw scans of many of the volumes ahead of time, my theories make sense. That one was one of my very first theories and I am so happy that I'm not the only person who had this thought!"

Also, it was a rather commons trope for the orphan hero of the tale, that grew up alone and had to fight their way to the top, to actually be revealed to be the child of the royalty or powerful villain. Luke Skywalker is the perfect example of this. Oedipus could be considered another. King Arthur and Sleeping Beauty as well.

My assumptions aren't unfounded in this case.

However, since this has obviously gotten her approval, I'm interested in seeing her reaction to the next one. "Then I think you're going to find my next theory to be very interesting." This one is based less around common sense and knowledge of tropes in popular media, and more about a feeling. "And I have even less available content to use to prove it so…" Don't hate me, I guess.

"My next theory is that Sakura actually has a crush on Naruto and she's trying to hide it by overly hyping Sasuke up when he doesn't deserve that much praise."

It was a uniquely amusing experience to watch as Bella tried her hardest to control her expression. Her entire body locked up instantly and the strain of holding back whatever full reaction she initially had, made her face go bright red from the effort.

It's pretty easy to tell that my theory is probably wrong based on that alone, but I do want to know her thoughts. She said something about Japan being around twenty volumes ahead in terms of content, so she definitely knows how the story continues far beyond what I've read so far. I'm just curious to hear her opinion on my opinion based solely on what I know thus far.

She took a long drink of her chocolate milk and then a few bites of pizza as she worked to control herself. Her eyes were wide and even looked a bit damp from the effort to not laugh.

Perhaps I'm just biased, but it's nice seeing Bella be so open about her emotions. Sometimes she's so reserved and self-conscious about being perceived that I wonder if she's okay.

Finally, after making me waited for her to calm down, she asked, "What about her behavior towards Naruto would make you think that she has a crush on him?" Oh, that isn't a good reaction.

"Like, I'm not trying to shoot down your theory no matter how laughable it is," obviously that is what she's planning to do, "but I'm just wondering if this is some kind of straight thing where you're looking at it through a heterosexual lens because that behavior isn't exactly romantic at all and them being a boy and a girl aren't really strong enough reasons in my opinion."

Hm... That's not something I've ever considered before if I'm being honest. It's just how things are often set up in fiction. Though usually it's the boy bullying the girl because he has a crush on her and not the other way around.

Bella had a point though. Bullying someone being used as an excuse to claim you fancy them did not sound okay. Never have I truly sat down to think about it before, but I am curious as to why this is such a popular lesson taught to young children everywhere.

In a simple statement, Bella managed to make me doubt my own theory.

But it's still just a theory and she wanted to know my thought process.

"It just feels to me that she is being dramatic all the time because the very things that she will praise Sasuke for doing, she will then have a problem with Naruto doing the same thing. So, either she's just a hypocrite, or she actually doesn't have a problem with these behaviors." Naruto didn't show respect to their sensei, and she was offended, but when Sasuke doesn't respect him it's 'cool'?

"And not to be mean, but Sasuke isn't exactly an approachable person, whereas Naruto is very positive for the most part and tries to be happy and get along with others. Perhaps I'm just biased in that I prefer Naruto as a character over Sasuke." Entirely possible. I understand that it is early on in the series and there is going to be a lot of time for character growth, but at present he's annoying and not very interesting.

The current lore surrounding Naruto is something I'm interested in learning about. Hell, I'm more interested in what Kakashi's face looks like. As for Sasuke's baggage and trauma, I'm not all too invested in it right now.

I'm not saying that can't change in the future, but for now it's just there. How his presence affects Naruto is more important in my opinion.

Bella gave a shrug as she continued to finish off her pizza. She didn't seem to have anything more to say on the topic of Sakura.

I decided to move on to the next topic a few pages over in the notebook. The Post-Its stuck to the one page were yellow and had a few rough sketches of everyone Naruto graduated with, plus what we currently knew about them.

"My next theory actually has to do with Sasuke a little bit too. In fact, I think it has to do with everyone that Naruto graduated with, and that is my belief that everyone has some kind of crush or obsession with him to some extent." It's obvious that Hinata does, but just by how he interacts with everyone else... it feels right to assume.

"I'm not sure if this is because he's the main character and therefore everybody else's stories have to circle around him to some extent, but it just feels like there is something there from every person that he graduated with."

The rest just are as obvious about it as Hinata seems to be.

"So, who do you ship Naruto with, Eddie Boy?" Bella asked, looking like the cat that got the cream.

Alice was doing her best to not laugh. Tell her about how you agonized over this for six hours, fourteen minutes, and seven seconds last night! I'm sure she'll appreciate just how seriously you took it!

Jasper was smirking but thankfully, his thoughts remained relatively empty.

I sighed so quietly that there was no possible way for Bella to hear it. "Shikamaru and Naruto" as it actually made the most sense to me right now based on Shikamaru's attitude toward Naruto, "and then Sakura and Rock Lee."

The idea of the underdog that everyone underestimates is nice on the surface. You want them to succeed and get what they want as they work from the ground up. Rock Lee was an example of the underdog trope that didn't reek of abuse and trauma caused by the adults in his life.

And while I'm not all that interested in Sakura, it would be cute if he managed to win her over at some point. If she values strength so much, then someone with such potential should eventually earn her interest. One would think that's how it would work anyway.

It would be cute if he gave her training tips so she could participate in her team's missions.

Bella nodded along, but her expression wasn't one I could glean any feeling from. More of a polite interest than anything, so she probably didn't have the same 'ships' as me.

"Now, do you mean Rule 63 or just as they are, or does it not matter to you so long as it's just the characters as we know them?"

I know what every single word in that sentence means individually, but when put together like that I'm at a complete loss. "I don't know what that means."

Rule 63? What were the other sixty-two rules? And were there even more rules?

"Gender-Bending," Bella clarified.

Oh.

"Rule 63 is to take the gender of a character which has been strictly noted in the canon universe and change it."

That made a lot of sense. Exploring a fictional story from a different perspective based on gender roles does sound like something Bella would be interested in. Like if someone wrote about Harry Potter being a girl. I have no doubt that some experiences in that overall plot would be very different if it was Harriet Potter, simply because of misogyny being so rampant in the world.

"So, Naruto can change himself into a girl in the canon universe and typically uses it for pranks, but that persona lets us know what he looks like as a girl. So, if you take his name Naruto, and replace the last character with the feminine 'Ko', it becomes Naruko. The same can be done with a name like Sasuke, which would become Sasuko for the feminine form if gendered names really matter that much to people."

An entirely new entry for the notebook. The concept of gender-bending in fiction wasn't a new one, but never had I heard it described in that way. Rule 63 was an interesting name for it though.

Alice found the topic of our conversation to be fascinating. I want to look into Star Trek fanfiction with a genderbent Kirk! she decided. I want to know what people are writing for something like that!

I'd be curious to see such a thing for many popular pieces of fiction. Just the idea of how things would change based on the gender of the character changing. It shouldn't have to be such a dramatic process for things to drastically change just because the main character was a girl in this version of the story, but it was the uncomfortable reality of the world. Things would change, and most likely be worse in many ways as a result.

Still... would I prefer it if Naruto was still just Naruto? "I don't think it matters much in my opinion, so long as the writing would be decent." Perhaps she asked that because if I think that Shikamaru and Naruto would be a good couple, then using Rule 63 would turn one of them into a girl and therefore mean it was no longer a homosexual interpretation of the relationship.

And such a thing honestly didn't even occur to me until this very moment.

I honestly don't think I'd care if both were men, or women, both or neither. I don't really know how to explain it but if the gender of a character mattered that much to someone, that they might be violently angry over it, then that was an entirely different debate and would no doubt require some lessons in tolerance.

Bella, who had just finished off her pizza and her chocolate milk, leaned back to shove her tray aside. She looked to be the most invested now that the conversation had come to this.

"It should also be noted that a lot of merchandise of Sasuke and Naruto are sold as sets. Even figurines where their pieces connect and shouldn't be separated if you don't want to ruin the effect. Figurines where Naruto is in his girl form specifically and where Sasuke is just as he is normally."

"So, Rule 63 is where you take the confirmed gender of a character, and change it for fandom purposes?" I asked for clarification while making some notes. Does it only count in fandom spaces then? If The Doctor eventually was played by a woman, would that be considered Rule 63 despite how Time Lords could take on any shape after regeneration?

"Yeah. If you go on FFN and check the fanfics in the Naruto section, Naruto and Naruko are the same character tag, but one is male and the other is female. So, if you're looking for ships to read about, just know that selecting Naruko ensures it's the girl version and Naruto ensures it's the boy version. And if you're interested in broader explorations of gender identity in fanfiction, there are many better sites to explore with fewer rules to prevent people from writing what they want."

Alice had already pulled up many websites she wanted to explore so I don't have to worry about not knowing where to start.

"Do you write fanfiction?" I asked, curious. I know she likes fiction and is in the middle of writing some herself. Did she have time for such things on the side?

"In my head. Like, I'm writing a few books right now and I want to get all of that information out as soon as possible. Once I do that, I will get around to spending my free time writing fanfic."

I can help with that!

"If you want help in getting your works published, we have many connections we could put you into contact with." We have so many connections after Carlisle building so many relationships over the years that it would be easy to get anything Bella worked on, published no matter the subject's content.

Bella stared me down for a solid minute, a war going on inside her head.

Would she appreciate such an offer? Maybe she might be offended?

I was just trying to help.

"I wouldn't mind a bit of help… when I'm finished. We can come back to that bit later." Not angry then. That's good. And I'm certain that with enough time, we can get her to just accept it.

And maybe she'll let me read what she wrote.

"Okay," I said, returning my attention my notebook and the next page compete with Post-It sketches and mini theories. "So, my last relatively big theory has to do with Naruto himself."

Her eyes sparkled.

"And I have this incredibly strong feeling that despite my lack of interest in him, Sasuke is going to end up being very important in the long run. Him being willing to die for Naruto without ever getting to achieve the dream of vengeance that he had set for himself, and then Naruto's actual reaction to that sacrifice, tells me that he is very important to the main plot of this story."

How seriously that entire situation played out had been unexpected to me. It was actually one of the reasons why Sasuke joined the group in my theory about Naruto's fellow classmates having crushes on him to an extent. His body just naturally moving to protect Naruto not once but twice during the Wave Arc was very telling.

"Of course," Bella nodded, motioning for me to continue.

"So, my idea is that Naruto and Sasuke-

The bell rang.

The look of utter rage that overcame Bella's face made me want to laugh.

"This is bullshit!" she hissed. "We were just getting to the good stuff!"

"It simply means we'll have more days to ahead to sit for lunch together."

That seemed to be enough to calm her down, and I resolutely ignored Emmett's cackling from the other side of the cafeteria.

Perhaps I should revise some of my other theories before our next lunch discussion. Just to be sure they were interesting enough to talk about.

Bella was once again singing to herself, completely unaware that she was doing it. At least I think she's unaware because she's not trying to pronounce everything perfectly or sing very loudly. Once again, it is song that I am not familiar with, but one that she is very, very much into.

She was practically whisper-shouting the words in a very exaggerated tone. "When I was... a young boy... my father... took me into the city... to see a marching band... He said, 'Son when... you grow up... will you be... the savior of the broken... the beaten and the damned'?!"

And then she began to headbang vigorously, her hair flying everywhere and some of it even slapping me in the face with her scent.

"Sometimes I get the feeling... he's watching over me!" she continued to whisper-shout.

Unfortunately for me, she turned and saw that I was watching her, and she instantly fell silent. "Fuck," she grumbled. "Ignore that."

"What song was that?" I asked, curious and wishing she'd continue because when she thought she was alone, she unleashed her true self, and it was amusing.

"Maybe I'll tell you about it at some point in future."

I'll just look it up when I get home. However, I'm getting a feeling that I won't be able to find any sign of those lyrics existing anywhere.

Bella has a habit of singing songs I can't find... which is most interesting.

"Have you heard any of these songs before?" Bella asked as she made me customize my car of choice in Need for Speed: Underground.

"Despite what you may think, I am in fact aware of Hip Hop." I actually have many CDs in the file in my car. I don't often to listen to them, but I like owning the physical version a piece of media comes in so why not just buy them to keep?

She snorted. "But if I ask you to quote the lyrics, would you even know them?"

I placed the controller down and turned to her so we could make direct eye contact. My mouth opened and in time with men on the track, I said in the most monotone voice I could manage, "To the windoooooow, to the waaalllllllll. 'Til the sweat drops down my balls. 'Til all these bitches crawllllll."

Bella instantly collapsed on the floor, cackling madly as she clutched her middle.

I hated every second of that. It wasn't one of the songs I liked overly much.

"D-huuuude, you need to quote a part of the song-" she inhaled deeply, "that isn't the most popular part!"

Damn it.

"Twerk something, baby. Work something, baby. Pop your pussy on the pole, do your thang, baby. Slide down that bitch a little bit, then stop. Get back on the floor, catch your balance, then drop. Now bring it back up, clap your ass like hands. I just wanna see your ass dirty dance. Yin Yang, we done it again! And put it on the map like "Hahn!"

Her laughter hadn't eased up even a little bit. She was laughing so hard that her face had turned completely red and her breathing was labored.

"I'm glad my suffering amuses you."

"It does!" she gasped, wiping away actual tears.

My phone buzzed and I reached behind me to grab it off of Bella's bed. It was probably Alice considering she loved texting the most out of everyone in our family.

And I ended up being right.

[Alice: I can't believe you did that!]
[Alice: She really got you out here saying 'pussy'!]
[Alice: Em is so proud of you!]

Of course, she just had to tell him.

I hate everyone.

"To make things fair, can you recite something unexpected, so I feel less put on the spot."

And then Bella became deeply serious, sitting up and eyes going wide. Her mouth opened, and she began to quote:

"This known, ye parents, nor her loss deplore,
She feels the iron hand of pain no more;
The dispensations of unerring grace,
Should turn your sorrows into grateful praise;
Let then no tears for her henceforward flow,
No more distress'd in our dark vale below,
Her morning sun, which rose divinely bright,
Was quickly mantled with the gloom of night;
But hear in heav'n's blest bow'rs your Nancy fair,
And learn to imitate her language there."

Phillis Wheatley... on the death of a five-year-old slave girl.

An interesting choice. And certainly unexpected.

Bella's face turned a bright pink immediately. "I'm sorry, that was the first thing that came to mind," she frowned. "I memorized a bunch of poems growing up. Tons that people typically felt were too 'uncomfortable' to teach in schools and learn about because of what they meant. So, I often gravitate toward those with darker meanings if ever I'm called to quote poetry, just to make people uncomfortable for getting me involved."

And to think, she quoted what was possibly the least depressing part of the poem too.

Bella has the most diverse interests of anyone I've ever met. Listens to Latin music, reads Japanese manga, quotes poetry from African American slaves, watches Spanish soap operas and telenovelas, and even randomly cycles through various languages all depending on which came to mind first. It's not exactly something one would expect from a young Caucasian woman I have to admit.

"Let's do away with the sad stuff and get back to the cars," Bella suggested, shifting herself back onto her pillow and still looking delightfully pink in the face. "Wanna see my car?"

"Sure." I am capable of understanding when it isn't good to pursue a conversation topic after all.

A few moments later... "Did you put spinning rims on your Dodge Neon?"

"Shut up!"

So I might me a little morose.

Or maybe not. I'm not sure enough to ask Jasper to give me an in-depth review on what I'm feeling so that I'll have to agonize over it for the next ten hours.

"Invite Bella out somewhere," Alice suggested the moment she stepped foot in my room and saw me laying supine in front of my music wall. "Staying indoors all the time can't be good for humans. There will be some sun after a light rain shower this weekend."

"To be fair, I already did that, and she refused."

"No, no, you asked her out on a date, and she refused. If you approach the situation from a friendly perspective, then she might be more open to spending time doing things you like to do."

"It's not like I mind reading her books and playing her games. I'm still getting to know her this way." And I get the privilege of seeing her in environments where she is at ease and is comfortable being herself. That's a lot better than going out to a movie theater and watching her avoid touching people because she's scared of germs and people not covering their mouths when they talk.

Alice flopped down beside me int he most graceful way a vampire could ever flop. "Maybe she wants to get to know you too. Look, you have two responses. Yes, and No. If you ask to show her your meadow, she'll either agree or not. If she doesn't, you hang out at her house, if she does, you spend the whole day hiking."

She even showed me a Vision of me asking Bella to 'hang out'.

So basically, it's going to happen anyway and what happens from there depends on what I do and think and what Bella does and thinks in response.

Okay, so say we go out to the meadow, then what?

Under the influence of my decision, Alice's Vision of Saturday exploded into a myriad of possibilities, all branching out from the meadow itself, resulting in various futures.

Some of them were incredibly terrible and only happened if I was at my absolute weakest.

And then some of them were incredibly favorable. and made me wonder how we got to those points.

Alice couldn't show me everything, because the knotwork at the center was too muddled. She could only show me the decisions leading up to us arriving there, and then the potential decisions that come afterward. That means anything could happen between Bella and I while there.

The sun would be shining as well, so Bella would see the results of that on my skin.

What baffles me is the few futures where, somehow, Bella and I end up... How?!

I skipped past those as quickly as I could because I don't want to invade Bella's personal space like that when she hasn't given me permission to. I'm pretty sure Rosalie would also count those as a good enough reason to castrate me anyway.

But still, it seems unlikely that either of us would end up... doing things like that. Not at this stage in our friendship. She was a human and I could crush her with my index finger. That wouldn't be safe at all!

Unless... there was a version of events where I end up turning her in the meadow and then...

I don't really like thinking about that.

"You two are so dramatic," Alice sighed as she stretched out. "At least the drama is entertaining."

"Glad to be of service," I grumbled.

"Yeah! Anyway, you should totally bring her around. Sunday would be a good day!"

"So, you think we're making it out of the meadow without issue?"

Alice bumped shoulders with me. "I have faith in you to make the right decision."

That was more than I did, but I appreciate that she's willing to even say it out loud. I know hearing people's thoughts allows me to know what they truly think, and I know she's been supportive in her own mind, but sometimes it's nice to hear it out loud as well.

I really try not to be weird around Bella but sometimes I get so excited that I can't help but want to rush. Human speed is not satisfactory in moments like these, so I always end up edging around the rules when I know nobody is watching, all because I want to get to Bella before class begins.

She was wearing that blue shirt again, and I found myself enjoying it very much.

Of course, there was a moment where I had to stifle the urge to offer to carry her bag. I did that once and she said no thanks and then told me to determine if the person is actually struggling with what they're carrying the next time the urge hits me.

My upbringing is what makes me want to do things like that all the time. And from what I recall back then, asking wasn't even necessary. It was sort of expected for men to just do all those gentlemanly things. One of the only memories I recall is being chastised for not taking a woman's groceries and carrying them for her.

"You look like You're gonna vibrate out of your skin fi you don't get whatever it is out. So lay it on me, Macduff."

I'm so glad she's not the kind of person who just tiptoes around things. It makes me feel less awkward.

"Would you like to hang out with me this weekend?"

I even used the words that Alice suggested. This is not a date and will not be viewed as one. Friends hang out all the time. Bella even calls our time playing video games and talking a form of 'hanging out'.

But what if she says no?

This is the most I've felt like a teenager since I was turned into a vampire.

And, as I was expecting, she didn't seem too interested in the idea.

"What would we end up doing together if it's not the normal playing video games or hanging out on my end?"

And here it was. How do I manage to convince her that this was something worth doing?

"Because I will tell you right now that I am not a big fan of nature or sunlight if I'm being honest, and I really don't find an interest in sports or outdoorsy activities. If we're not going swimming or maybe bowling, then it's going to be a struggle to even get me to give a damn."

Going swimming with Bella is an option... okay.

...Okay.

I'll think about that later. Much, much later.

"I suppose a hike would not be something you would be willing to partake in then?"

The way she nodded before actually answering was answer enough, honestly.

But then she said, "Hey, if you can do your little zippity doo dah magic running stuff, and make it happen instantly so I don't have to do all that walking, then sure. But if not, then the hiking idea is out of the question, and I'd rather suffer through something else."

...I wish that I could feel some kind of relief from breathing deeply, but instead all I get is a terrible burn in my throat and the scent of Bella all around me.

Being a literal predator with heightened senses is so annoying.

Still, Bella seemed to be open to the idea so long as she didn't have to put in all that physical effort!

At the same time, "I'm surprised that you really don't like the outdoors and sports considering how well you do during gym class."

Just saying, I've watched how she acts during gym, and she does really well. She and Mike Newton make a pretty good duo and people hate facing them in volleyball. Students in our year actually dread gym when volleyball is the sport of choice for the day.

Bella scoffed and adjusted her bag. "That is a class taken inside of a controlled environment, and I would even swear on the Bible that if we were doing it out in a field somewhere, I would be far less interested or willing to participate."

And I wanted to take her to a glorified field somewhere...

"You know, we're running on hardwood floors, not dirt. There's no chance of a stray pebble getting in the way or somehow tripping up because part of the trail is uneven in certain places. The temperature indoors is always even and pleasant, and there is a water fountain literally like twenty feet away at all times."

This is the first time I've ever heard Bella be concerned with the idea of falling or getting hurt. In fact, she'd panicked over sickness and germs more than anything else in the time I've known her.

Still, I have to convince her to come outside with me. "What if I can guarantee that I can get you to where I want to show you in only a few minutes, and then get you back just quickly when it's time to leave?"

Rosalie's annoyed thoughts practically bludgeoned me over the head. If you put our family in danger over a girl, I will stab you.

Oddly enough, Emmett also had thoughts, but they were completely different from his wife's. You should take Swan for a run across the lake by the house! It'll be hilarious to get her reaction!

Basically, vampires, and me in particular, can run fast enough to glide right across the surface of a large body of water. We sometimes have races and I only participate half the time because my victory is typically assured as I am naturally faster than the others.

Alice was sending me Visions of Bella attached to my back, with my hands on her thighs to keep her in place. She doesn't play fair.

"You know, sometimes I wonder how you manage to trick anyone into thinking that you're normal because you are really not normal, and you are very not good at pretending to be."

I wonder if she's knows what we are, Jasper thought to me. You should angst a little less about her because it's obvious that while she might not act the way other women tend to do when they see you, she obviously pays a lot of attention to everything you do.

He had a point. Bella really did watch us a lot. Specifically, me, as I'm the one always interacting with her.

If I was actually alive and my heart was beating, I'm certain I would have been able to feel it pounding in my chest.

Bella huffed. "We'll need to get Charlie's permission before we go anywhere."

Oh. Right. She was very adamant about Chief Swan being involved in her plans. Probably one of the few teenagers I've met who respect their parents' boundaries and are then trusted by said parent, to behave.

Alice already informed me that he agrees. Also, his note about the new can of pepper spray for her to use was adorable.

I just have to prepare myself.

So some last-minute hunting was in order.

Jasper ended up joining me because Alice warned him that Bella was probably coming over on Sunday and he wanted to be prepared.

"It's nice to see you so relaxed."

That got a scoff out of me. "I don't feel very relaxed."

He nodded, mind working through how he wanted to word his meaning. "In all the years I've known you, there has been an underlying anxiety and angst that has dogged your every step and action. And, though it is harsh to say, sometimes being around you was too much for me to handle."

"I know. I'm too much for me to handle on my own. That's why I tend to disappear a lot, so I can at least be alone when it gets bad."

As I have stated before, I know that me being around is actually very stressful for Jasper. If there was a way to not feel like this all the time, I'd take it immediately. Unfortunately, my best option is to put distance between all of us. I tend to influence everyone else to a degree as the first person to join Carlisle's Coven all that time ago and the one who had unfiltered access to the thoughts of everyone else. So, to keep our family's dynamic steady, it's often best for me to go away for a time.

That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt to know that me being gone calms everyone down a bit because they don't have to deal with my attitude and don't have to worry about privacy being overly invaded(even though no one actually holds that against me since I cannot shut it off). I try to ignore that most of the time though.

Jasper wasn't much bigger than me, but he was still older in both human and vampire ages, and also built a bit bigger. He and Emmett successfully made me feel small, which isn't usual considering I'm over six feet in height. Yet whenever he puts a hand on my head and uses his power to calm me down, I actually feel like a little brother.

You know, I bet crying would actually help me out in times like this.

Too bad we can't do that.

"These past couple of months have shown a departure from those feelings being a daily presence in your life," Jasper told me. "You are still harsh on yourself, and have momentary spikes of anxiety, but you've been so preoccupied with Bella Swan that you've started engaging with media you never would have considered before, and you're already learning a new language, which you haven't bothered to do in years. Your world is expanding all because of your efforts to get to know this young woman, and it's kept you busy and focused elsewhere. It's nice to know that you can act your age with someone and don't have to be so worried about their thoughts and actions being in conflict with each other."

And despite your talents, you aren't perfect at everything, and this experience has allowed you to hone your people skills. Not knowing her thoughts has been like a blessing of sorts for you. For the first time in a very long time, you have to maneuver your way through a conversation based solely on your feelings and intuition and it's a lot of work to communicate with others.

He had a good point.

"You're doing well, Edward. You don't have to be perfect at everything, you just have to try your best."

I was feeling especially emotional now.

He patted my head once again and smiled. "Now let's go prepare you for your day out tomorrow. I have full faith that things will work out just fine because you're stronger than you think."

...I have a great family.

I arrived at Bella's at exactly nine in the morning. It was still decently overcast from the small shower from the night before, so I didn't have to worry about sticking out so much so early on in the day. Also, their neighbors had already gotten used to me showing up by now.

The Cullen boy again.

If little Bella Swan marries into the Cullen family, she'd never have to worry about anything ever again.

Ah, the poor Chief. He just got her back and she's spending time with a boy.

The general consensus was amusement and everyone assuming that Bella and I are a couple. I tried not to focus on the marriage assumption too much.

When Bella opened the door, I couldn't help but laugh.

We'd both chosen dark denim jeans and a long-sleeved black shirt. Bella chose to forgo a coat though. As the rain was behind us for the day, there was no need for her to wear one.

"We're unoriginal as hell," was her greeting as she eyed me up and down. "Should I change shirts?"

"I think you should wear whatever is most comfortable to you," I told her. "Since it'll just be us anyway, it's not as if you have to impress anyone."

She considered my words for a moment before nodding. "Give me a moment. Charlie set aside some water for me to bring along."

It took less than thirty seconds for her to return, a half-gallon jug of water hanging from one hand and a wad of cash in the other. "He also left fifty bucks in case we go somewhere else." I could also see the bugle of the pepper spray in her left front pocket.

"Chief Swan isn't here?"

"Fishing," she clarified as she closed and double-checked that the door was locked. "He left pretty early but was excited because apparently, his second cousin was going along."

That would mean that he was at the reservation. That made sense.

"So, where are we going?" she asked once we were in the Volvo. "And can we stop for ice cream before we come back here?"

"What you'd like," I agreed as we pulled out of the driveway. "We're going North along the 101, and eventually we'll get to a point where the road branches off. At the end of one, we'll find a natura trail that we will not be taking."

"You got something against trails?"

"More like the trail goes in the opposite direction, but the start of the trail is a good marker for anyone who might get lost in the woods."

We drove for several minutes, Bella flicking through my collection of CDs and choosing The Writing's On The Wall by Destiny's Child. Track 11 specifically.

"I'm surprised you have this album," she remarked. "It doesn't seem to be in line with your interests."

"Music is music," I shrugged. "There are many genres I haven't considered before, either because I was unaware of them being options, or because I didn't have the urge to give them a chance, but they aren't exactly an unheard-of group in the states, so not hearing anything from them would be a crime against nature."

"I need to learn how to burn CDs and make a playlist," she murmured. "That way I don't have to keep swapping between albums just to get to the song I want."

"Or I can acquire an iPod Photo for you," I offered. "It's so much better if you don't want to listen to an entire album from start to finish."

She hummed, sending me an intense look in the process. "I'll pay you back."

"Not if it's an early birthday present."

"But what would I get you for your birthday then? An iPod isn't exactly cheap."

"Bella, I'm rich. I know it's something that pointedly annoys you now and then, but it just means I can afford anything thanks to Carlisle's very good handling with money and natural inclination toward making good business decisions."

"That's great and all, but I don't want a sugar daddy."

"Excuse me?!" I didn't think offering to buy her something would make her think of it as... something like that!

"Chill dude, you're fine. It's a joke."

Way to almost give a vampire a heart attack.

"Also, the concept of a sugar daddy doesn't always mean something sexually gratifying is given in return, remember that."

The remainder of the drive was spent with Bella swapping back and forth between CDs and me trying to maintain my calm while along in a small, enclosed space with her and her scent, and the words 'sexually gratifying' repeating in my head ad infinitum.

Bella took a long drink from her jug before she was finally ready to leave the car. "So... this is it." She stared off into the forest, no doubt wondering how far we would be heading.

I pointed to our intended direction, "It's that way."

"So are you actually going to do the Speedy Gonzales thing and zip our way up the mountain, because I don't think I wore the right shoes for this."

She was wearing her usual pair of Converse, but these were in white. Probably not the best color shoe for an outing in the forest. Good thing she wouldn't have to walk or run, huh? "If I asked you to, would you close your eyes and hold on tight?"

"I don't suffer from motion sickness," she said blandly.

"If that's what you like."

My offer to carry her the whole way was met with a very long stare down, in which Bella looked at my back like it was something she'd never seen before. Her foot tapped out an agitated rhythm, heel to toe, that oddly enough - and I wonder if she knows many types of codes - spelled out F-U-C-K-M-E in Morse.

Considering that this is Bella, I wouldn't be shocked.

Finally, she huffed and said, "I was gonna threaten to choke you if you tried to drop me even as a joke, but I realize that it won't have an affect so the best I can hope for is you being serious about this and getting it over with ASAP."

And then she jumped me.

Like, full-on attempted a chokehold and everything. She put enough power into the jump to lose her breath the moment he body connected with my own.

As expected, she weighed nothing to me, and it was easy to hold her up. Alice's Vision was already coming true, and we hadn't even reached the meadow yet.

"You're as light as a feather to me, so don't worry about being dropped." While in my care, I would never allow harm to come to Bella if I it was within my power to stop it.

Still, having her hands so close to my face made me a little nervous. The scent of her blood was right there, pumping smoothly in her veins. She was so very close. In fact, this was the closest we'd ever gotten. Not even sitting side by side in her room was this close.

Her body was like a furnace compared to my own. My temperature ran much lower than a human's would, but to me, it was regular. In perspective, it was like a human staying indoors for hours surrounded by only air conditioning, and then stepping outside to temperatures over a hundred degrees and rising.

The only difference is extreme hot or cold didn't hurt me or make me feel ill.

"If you've got questions afterward... I'll do my best to answer them," I told her as we took off.

Running was something I always liked about this form of existence. Speed was fun, and being the fastest was a bit of a vice of mine. Finding a car that could go as fast as me or even faster was especially challenging but totally worth it in my opinion. I'd spend any amount of money for that.

We were halfway to our destination by the time Bella finally removed her head from my back long enough to speak. "Can you maintain the same speed underwater?"

The idea of swimming so fast always made me laugh. "Relatively. The added pressure does slow me down a little."

"How much is 'a little'?" Nothing gets past her, huh?

"About ten miles per hour give or take a mile per hour." Maybe that was too generous of an estimation, but Emmett would prefer such numbers anyway, so he'd feel like he had a chance in a race of any sort.

Bella let out a low noise, not unlike the hiss of a soda can once opened.

"What are you snickering about?"

"Butterflies!" she managed to get out.

The way her mind works will forever be a mystery to me.

Bella's wide-eyed appreciation of the meadow pleased me on a deeply personal level. I'd never shared this place with anyone else because it was often where I liked to go just to be alone. Alice had Seen it before, but she'd never encroached upon this place because she knew it helped keep me sane.

So, my desire to share this place, and to see it actually be appreciated, felt good.

The sun was expected to come out some time around noon, so I had enough time to prepare myself for what that entailed.

To distract myself, I sat among the stalks of flowers, enjoying the colors and scents, and motioned for Bella to join me. If her shoes get stained beyond repair, I'll just buy her a new pair.

"I was hoping we could talk while we're alone," I murmured, picking a long flower and fiddling with the petals. They turned into a simple smear as I rubbed them between my thumb and index finger.

This was the moment. The one Alice couldn't even give me a slight hint at, because too much was influenced by this very moment. Anything could happen, and that both terrifies and excites me.

After a moment of looking around, Bella finally came and sat in front of me, so we could see each other clearly. In fact, she had removed her shoes and set them aside just to protect them from any further stains. Her water jug was also set aside, so that there was nothing to distract either of us.

"So, we are out here in the middle of nowhere, Charlie knows that we went out together, Jessica knows that we went out together, your entire family knows where we are in general terms, and I have no doubt that Jessica spread the word so everyone in school probably also knows we're spending today together." This sounds like a warning of sorts.

"Whatever internal struggles you are going through when it comes to being near me should also keep you aware of the fact that despite being alone and our location being secret, the mere fact that we are together will cast suspicion on you and your family if anything happens to me."

...So it was a warning.

Bella seemed to always know the right thing to say, even if I wished she wouldn't say such things at all.

She notices so much all the time. "Is it really that obvious?" I haven't noticed anyone else making such connections before. What else could she have noticed by now?

"I told you many times that you are absolutely terrible at pretending to be normal, and that's not just me like joking or making fun of you. I know for a fact that you don't breathe, and I also know for a fact that you like to pretend to breathe so that people don't notice how very much not normal you are." She has said this before. Enough to keep the whole family on alert.

"I also know that the moment you come anywhere near me, you go back to not breathing and I've come to the conclusion that breathing around me is probably not a good idea for you."

Emmett and Jasper were right. She really did pay a lot of extra attention to me specifically. I've never expected for something like this to happen in my lifetime. It was almost like Bella was hyper-aware of everything I say and do. I'm not sure if that makes me uncomfortable or not. On one hand, I like knowing that she pays me any mind when it sometimes feels like she's unimpressed with me as a person, but on the other hand, being scrutinized so closely is discomforting.

I wonder if this is how my family feels having me around, knowing that even against all of our wills, I am listening. The chances of me missing something are almost non-existent if it's happening in a language I know.

"Remember when I approached your brother because I felt that he was the most threatening person in your entire family?"

That moment was still fresh in my mind over a month later. My jealousy over her wanting to ask Jasper for help specifically was also fresh in mind.

What an embarrassing display I made of it.

"There is a legitimate reason... your brother looks like he is constantly on the verge of beating the shit out of somebody."

Not exactly the right idea, but still along the right lines of him being a threat to other people.

"Some days it looks even worse than others, and when he gets especially bad, his body locks up and he stops breathing. He looks either like he's going to jump someone and beat the tar out of them, or that he's going to faint."

If 'jumping someone' could be considered the same as biting and draining them dry, then sure. The fact that she noticed even that about him though... I wonder why she feels so compelled to watch us. Everyone else doesn't look too closely. They don't want to. Their own intuition tells them to avoid us and for good reason.

But not Bella.

The look on her face was serious, and perhaps a bit accusing. "You have very rare moments where you resemble him in that manner, and it is always when you are near me for too long."

Dammit.

If my reaction to Bella being so different compared to how I react to everyone else, then in a way it would make sense for her to try and find out why. Why was I like this with only her and why did I not behave this way with anyone else? But also, why did I not even attempt to get along with other students? Why hadn't our family reached out and formed strong connections in Forks?

In a way it did sound suspicious.

But the thing was, Bella never acted like she was threatened by us or thought we were bad people. She didn't seem all that determined to find out for herself, why we are the way we are.

So odd. Since when did a person, any kind of person, not become nosy when their interested was piqued?

It was as if she truly didn't care about the specifics, just about the fact that she's right. In whatever she thinks she's right about.

"The fact that you notice so much unnerves me," I had to tell her.

This could all go terribly if she ends up noticing more.

And the thing is, I sort of want her to be more interested, but I don't want to put our family in any more danger than we could possibly be in.

"My observation skills tend to unnerve a lot of folks, you're not special. Anyway, based on everything I have just said, it is very obvious that being alone in the same vicinity with me is a problem for you, so that's why I made sure everybody knows where the hell we are."

She's brilliant. Bella had assessed the situation, plus my reactions to her presence, and took the necessary steps to put me in a bind.

And we're only out here because of me anyway, so she is completely in her right. She can tell that there is something off about me, enough to possibly put her life in danger, so she made certain that if she goes missing in any way, I and my family will pay for it.

In a way, this would make sure that I would control myself even more sternly just so I didn't ruin things for everyone else.

While I've love to claim my self-control is perfect and I would never harm Bella, I simply cannot. I must be realistic about the position we are in together and how it affects me personally. And with the added danger of drawing unwanted attention from everyone in Forks and potentially all of Washington, should I mess up, it was a better way to keep me under proper control.

I have an annoying sense of responsibility for my family. If only my existence was on the line, then my urge to protect our secret probably wouldn't be quite as strong, but since the loss of Bella would ruin everything, I am especially conscious of what it would mean for all of us.

Once upon a time I'd done some truly terrible things, and I still don't feel guilt for them. I only regret failing to live up to Carlisle's expectations and way of life.

But if I were to... harm Bella... I would feel ashamed of myself.

Her mind simply fascinates me. How she's able to just make such quick decisions and have things turn out the way she wanted them to.

"I know that I've said in the past that I find your thought process to be quite fascinating and that I always want to hear anything you have to say or think, but at the same time, hearing what's really going on inside your head bothers me."

There's no point in hiding it and being as honest as you can be is the best thing you can do in any kind of relationship.

There was a moment, where I simple inhaled to prepare myself, and the air and scent of Bella set my parched throat aflame. I could feel all of my muscles tensing as I forced myself to remain stationary.

I wonder if she can tell just how out of sorts I am.

"I found myself not so inclined to acknowledge the fact that you are aware of the fact that I am not human. However, tiptoeing around the revelation seems rather pointless by now because you keep basically saying it without actually saying it," I told her, grabbing at some of the grass to help distract myself. I wish I could appreciate grass for what it is, but it always smells so disgusting for some reason.

"Dude, you know the most interesting part about this is the fact that all the information I've collected about you and your family actually fits several folklore descriptions of various mythical creatures, so honestly you could be anything."

...That was actually true. She didn't know everything yet and hadn't seen quite enough to have a full picture. Besides, the way Hollywood depicted vampires, was more in line with what the Volturi had pushed rather than what is actually possible. I doubt she would consider vampires as the very first option when it came to supernatural creatures.

Such knowledge actually made me feel a little better, honestly.

"And you have certainly noticed very specific things." Enough to point them out in broad daylight.

"Yeah. The super speed, super strength, apparently absolutely perfect hearing and vision, and, you know, the fact that you seem to know what to say and when to say it's at exactly the right moment, and how to get in and out of trouble at the right moment."

She even had an active theory about that! I'm pretty certain I haven't showcased that particular talent very much so how did she come to that conclusion?

"The whole eyes turning black and then turning bright gold by the next day and the fact that you don't breathe, plus the fact that your skin is as cold as death and hard as stone. Yeah, it's a really confusing thing to know that nobody else has seemed to clock any of this, my guy."

So the eyes thing... she had a bit of a point. It was a little too obvious.

Perhaps we could start wearing contacts just to be safe? So that if anyone in the future paid that much attention to how our eyes looked, then it wouldn't surprise them.

Eyes looking different in certain types of light is one thing but changing entire colors is another.

However, there is one thing that I should probably clear up for her, because it's something I've considered at length as well over the past two days.

"There's actually a rather simple explanation for this and it's the fact that you personally are not normal either."

Not a damn thing about Bella was normal. And not int he bad way or anything, but in the fact that she doesn't react properly to certain social situations she ends up in. On a human level, not a teenager or girl level to be specific.

"Just as it's very obvious that I and my family are not normal people, you also aren't normal. The average person actually finds us somewhat unnerving to look at. There is an unsettling quality in the abnormal perfection of our skin and the set of our muscles. They actually do not want to look at us for too long because there is something in the primal part of their natures that tells them that it isn't safe to."

As Bella considered my words, she pulled out her small bottle of hand sanitizer and thoroughly applied some. I don't even think she knows that she does that a lot.

She was simply staring into my left eye very intently.

Being under her direct stare is always a bit unnerving. Her face gets so still and focused and if it wasn't for her actively participating in the conversation, I'd think she didn't hear me at all.

However, there were things that needed to be said. Bella is simply weird for a human.

"On your end, there seems to be something completely lacking from your internal structure because you'll watch us a lot, whether you know it or not. When you look at us, there isn't even a slight bit of repulsion."

Not even a little bit.

"Your friends all think that Rosalie is beautiful, but they've all had thoughts now and then about how she looks like a psychopath, and they don't really want to be around her. We don't elicit that kind of fearful reaction in you, and we typically should."

Fight or Flight I suppose.

Bella just didn't seem to have those natural instincts.

Or maybe she does but the kind of threat she deems us to be doesn't warrant a direction reaction? As fi she could physically control how her body reacts to things.

No human is that well-trained.

"Now on my end," I sighed, "I can't personally verify your thoughts or your feelings overly much, but it is very clearly obvious that you don't try to look away when we look in your direction, and you don't try to avoid gaining our attention, and you especially don't have a physical reaction when any of us are near you."

Why? And how?

I haven't been around Chief Swan enough to notice whether or not he has a similar physical reaction like his daughter. And I've obviously never met her mother Renee, so I'm not sure what she's like either.

Perhaps it's hereditary.

And my sudden urge to want to study a blood sample or two felt very invasive.

I also don't think I'd be able to control myself if a sample of Bella's blood appeared anywhere near me at any time. That very thing would be my undoing.

To finish off my explanation, I said, "Even if we had none of these advanced senses, it would still be rather obvious that the other students at Forks High School are a bit repulsed by us."

As they should be. I'm not offended by their bodies and minds trying to keep them safe from danger.

Bella took one of the grass bracelets I'd been braiding and turned it over a few times before holding it out for me to tie around her wrist. "So, the biggest thing we're dealing with right now is the fact that you are not human, and the fact that I am human, and I am at least aware of the fact that you and your family are different, so this puts us in a weird predicament."

A few weird one.

The power imbalance is through the roof.

"Typically, this would be incredibly bad news for you because we're not supposed to tell humans about us, but if you don't actually know what we are, then we technically wouldn't be able to get into trouble."

It would be a very broad in terms of the law the Volturi had set in place thousands of years ago, but technically they wouldn't be able to do anything about it if they found out. After all, the rule wasn't that humans couldn't know about supernatural creatures and beings, but that they could not know about the existence of vampires specifically. As a result, so long as we didn't tell Bella what we were exactly, she could stay a friend of the family.

Alice had already said that in every Vision, Bella is close to the family. Her state of existence was the only thing up for debate, and there was still a 2% chance that she'd remained human her entire life. That small percentage is what I dedicated moments like this to.

Not condemning her to an existence being unable to appreciate many of her favorite things anymore.

And if she didn't know what we were, they she would ask to become like us. She wouldn't even know if it was possible to become like us.

This is actually the best case scenario at present.

Eventually, Bella took another drink from her water jug and sighed. "You and your family's business are none of my business. I can go the rest of my life not hearing the details of your potential mutant genetics or whatever, and I'd be just fine."

Thank goodness!

"Now, if there is an absolute need for me to know something, I'd appreciate it if you warned me first so I can choose whether I want to hear it or not."

Of course. It was such an easy request and I doubt there will be a time I'll have to actually tell her that many details.

"That sounds nice... Um..." and here comes the awkwardness again, "my family wants to meet you."

She hummed.

That wasn't a refusal.

"If you take me for ice cream then I'll go."

As we drove back to Forks, Bella decided it was a good time to ask questions. "I know this is going to sound completely weird, but do you guys actually celebrate holidays? I mean, like religious holidays or even just national holidays. Do non-humans do that kind of thing?"

I have to admit that out of all the potential questions that Bella could've asked me, whether or not I observed holidays was nowhere near anything I expected from her. Does she presume that because I'm not human, I might not participate in the same holiday traditions as humans do? Does she think non-humans cannot be religious?

She didn't want to know what we are after all. She said she was perfectly fine with not knowing all of the details or even being told much of anything because she basically guessed most of it right anyway. So technically there was no actual way for her to know what life for us was really like and what beliefs we tended to align with.

Also, not every vampire was the same, just as not every human was the same, and we each had our own specific beliefs. Take Jasper for example, he used to be religious and then he was turned into a vampire and had the most disgusting transformation and spent several decades being manipulated in a horrible situation, and he is no longer religious. He was also not hung up on the idea of other people still being religious around him he did not care.

He also doesn't like to talk about it so I haven't had much of the chance to look through his thought process over the matter, but what I do know is that it did take him some time to reconcile his beliefs with what he had become, and what he had done in his life until that moment. These days, Jasper did not care if other people were religious and chose to believe in one god or one type of god or several gods.

All he cared about was whether or not they were using their beliefs to harm other people. I had heard something about that being a hard lesson for him to learn, and that it was necessary for him to learn it even when it seemed to be too late for it to matter. he took it very seriously whenever it came up in conversation.

"We do celebrate specific religious holidays but not in the religious fashion. Things like Christmas have become more commercialized and focus more on the family aspect and less on the religious aspect, and so we celebrate Christmas as a family in order to strengthen our bonds together." And it was nice, especially when Alice and Esme worked together to decorate for the winter.

Bella hummed. "Interesting. What's your favorite commercial holiday?"

..."July fourth," I decided. "My advanced eyes allow me to see the fireworks in great detail and the explosion is always fascinating to watch." The existence of fireworks in general was always something amazing to me. Science could be the most fascinating thing to study.

"That's cute."

And suddenly I'm feeling like Rudloph the red-nosed reindeer did when a girl told him he was cute. It's a good thing I can't blush.

"What do you guys do about things like medical? How do you get around the whole needing immunizations for school and stuff?

I smirked. "Jasper knows a guy and he is very good at forging documents."

"Ah, to be rich enough to have a guy like that on your payroll."

Well... Jenks did get paid a lot.

Bella went back to searching for a new CD to listen to and ended up choosing Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet.

By the time we reached the restaurant - Sally's, the only place currently in Forks selling both hard and soft serve ice cream - Bella had severely headbanged to Livin' On A Prayer four times.

"I'm ready!" she cheered as we pulled up to the drive-thru. "Okay, in detail. I want the largest soft serve vanilla cone they offer, but I want it covered in chocolate sprinkles. Then I want a large cup on the side that is also filled with a lot of chocolate sprinkles so that I can put the ice cream in the cup, eat the cone separately, and then mix the sprinkles into the ice cream."

She'd gotten it all out in one breath too.

"You really like sprinkles, huh?"

She nodded.

"Ask and ye shall receive."

Then Bella let out the oddest sounding cackle I'd ever heard, and in the end, I could only watch in awe as she finished off every last bit of that ice cream... and then asked for another.

When did it all even go?

"This was great!" she beamed. "Totally worth the trip out in the forest."

And once again, she's managed to make me feel shy.

And to think, she'd agreed to come over tomorrow and meet my family properly.

I just know that Emmett is going to be insufferable!

~.O.~

A/N: Another is done!

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Chapter Text

A/N: Hello, people!

I don't own Twilight.

I have no regular beta.

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~.O.~

SIDE A

Okay!

Okay, so there is a lot to consider now.

So, Edward finally departed about ten minutes ago, and I am now finally all alone in my personal space and with my personal thoughts, and I can take this time to arrange my opinions on what has happened.

I spent the better majority of the afternoon out in nature, touching grass. I know, I am very shocked too. I might also be a little proud of myself but, that is neither here nor there. The one thing that I had been dreading today finally came to pass, and nothing bad happened!

In Midnight Sun, Edward and Alice had this entire conversation about what the Meadow was going to be. Alice had Seen a Vision of Edward and Bella going into the Meadow, and then everything branching off into thousands of different possible endings.

The issue was that Edward had not made up his mind yet about what he thought about Bella and himself, and his opinion on their continued interactions. As such, the future after the Meadow was completely unclear and it would consistently change over and over. Alice had pinned down many possible outcomes and had shared them with Edward, but at the end of the day it was all based on him and his self-control and his understanding of in his own feelings.

So, I had agreed to go off into the woods with the apex predator of choice, knowing that things were very different this time, and that I had made enough decisions to influence Edward and make him be a lot more careful with everything. I went around telling everybody I know that I was about to be out in nature, alone with a boy, and got to hear many opinions on that fact. I then made it a point to remind him that it would look very bad for his family if something happened to me while I was alone with him.

And while this Edward didn't seem quite as obsessive and weird as the Edward in the canon story did, he was still the same person and still just as considerate of his family and any potential dangers toward them. Even if Edward himself had no particular deep feelings for me, as I have gone through the trouble of making sure he doesn't, he still cares about his family and would still hold himself back for their sake if nothing else.

Also, it's not like I'm particularly bitter over the thought that Edward sometimes may wanna kill. I'm just a little weird, or perhaps my brain just functions differently than the regular person, but the fact of the matter he is not human, and his standard sustenance is animals. Edward and his entire family had decided to dedicate their entire existence to hunting only animals and abstaining from human blood, so I don't really have to worry all that much.

And I just wouldn't be all that offended if one of them slipped - perhaps I'm just not normal in this particular situation - but being angry at something for behaving as its nature dictates is foolish.

Besides, I am aware that nobody in that family holds any particular animosity toward me, and even Rosalie was willing to go after a sexual predator for my sake and for the sakes of many of the other girls at Forks High, and you don't really go to that level of defense for somebody that you don't even respect. For the sake of doing the right thing, and not only going above and beyond threatening him, but Rosalie got something on him and his entire family and made certain that they were disgraced to the entirety of Forks Washington.

That was a lot to do with no personal benefit to her, so no, I do not think that Rosalie has anything against me. I'm nothing like the canon Bella Swan, so she probably respects me a bit more at this point. And I'm not saying that Bella Swan as a character was like super flawed or anything. I personally don't think being an introvert and being frugal or choosing to spend your time alone rather than out in loud places with people, is a character flaw. I also don't believe that her being incredibly shy and self-conscious, is wrong.

The one issue was there was this particular thing about Bella where she was kind of like a wet doormat and would just let people treat her terribly. She didn't have it in her personality to be crass and nasty in response to poor treatment from others. I certainly wouldn't be quiet and calm in many of the situations she had gone through in the story, so it's a bit hard to connect to her in that way.

In the end, that kind of stuff doesn't apply to me, so obviously I give off very different vibes than the real Bella Swan does.

So no, I don't think anyone in the Cullen Coven has anything particularly against me personally, and I wouldn't be mad if something unfortunate happened to be, because I've already died in a terribly gruesome way and am living a life that's not even mine. If I die while I'm here, I was supposed to be dead already anyway. There's nothing that can be done about that.

Perhaps this is what people meant when they said that it was unnerving to be around me. My responses to tragedies aren't really sane now that I think about it.

So, Edward and I went into that Meadow this afternoon, and then we had a little discussion about him and his family, and me and my level of observation that unnerves all of the people I interact with. The word vampire did not come up in conversation, so by the Volturi's incredibly loose rules, nothing could be done about me because I don't actually know what they are as far as they are where.

And the fact is, as a person who was very much into folklore and mythologies of various other cultures, the Cullens and the description of their type of vampire that Stephanie Meyer came up with, matches so many fictional creatures across the world. They could be fairies, they could be fae, or it was entirely possible for them to be a type of siren, or a type of Southern American blood sucking creature. There is reasonable evidence of them being any number of Indigenous American myths. The facts were, that they fit too many descriptions. All of these things were myths as far as I'm aware, so depending on where you came from, the details might be a little different.

It was like how there are many different stories of what sirens actually are. They just drown men in some stories. They also ate people after they drowned them in other stories. Some even claimed that they were obsessed with gold and that was why they were drowning sailors to begin with. It wasn't that they were men, but that they typically had shiny things on hand. The fact was, not every single place had the same exact beliefs for their mythical creatures, and various versions of a single story could exist in one land alone.

So, the whole sparkly skin thing could just be passed off as something that was never noted before or because they were always seen at night and people had never seen them sparkling in the middle of the day.

Also, Edward had admitted that the Volturi deliberately spread around multiple different versions of vampires, so that humans wouldn't actually know what real vampires looked like in this particular universe. The Dracula kind of vampire was a very, very fictionalized version that did not exist but ended up being the one that most people thought of. It was entirely possible, in this particular fictional universe, for the Cullens to be mistaken for many kinds of magical/supernatural creatures and for me to get away with not naming any at all to keep an air of mystery.

Edward had, as expected, invited me over to his family's home. I don't really have any worries about going over to a house full of vampires. Not the problem I'm actually facing. The big issue is the Key Plot Points. I've mentioned the Key Plot Points before, but they are necessary because that is where the story gets pushed along. Everything else could technically be considered filler because the Key Plot Points were the very things that kept the main story going.

Bella almost getting hit by a van after moving to Forks. Bella going to the beach with her friends and learning about the cold ones. Bella going out to Port Angeles with her friends and nearly getting attacked. Bella and Edward finally talking at lunch. Bella and Edward going into the Meadow. And then Bella choosing to spend the afternoon at the Cullen residence and then joining them for baseball.

So, it wasn't going to their house that was the next Key Plot Point, it was then going to the baseball game.

I had agreed to go to the house, but that was less than twenty-four hours into the future. A lot of things to consider because I don't really want to be there for baseball. I don't like baseball and I don't care about sports in general and it wouldn't be very fun for me to sit there and watch sports.

At the same time, it wouldn't be like it was in the film. That took maybe two minutes of your time, but they played Muse over the baseball game and the music was the best part. There would be no cool music playing over the baseball game in this universe and I wouldn't be able to see most of what was happening anyway so that doesn't really sound appealing.

But the problem on top of all of this, was the fact that I will have been in their house, touching their possessions and spreading my scent all over. It would mean that all of them might potentially smell like me. To make it even more difficult, Carlisle in the original story, had invited the nomadic vampires into his home. While they had never actually gone in there in the course of the story, because of the horrible fallout over Bella and how edible she smelled, there was nothing really stopping him from making the same offer again.

And if I was in their house and touching all of their stuff mere hours prior, should the nomads take a step inside the Cullen residence, they would easily smell my ass. That was a problem that I have to be completely aware of, because it was Bella's scent and Edwards reaction to James taking in her scent, that made everything spiral out of control.

So, how do I take in the upcoming situation and possibly mitigate any of the potential dangers and disasters that could happen as a result of me going over Edward Cullen's house and hanging out for the afternoon?

The thing was, we could hang out at the piano, and I could see how well Bella's hands could handle a piano. We could spend some time in his room, and I could possibly go through his very, very large list of music. But after that, the best thing would probably be going for a walk down by the nearby lake and that would be it. But this would still mean that my scent would be on things inside that house, and it would also be near the Cullens.

And who was to say that if I somehow managed to bow out of joining them for baseball, that one of them wouldn't smell like me and bring my smell with them and then, when the nomads came along, James got a whiff?

Basically, no matter what happened, I was going to be there in some fashion. I'm trying to not have a panic attack over that because I really don't wanna be in danger and if I'm going to die again, I would at least like it to not be super painful. The books that Stephanie Meyer had released, had given us enough information about James as a character, to know that he was messed up and he did not do mercy killings.

The dude's whole thing was hunting his next bit of prey down and taking them. It wasn't necessarily that he was hungry, and it wasn't necessarily about how he wanted to prove himself better. It was simply him liking to play a game and wanting to win. And, with how Edward was as a person and as a character, he would probably have a very negative response to James and his thoughts, and those would be the things that would make James react accordingly.

So then, we have made it past the great mangled knot that was the Meadow, and we are coming upon the baseball game and the inevitable game of cat and mouse with the life that would be on the line. It did not matter if I stayed at home, or I went to the store, or if I decided to travel out of state suddenly for no reason, or if I stayed with the Cullens the entire time. James was a tracker, and he would track my ass down. So technically, the safest place I would be would actually be with the Cullens, but again I don't wanna go and watch baseball!

However, it was entirely possible for things to not go exactly the way they did in the book or the film. I would simply have to stand a certain distance away, perhaps convince Edward to bring a boom box or something to make a loud noise and distract everyone with the music. There were at least steps that I could potentially take, so long as it didn't get too windy, and they weren't playing uphill.

The biggest issue was that the wind blew, and it blew Bella's scent downwind toward James. So, if I just happened to be situated in a location where the wind was not blowing in the direction he was going to come from, then perhaps, everything could go down without any danger.

I'm going out to wear so many layers tomorrow.

I sighed. I'm not ready, but I made a promise and I'm no lil' bitch.

In the morning, I had to dedicate myself to the whole works. I was about to go over a vampire coven's home. I had to make certain that every single thing about myself was up to par. That meant a very deep cleansing shower, and shaving, and pretending that I don't have body image issues in a body that isn't mine.

The biggest issue was the fact that Bella had so much hair and it was so thick and so very long that that stuff did not dry quickly. And I am not the kind of person who likes to use hair dryers. And the fact that there are women out there who will actually sleep with a hair dryer going under their pillows, so they don't have to actively try to dry their hair, makes me want to vomit.

All that heat damage.

The big problem with being companions with a vampire who wanted to introduce you to his family was the fact that the entire family was supernatural and was perfectly capable of seeing and smelling every single flaw you had.

And while I know we are not supposed to fall into the ridiculous beauty standards of the twenty-first century, there was still a certain level of professionalism that was expected of people who went to new places. I would not want to be looked upon as a filthy human. The knowledge that all of them could easily see pores and acne and possibly most definitely smell menstrual blood was just absolutely mortifying and not something I really like to think about.

Something like that has the serious ability to completely deteriorate my mental well-being and I really prefer not to think about it most of the time.

Still, the fact of the matter was that my mother, if she was still alive, would probably jap slap me upside the head if she thought that I was going to go over to somebody else's house and not look presentable. She would never hold me to some ridiculous standard but there were still things that you do not do in polite company. Even if it was for a family of white vegetarian vampires, my mother would have certain expectations.

To actually put in some kind of effort on this day I decided to wear my nicest pair of pants and a pair of black flats. It had apparently drizzled over the night and the ground was completely covered in mud and it would be incredibly foolish to go around in heels, but I'm also not putting another pair of poor Chucks at risk. It was sad to say but Edward was just going to have to accept the fact that I don't really wear skirts all that often and I don't have pretty dresses on hand.

I can at least be relieved to know that Edward had not been sleeping in the same room as me all night, nor had he been outside my window the entire time. When that dude said he was gonna do something then he was gonna do it, and if he said he wasn't gonna do something then he wouldn't do it. With Rosalie as a threat literally hanging over his head, I did not have to deal with the sad reality of him being an over-the-top stalker.

Just a minor stalker.

Thankfully, my usual look wasn't exactly lame or anything. I look like the average young person.

So, when Edward Cullen knocked on the door at exactly 9:35 in the frickin morning, I knew I was prepared. I had done the do, put on the clothes, did the hair, and I even used some moisturizer because God forbid this woman never moisturize. Shit was going exactly as it was supposed to when it was in my control.

And all I'm just gonna say is that when I opened the door, I was not expecting Edward Cullen to look like some Carlton-esque motherfucker.

See, as a person who read all of the books and owned all of the books and obsessed a lot in the forums over all of the details in the books, I had come away with a certain expectation of what Edward and Bella had looked like in this scene and apparently my idea was not right. The fact of the matter is, there are preppy people who do indeed dress like this, like its normal and perfectly acceptable and it doesn't look weird. All he was missing was a stupid sweater tied around his neck.

"Do you dress like that on days when we don't have school?"

Edward went from looking me in the eye to taking a very hard look down at his own body and the clothing he had chosen to wear. "To be honest, Alice is the one who chooses everyone's clothes and then I just pick out whatever stands out the most on that particular day."

Not the slightest bit of care of what he was wearing. "You do know that Carlton is not very popular in the story, right?"

"I'll have you know that I happened to like the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and that I liked Carlton as a character as well."

I know it's not really the time for something like this, but I just have this amazing mental image of Edward Cullen trying to do The Carlton. It would be the funniest thing in the world because while Edward definitely has rhythm when it comes to music and playing the piano and possibly dancing like, ballroom dances, I just cannot ever see him trying to do something like Carlton.

Or something requiring more bop in it, like twerking.

I wonder what would happen if I actually asked Edward to do The Carlton. It would be hilarious!

"As for your own outfit," he began, looking me over, long and hard, "you look very nice."

"What? Does the black-on-black-on-black ensemble not do it for you, or am I too emo?"

"You don't even have the right hairstyle for the emo look nor would you fit the grunge look. However, you could perhaps very loosely be given the goth tag if that is something you absolutely need."

So, maybe I need to get some lip piercings and a few bright green, purple, or pink hair streaks. And then cut my hair into a side part and make sure one eye is properly covered. Then do some shopping at Hot Topic.

I refuse to admit that I may have done that at one point.

Nope. No siree. Not me.

Back in the days when I obsessed over straightening my hair and then covering it with mousse and scrunching it up.

"We sure do make quite the pair."

He nodded. "Did Charlie go out again?"

"Yeah," I nodded as I locked the front door. "They're having a lil' shindig down at the reservation and he's been invited." Something super important, and since one of his parents was literally a Quileute from the reservation, their connection made a lot more sense to me now.

"So, what can you tell me about this day of ours?" I asked as he helped me into his Volvo, 'cause God forbid he let a young lady do it herself.

"Esme is cooking you lunch and dinner and is very excited about it."

As expected, I'm not shocked.

Something else I'm incredibly curious about is what the Cullen home was going to look like. I happened to favor the design that was shown in the films versus the design that was actually in the interactive guide. Maybe it's just me but I prefer the more modern take on everything. The multitude of windows gave it a super cool look without the depressing ass hotel-wannabe designs people were going for in my time.

See, the problem with things that were considered modern in design was that for some reason everybody decided that the word modern was a synonym for grayscale for some reason. In my day, people would buy houses with weird designs and then they would strip away all the interesting things about those houses and just make everything gray and somehow, at least in the films, despite the modern approach to the Cullen residence, it did not look all gross and grayscale and boring.

See, Esme was supposed to be an interior designer and also an architect or something like that so if she had made something so boring, I would be incredibly disappointed. And how could such a thing even be justified anyway? Imagine being a vampire, and technically being immortal for the most part, and seeing some of the most interesting parts of human history, and then going and making a house that was just completely gray and white and all sharp edges.

The ride on over to the Cullen residence was filled with Edward lightly humming along to some Vivaldi and me trying to dissect the future that I was not able to See.

When we finally approached the incredibly long driveway that led all the way up to Edwards house, I could finally feel that little bit of nervousness taking a lovely seat in my gut. Because, no matter what I say and how I act, there is still a part of me that really does not like to be perceived by others. Like, unfortunately for me, there really was no way to go about living without having to be perceived.

So, despite all of my efforts and beliefs in the things I say and do, I still fall prey to things like ego and emotions.

It's kind of a contradictory way of living but it makes sense in a way because humans themselves are just an amalgamation of contradictions. Like, I don't want to hear anybody's opinion on my music. Telling me that they don't like the music I like is not going to stop me from liking the music. My reasoning has always been that why would your opinion on the stuff I like matter to me? But at the same time, I would justify that by saying I don't even know you why would you matter at all?

Yet that kind of reasoning can't really be used all of the time because words hurt even if they come from total strangers who don't even know you. So, the contradiction comes from me living my life not really caring what people think about me and then having those moments where I do in fact care very much what people think about me, and I don't want to be aware of what they think about me at any point in time. And the thing is, it's not that I just want people to like me and think nice things about me all the time, because that would be weird, and I honestly would not trust somebody if they told me that.

In my experience, a lot of people who claimed to like someone for whatever reason, tended to have very unnerving or misogynistic or very sexualized reasons that did not make me very comfortable.

In conclusion, I don't need everybody to like me, I need for me and my existence to not be on anybody's level of notice until I am comfortable.

The house was exactly as I wanted it to be, thank God, and there were a lot of vehicles outside. This was before Alice was getting her little Porsche thing so that wasn't even there to take up space. There was a massive Jeep, a BMW, and several motorcycles, plus God only knows what was actually in the garage. The most interesting part was the fact that Rosalie was just out there laying on a skateboard as she worked on something underneath the Jeep. Emmett was sitting in the Jeep, no doubt communicating with her with ease.

I'm pretty sure that was not a thing that was happening in canon. Like, I know she's the mechanic and she's the one who loves all the cars, which is honestly a really great way to flip things on their head a bit, and give us unique perspectives for the characters, but I'm pretty sure that she was not around when Bella came over for a visit.

Personally, the presence of Rosalie sent a message to me specifically, whether she intended it to or not.

Basically, I had left a good enough impression that she did not mind me being around so much, nor did she mind me seeing her. That was good. The less animosity that I have to deal with, the easier my second life will be.

To be honest, despite the vibes I give off, I don't like confrontation and I don't like it when people come at me. I sure as hell won't sit there and take it, but damn does my mouth go to the most scathing reply first, and unlike my real body, Bella's body is ill-equipped to fight. I may have, once or twice, or several times in my lifetime, said some shit that got me decked. And I may have also come out of those scraps as the victor, but only just barely.

If I offend someone now and they decide they want to use their fists, the results will be far outside of my favor now. Another issue I face daily in a body that is not my own.

Oh well. I doubt any of the vampires want to physically fight me, so I know it's not them I'd have to worry about offending anyway.

Now, the real question was whether or not Jasper and Alice had chosen to stay around his time. Poor Jasper was always going through it whenever he was around humans and in canon, he did not linger because he didn't want to be tempted. A totally natural and understandable response.

Edward was already out of the car and opening the door for me by the time I had unbuckled my seatbelt. "Moving at the speed of sound is not going to make time move any faster you know," I remarked as I got out. "I'm still slow as hell at the end of the day."

"Normally people talk about the speed of light," he remarked.

"Your ass ain't that fast." It was laughable to even suggest he was that fast. "My eyes can still perceive your movement even just a bit, and I'm pretty sure my body would have disintegrated if you ran at the speed of light with me on your back."

"That's so gruesome," Edward winced.

"I mean- If there's nothing even left, it can't be that gruesome." No blood or body parts left to mess everything up.

"I was commenting more on how blasé you're being over the idea of your body just being disintegrated into nothing."

"Well, if it was actually happening, I doubt I'd even be aware of it, so there's no reason to be offended or scared. It's just science at the end of the day."

Edward shook his head as he led me up the stairs and to the door, always eager to be a 'gentleman' no matter the situation. On the other side of the door stood Carlisle and Esme, and further back toward the top of the large staircase, were Alice and Jasper. Alice was madly waving and beaming like everything in the world had come together in this very moment, just as she wanted to.

It did not escape my notice, that it smelled heavily of disinfectant and that there was a box of Latex gloves on the coffee table.

Esme smiled softly and extended a delicate, perfect hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Bella. If it'll make you feel better, we can put on some of those gloves. I made certain everything was as clean as possible before you arrived."

Vampires don't have pores and they can't really sweat, and most things would not stick to them personally. Taking her hand was no big struggle for me, but it was still very kind of her to think ahead.

My phobia of germs and diseases has truly spoken for me. I wonder if Edward mentioned it once and she remember by herself, or if he was being annoying and reminding everyone over and over about my little moment in the cafeteria weeks ago.

"Thanks for going to all the trouble. It's usually not so bad whenever I'm around Edward because he's not sneezing in people's faces, wiping his nose or mouth on his sleeves, or, even more disgustingly, putting his hands all over other people's possessions."

And considering Alice's little talent, I have no doubt that she and her Visions and opinions had a significant voice in what was currently happening. The whole Cullen Coven placed too much faith in her Visions after all. To the point of no one being willing to bet on Alice when she said something.

Since her Visions were subjective, I wonder if everyone choosing to just accept what she Saw as fact, is what made things always work out the way she said they would. Like, if they all rejected the future she Saw at any given time, would they then be capable of influencing a change in the future that was expected to happen?

Because isn't that basically what Edward did in the Meadow?

Most of those Visions claimed Bella would die or be turned and he was so vehemently against that that he had practically forced his way into keeping Bella alive and whole that entire time. So, even if Alice Foresaw the worst possible ending, surely all of the Cullens banding together to refuse said ending would result in some kind of change and things improving?

Alice got in her greeting and a tight squeeze, and Jasper gave me a polite nod and greeting before they disappeared upstairs somewhere. Calrisle and Esme ended up going into what I believe is the kitchen, leaving Edward to show me around.

Of course, upon seeing me eye the piano, he brought me on over to scope it out properly.

"This is relatively new to me," he explained. "The old one is in storage. I liked the color of this one more."

As we sat at the piano, I played through a few scales to familiarize Bella's hands with a piano. I'm pretty sure she's never had enough music experience beyond what is usually required in American schools. She probably never played piano before, and since it was never brought up in the story, I'm pretty certain in my belief.

As a result of that though, I'd have to get these pasty white fingers used to the patterns.

To better prepare myself, I popped all of my knuckles just to be sure. Also, it felt good to do it anyway. Edward's look of disgust every time there was a POP was funny too.

When I deemed my hands ready, I started a very simple song. Something that was all chords and did not require my fingers to have to move all too much. In fact, I could keep them all in the same position and just move my hands back and forth and it would work just fine. The simplicity of music found in... average churches.

Eventually, as I got through the last line and was about the start the verse from the beginning, Edward asked, "Is that a hymn?"

In the distance, Esme's voice sounded down the hall, with a strong but sweet vibrato. "Abide with me, fast falls the eventide. The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide. When other helpers fail and comforts flee, help of the helpless, O abide with me."

Her voice was beautiful, as the kind that could easily bring one to tears.

I was never much a fan of church or even religion in general, but mom took it very seriously and was in the choir, so of course we went every Sunday. This was my mom's favorite of all the hymns, and as the soloist of the choir, she tended to get very excited when modulating through the verses.

Personally, I had a different favorite hymn, but this song made me think of mom and made me realize how much I miss her. And how much effort I've put in to make certain I don't think of her too often.

Esme skipped all the way to the final verse next, thankfully not willing to drag it out too much. I'm not sure I can hold off crying that long. "Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes; shine through the gloom and point me to the skies. Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee; in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me."

God, I really hope He did. I hope she got to go exactly where she believed she would when that stupid truck hit us. That's the best thing I can hope for I suppose being who I am and all.

No one said anything as the song petered off and I began moving on to something else, wanting to get the emotional stuff out of the way. Besides, there was so much I wanted to play and there was so little time to do it.

Pianos are expensive and quality keyboards aren't much cheaper. I'm not going to have regular access to such things so this is the best I've got.

After a moment, Edward asked, "Is that the Deep Space Nine theme?"

"Do you like Star Trek?" Perhaps we could discuss Star Trek once we get through Naruto?

"Mm. Deep Space Nine is my favorite of the television shows thus far." I'm a bit shocked, not gonna lie. But this also made things more interesting. What was it about that one that made him like it more?

"And let me guess… your favorite character is Odo." It just feels like that would be where Edward's personal interest would point. The guy was... very Edward-coded. Or maybe it was better to say Edward was very Odo-coded?

"...Yes. Actually, very much so. I find him to be a very fascinating and complex character."

I'm not too shocked by this revelation to be honest. Edward Cullen and Sci-Fi.

"Do you have a favorite Star Trek series?"

"Voyager of course."

"...Is it because of Janeway?"

"Partially," I admitted. Girl power and all that jazz. The problem with growing up with no female representation anywhere was the need to always pick the girl options in anything simply because there was a girl. It was a big deal for me that there was a female captain who got her own show. While Uhura was a queen and deserved nothing but the best, The Original Series was just a bit too old for my personal liking. I could never get with it.

But Voyager slapped all the way. Mom loved Star Trek and Voyager was often played a lot.

"I also liked how it takes place in the Delta Quadrant with new species to encounter and new problems to experience and everything couldn't be traced back to the same two enemies every other episode."

"And your favorite characters?" he asked.

"Seven of Nine and Tuvok."

Edward was silent as he considered my words. Probably trying to parse through them as characters in order to think about what could possibly draw me to them. He was unaware that I'm truly Afro-Latina, so certain things I say and decisions I make are probably incredibly confusing to him. In Bella's pasty white body, I'm just another white girl who somehow knows a lot of foreign languages and has a surprisingly eclectic taste in music. Very modern and progressive as well.

Man, what I wouldn't give to be able to just live in Edward's head for even an hour when around me, just to see what's going on up there. And what about what everyone else is getting from our interaction? I'm deathly curious to know their opinions and how they think of us as a unit.

I'm aware that I'm not exactly the easiest person to get along with, and that I tend to leave Eddie Boy feeling flatfooted.

I wonder how Jasper is perceiving this situation.

"Now why am I getting the feeling that you're laughing at me?" Edward asked suddenly.

Welp, there it is. Jasper must have told him about how giddy I was at his confusion.

"My lips have been sealed and my lungs have neither taken in or lost any excessive air. I have no idea what you could possibly be accusing me of."

"Right. Got any songs I might not know somewhere in that maddening head of yours?"

Rush E!

A grand undertaking considering how I'm using hands not used to playing the piano, but still worth a shot. That song slapped and learning it had been imperative for me since I wanted the bragging rights. Despite how I may appear on the surface, I can actually be pretty arrogant and very annoying, and when I was younger it was an even worse disease I'd been plagued by.

Wanting to do things others couldn't so I could stand out and be praised. I was an attention whore back then. You know, until I learned that people like me getting too much attention ended up with terrible experiences.

Not that such a thing was acceptable or anything, but sometimes you just get used to it. I shouldn't have had to get used to it at all, but such is life I suppose.

Another contradiction too. I want to brag and be praised but don't want to be perceived at all. Truly, being human is a stressful existence.

"I've never heard this before," Edward admitted.

Oh, how I wish I could just show him the origin of this meme. We have a long way to go before smartphones enter the chat. And the Golden Age of YouTube where everything is more easily accessible and there are way more options(and a lot more restrictions that make no fucking sense to be honest).

"It sounds Russian."

I almost choked! Rush E was basically a twist on Rush B made by a YouTube sheet music channel. I'm pretty sure it came about because someone asked them to create a Russian song and Rush B happened. And then a meme twist on it with Rush E and the Markiplier E was made later on. And it was way more popular as a result and was like the ultimate challenge for quirky, artsy fuckers like me who wanted bragging points.

Though for being honest maybe it was a good thing that I could not share the knowledge of this particular song with Edward Cullen.

"I would just like to say that no, I did not come up with that song and no, I did not perform it as fast as it is supposed to be performed. However, I can teach it to you and then we can see how fast you can perform it considering your unnatural speed and how it probably extends to fingering."

I am ashamed to admit that it took me a few seconds to understand what had come out of my mouth, but what really tipped me off about the nature of the words I had spoken was Emmett's incredibly loud, barking laughter coming from outside. He had clocked the innuendo in my words before even I did, and I must admit that I'm very disappointed in myself.

I can only wonder at the kind of things that Edward's mind was currently being bombarded with. I could not help but cackle at the knowledge that I had dropped this kind of thing in the middle of the Cullen residence with all these poor people currently in the house and having to listen to it.

I can only imagine what was going through the minds of the rest of his siblings, but I'm just going to focus on my own enjoyment and the fact that I said something like that, and that Edward Cullen looks like he wants to die.

The Twilight vampires cannot blush. Maybe it's a good thing that vampires because otherwise Edward and his true feelings would have been exposed a very long time ago. I'm not exactly the normal kind of person that you would encounter in the year of our lord 2000, since my kind of attitude is normal for the 2020 era of individuals, but at this present moment, people talking the way I talk and acting the way I act is not common at all.

Edward, and his delicate sensibilities from being born in like 1901, meant that he had certain beliefs and standards that he had not been able to shake this entire time, meaning that he had no experience with someone making unabashed sexual innuendos right to his face. And not even in the privacy of their own thoughts, it was right out in the open for all of his family to hear. That had to be something that he was very uncomfortable with.

However, I would like to defend myself by saying that I did not intend anything to be a sexual innuendo, it just came out that way. Not my fault that in reference to playing the piano, how you hit the keys is often called your fingering. It is something that is often widely criticized among music geeks, so it's not like I just came up with this randomly.

Edward shifted forward on the bench, still looking embarrassed. "Got any requests for me?" he asked, placing his hands on the keys and no doubt trying to change the atmosphere by force.

"Hm… Hungarian Dance No. 5 at mid-tempo."

I pulled that out of my ass, but I really like that song anyway so it's not like I'm trying to appear knowledgeable.

"You like Brahms?" Edward asked as he began to play Hungarian Dance No. 5... in G Minor. Nice.

"I like the songs I know," I admitted, rubbing my eyes a bit. "I know some, but not all, and I don't like all of them either. This one just makes me very excited. I probably heard it on Looney Tunes at some point."

My left eye itches.

"I've never watched Looney Tunes," Edward confessed. "It never seemed to be something targeted toward my type of audience."

What? White virgin, Beta males? Perhaps he had a point if that was the case. "I recommend the Rabbit of Seville. Best one out of them all, and you probably know which song plays during the episode just by name alone," I said, blinking rapidly to try and make the irritation in my eye go away. There might be an eyelash in my eye for fuck's sake.

"Ah," he hummed with a small bob on his head. "I'm sure Alice may have actually bought the Looney Tunes box set at some point. I can get acquainted before Tuesday morning, I'm sure."

My head snapped around instantly, and I stared very intensely into his eyes while willing my eye to not tear up. Edward was making direct eye contact and showing off the fact that he didn't need to look at all to play a complicated song on the piano.

"Something tells me you would like to watch them with me?" he asked, a smirk spreading across his unfairly attractive mouth. "Shall we do that now then as we wait for lunch to roll around?"

"Oh my God, yes! Could I use your bathroom first though? I think one of my eyelashes turned traitor and it's stabbing me."

"Your left eye is very red now and yes, a lash in the middle has bent all the way up and over and is poking directly into your cornea."

"Right in front of both of us too and neither of us noticed it." How that shit works is beyond me, but it's totally unfair.

Thankfully, Edward was kind enough to lead me toward the ground floor bathroom with a promise to fetch a pair of tweezers for me. "Would you prefer to get it yourself or would my dexterity be useful at this moment?"

"I'm going to just yank it out in the end so if that's something you're comfortable with, then go for it." I can at least trust that he would not stab me in the eye, and he was correct, he had steadier hands than I do.

With the fluorescent light overhead, Edward carefully cupped my jaw in his very large and very cold palm, and tilted my head up so he could see my eye better. The new angle irritated it even worse though and I had to manually hold my own eye open just to stop myself from blinking so much.

"Do you want a warning, or should I just do it?"

"Can't be more stressful than getting blasted in the eyes by a tonometer at the optometrist." When they make you put your chin on that plastic thing, then they make you look into the fucky thing, and they hit you right in the eyes with that shit. No thanks, I hate it.

Like, I get why it's necessary, but I don't have to like it.

"Can't say I've had the experience."

"Privilege."

One second, I was staring up into the light and the next Edward was letting go of my face and holding up the tweezers with the single eyelash held between the prongs. He'd moved too fast for me to even notice it happening, and right there was the incredibly bent lash itself.

"That took the phrase 'getting bent' in a completely unnecessary way," I murmured, rubbing at my eye to make the lingering sting go away. "My face is so hot now."

"Would you need an ice pack?"

"Um… just a washcloth." Dampen it and hold it to the area for a minute and it would eventually cool down. In more ways than one, heh.

Edward opened the cupboard over the bathroom mirror to reveal and entire stack of freshly cleaned washcloths that still smelled of flowery detergent.

"Thanks."

"Would you like a drink before we go upstairs? We bought cans of Coke because you like it so much."

And now I'm touched to the core. These damn vampires and their damn consideration. "Two please. And thanks for being so chill about the odd turns of our interactions," I sat, patting his arm twice for good measure.

He left me to soak the washcloth, actually walking at a normal speed, no doubt to avoid pressuring me into hurrying up. Swell of him, really. Him being fast wouldn't make me move any faster after all.

You know, other people would be totally mortified by the turn of this entire event. Thankfully, I'm a bit harder to mortify. Life is life and things happen, and if being put in very human situations served to embarrass people, then that just said more about them than it did me. The fact that Edward could be so understanding and just go along with me and how I choose to respond to things is very nice actually.

The cold of the washcloth was nice and the remaining tearing in my eye finally seemed to come to an end.

I kind of looked high… on one side of my face at least.

I soaked the cloth again just to be sure, and then paused as the sound of dripping continued even when the faucet was off.

…The sink was leaking. More like the pipe under the sink was leaking. More like the pieces connecting everything was causing a leak because of an ugly ass crack.

"Hey, I know you don't really need to use the bathrooms for any purpose, but it'd be best to replace the flange under your sink 'cause it's cracked and is causing a leak," I warned Edward as I came out of the bathroom. "I'd recommend just buying a new one of better quality instead of any kind of hot fixes. They don't last long, and you'll end up spending more money in the end because you won't just replace it entirely."

I could tell by the look on his face that he had no idea what a flange was, and that was kind of hilarious and also totally expected. They didn't really need to use the plumbing for any reason beyond a shower and even then, they could just call someone in to fix it if ever necessary. Why would Edward know about basic stuff like that anyway?

In fact, how many people actually knew what a flange even was? Let's be realistic here.

"Esme will look into it," he promised me as he led me towards the stairs.

"Is she the resident plumber?"

"Yeah. Rose is our mechanic-"

"Badass," I added because it was indeed badass.

"Esme handles architecture, interior design, and even plumbing. Jasper deals with technology and likes tinkering with existing or yet-to-be-released gadgets to improve upon them and then he sells his designs for profit. Carlisle is a doctor, and he can not only smell cancer in a patient right as it's developing, but he can even see things on a microscopic level that none of us can see. Alice is very… intuitive when it comes to the stock market, to an almost precognitive level you could say. She's always monitoring the money and how to keep it stable. And Emmett is obsessed with construction which makes him the best work partner for Esme."

Oh my God! Carlisle actually had a superpower of his own and it was literally a thing that made him the best doctor in the world?! I want to know if the man can see things like atoms and if so, has he ever thought of splitting one in his free time?

And would he be affected by the resulting radiation concerns if he ever did? Could radiation harm vampires? This was never a question I have ever thought of before.

Honestly, forget seeing the future and fucking with emotions and hearing thoughts. Imagine being able to know exactly what ails a patient and knowing exactly which tests to put them through to get the results necessary to begin treatment? Imagine smelling sicknesses at their most basic levels. Imagine being able to possibly invent literal miracle cures and shit just because your advanced senses allow you to skip so many steps in the process.

I haven't been this shook in a while.

"And you? Divulge thy epithets and thy vocation," I said, trying to wrap my head around just how awesome Carlisle really is. Daddy Cullen out here being modest when he's got all the makings of an evil, world-conquering scientist. And he chooses to be a good person.

If Edward could blush, I'm sure he would be right now. "I've dabbled in a few things here and there. It's more like I'm good at reading people and tend to just rely on that to help out the family. Though… I do play a plethora of instruments so perhaps being a musician could count in a way."

Doesn't this dude have like four PhDs or something?

Though it's not as if he can use any of them. He doesn't look old enough to even have a PhD. Carlisle is way older physically and he doesn't even look old enough half the time. Edward still retained the youth of his teenhood. He was certainly more developed than most teen boys in Forks High, outside his family members of course, but he was still very young in the face, and it was pretty obvious.

If he tried to use any of his degrees to apply for a job, he'd probably be accused of lying or something since they'd be obsolete now.

Like, yeah, you got that degree in 1990 but you don't look like you're forty, so can we really trust your claims? And then it would lead to an investigation, however minor, and then stuff would start piling up a bit too quickly. And with the rapid improvements in technology in the early 2000s, things would be found out sooner or later.

I guess it's a good thing that Jasper is the one obsessed with technology, since he's the one with all those connections.

"I know this is toeing the line of the boundaries I set up, but I'm nosy enough to ask anyway… y'all aren't actually related, right?" I need to get this out there to save my ass if I say something later on.

"No."

"Yeah. This many super talented people being born into one bloodline would be incredibly suspicious. Also, despite all the shared physical attributes, none of you look alike. At all." Like, oh yeah, the brown-haired ones are all related to Esme and then the two blondes are somehow blood-related… because they have like-colored hair. Soooo believable.

We passed the collection of graduation caps on the way up to his room and the smile on his face practically begged me to ask about it.

So, in an effort to not disappoint, I decided to be a challenge. "How many of those are actually yours alone?"

Edward specifically went on to point out fourteen different caps, all different shades of black or blue.

"...Is high school really the only option you have? You don't look that young. You could pass for a nineteen or twenty-year-old with ease." He can keep the youthful face but he's simply too tall and too built already to be seventeen forever despite how that's literally what he was.

Though maybe they were just built better in the early 1900s? I don't know, I wasn't born then.

And so came the expected line of, "We matriculate a lot because the younger we start off in a new place, the longer we can stay."

"Dude, that's so depressing."

His head tilted a bit as his brows furrowed. "It's not that bad."

"Having to move around because you don't age and people will begin to notice after too many years pass, is depressing. Yes, you live a privileged life than many of the less fortunate could only dream of having, but that doesn't mean your situation isn't fucked up. You can't stay in one place because people would get suspicious and become nosy and it could land your whole family in an unfortunate situation.

"God forbid the US Government ever found out beings like you exist. Can you realistically survive an atom bomb? Or are your morals so flimsy that you'd be unaffected by blackmail and the attempt to use innocent people to force your compliance? It is genuinely better that people remain unaware of your existence as it is… but we as people are not meant to be alone, so it's understandable that you'd seek community even when it could backfire on you so terribly."

And… I think I've left him speechless again.

I tend to do that a lot, huh?

After a few hours of chilling in Edward's updated room and making him watch Looney Tunes and watching as he came to appreciate a unique way the classics were introduced to many generations of children, he insisted I eat lunch because Esme had been cooking and was super excited to hear my opinion.

Judging by the scent of garlic in the air, it was going to be great. Or it was just the fact that garlic smells great.

Recently, I had gotten used to eating while Edward just sits there and talks, so it wasn't quite so awkward to sit and be watched. Esme was beaming as she proceeded to place down a massive basket of chicken wings, all homemade and fried by herself, alongside a whole pot of homemade garlic habanero sauce.

Esme had literally pulled out a several-quart pot where she deep fried the wings herself, in pounds of oil, all for this purpose. There was also a side of celery sticks and super chunky blue cheese dressing that I have no doubt she made by herself as well.

"I'm going to be filthy; I hope you don't mind," I warned the congregated Cullens as I plopped myself into a seat at the island in the kitchen. The marble countertop was covered in a green plastic tablecloth, no doubt prepared in case I made an absolute mess of myself. It was going to happen; we all know it.

"That's alright dear. There are more wings in the bucket on the stove if you'd like more," Esme said, like the forty wings she'd already given me weren't going to be enough.

And honestly, that might be the case.

I would definitely force myself to eat more than Bella's body can handle if it means I can have all of it for me and me alone. I am just that selfish inside.

"You can take the rest home with you when you're done."

"Thanks!"

And the wings were definitely crispy and crunchy. That's probably why she didn't put the sauce on them herself. Since she couldn't eat them to taste test or even test for texture and such, she would have to rely on me and my eating practices to let her know how she did. Anyway, I have no problem being a test subject in this manner!

Vampires being capable of making delicious food that they couldn't even test themselves was truly a marvel. One of the best things to happen to me since waking up in this world.

Through the meal, Edward decided this was a perfect time to ask me all sorts of Yes or No questions that didn't really require detailed answers. More like a Would You Rather kind of game, without the options to choose from, I suppose.

He seemed delighted that I was humoring him, and Carlisle and Esme watched us back and forth almost like some kind of tennis match.

When Edward asked if I liked yellow, I no doubt made the ugliest face imaginable. He then asked if I hated it more than orange, which left me in a Catch 22 because I like to think I hate both equally.

So then, he went on to ask me if it was possible to get me favorite car ever, but I had to get it in yellow because it would never come in another color, would I accept such a thing, I had to take a break to say, "I'm good. The truck is holding up just fine even at its age and I can just handle that."

"But the truck is a faded red that is now orange," he pointed out, making me wince. Yeah, it was.

I then leveled Edward with a hard stare. "Please do not take this as some kind of green light to buy me a vehicle. I wouldn't be able to justify such a waste of money to my guilt complex."

He looked as if I'd caught him with his hand in the cookie jar. "Dude, I get that your love language seems to be spending money and providing for others, no doubt a remnant of the culture you were born into, but that isn't my love language. Things are different in this day and age, and while being financially stable is nice, it's not the driving focus of real relationships with real people anymore. You don't have to buy me things to prove that you are worthy of spending time with me. This isn't the 1920s, you know."

Esme and Carlisle were wide-eyed, watching as Edward and I stared each other down quietly. They had never witnessed to any of our super serious moments before and probably had no idea what to say.

"It's not that your generosity isn't appreciated," I went on to tell Edward, just so he knew my stance on the matter. "It's very nice of you to want to help others and make others happy, but you also need to reach out to people in the ways they prefer and the ways they respond to. You also need to do a deep dive on yourself and your beliefs and determine if you behave this way because you genuinely want to, or because it was something expected of you while growing up. Only doing things to appease some sort of societal expectation that was impressed upon you at some point, will not result in any real joy or contentment."

And, before returning back to my wings, I added in, "You don't want to end up miserable through your own actions. It never ends well, and you have people in your life who care and will help you in any way they can. It's okay to lean on others sometimes. Being the ever-enduring pillar of fortitude can only last for so long."

SIDE B

"So, as expected, everything went smoothly," Alice said the moment I got out of the Volvo. "Bella is safe and sound at home and she's agreed to come over tomorrow. This doesn't give us a lot of time, but it's still more than we could have hoped for."

Esme began to clap as I walked through the door. "That's wonderful news!"

Personally, I wouldn't say that everything went perfectly smoothly. There were moments in there where I was completely terrified. Both for myself and for Bella. And with her being so close it had been difficult to focus the entire time.

Under the warmth of the sun, Bella's scent had become… more intense. Almost like a deeper level to its composition had been able to blossom under the heat of the midday sun. She certainly smelled better in warmer temperatures compared to colder ones. Perhaps it would be best to maintain air conditioning for the duration of her visit.

And speaking of the visit, the house had to be cleaned.

"Already ahead of you!" Alice declared before I could even say anything, holding up a bucket and a sponge mop. "We've got an entire array of products to use. Esme wants to handle it before you arrive tomorrow so it smells cleaner while Bella's still here."

"You mentioned that Bella was craving hot wings the other night," Esme said, "so I've looked into how to make them for her. I'm so excited to try this out!" Her mind was running through all the recipes she'd looked into and blogs she'd visited. She had an entire game plan in mind.

It touched me to my core to see how supportive my family had been over all of this. Especially when I haven't made it easy for them.

Alice was humming to herself as she flicked through the future, trying to pin down something. Unfortunately, as Bella was the kind of person who just went along with her current urges and spent less time planning, Alice couldn't really make a solid prediction or See a decision in sight.

At best, you'll bring her inside and she'll see the piano and get excited. From there it's all a blur, she explained.

Yes, Bella had explained that she could play the piano. That when she was younger she used to be very arrogant in regard to her skills and how she'd been humbled by a classmate in a talent show. Surely Bella would appreciate a close up of the piano and my own skills with it?

Emmett was grinning and looking pretty proud of himself to boot. So, did your relationship evolve in any way or are you still single?

I glared at him.

Still single then. Don't worry kid, maybe someday soon that will change.

"I happen to be very excited for Esme and Carlisle to hear how Bella and Edward interact," Alice threw in with a little wiggle. "When they sit together for lunch, it's truly amusing. Bella makes him do homework on the books she wants him to read and he takes it so seriously! It's adorable."

Jasper smirked. "All the questions he asked me about Japan were just to understand the basics of this story she's gotten him invested in. He's nowhere near grasping the full culture behind it all."

"That'll take ages," I said defensively. "It's not like I'm from that culture. I'm sure things will become clearer the longer we keep having those discussions, but I'm not holding out hope for depth and understanding in this decade."

Esme reached out to pat my cheek, the warmth of her palm was soothing, as were her thoughts. You've become so much brighter since meeting this young lady. Her influence on you is truly astonishing and I'm just happy that you're finally happy.

There was a deep desire for my family to meet Bella. At the same time, there is also a small bit of fear that stemmed from different issues.

There was the understandable trepidation around the possibility that Bella might not get along with everybody. And I don't want to be any further reason for awkwardness in the family. And it wasn't as if I thought that Bella would go out of her way to make things awkward or annoying, but she was a human, and we were not human. By technicality, based on our individual existences, our kinds were technically not meant to mash up.

To make things even more stressful, there was the potential for anyone of my family members to pull her aside and decide they want to give her an entire rundown of my life. And while I would like to think that I don't really have many embarrassing stories to share, I just know that both Alice and Emmett had a lot of dirt on me, and they would proudly share it in an attempt to embarrass me.

In a way, I did not want Bella's impression of me to be lessened in any way, but I also did not want to potentially sabotage my bonds with my family. This was a meeting the parents' kind of situation, and it was something that I had never had to participate in. And to be frank, neither did anybody else in our family. The only thing that came even remotely close was when Alice and Jasper just popped up one day saying that they were going to be part of our family and then they just became part of the family.

But this was different!

Bella was the outlier in the situation, and she wasn't walking in knowing every last detail of every single person in the house. She was a fragile human and needed human minding at all times. And I don't want her to be made uncomfortable either.

Jasper's entire wave of calm flowed over me instantly, and I managed to take a deep breath and relax a bit.

"It'll be fine," he assured me with a small smile. You're stronger than you think. And Bella Swan is not one to be pushed around. She wouldn't let something like a spike in nerves bulldoze her opinions or actions, unless you'd like to revisit the doctor/nurse comment about Carlisle?

Oh, God. I had almost forgotten about that, but her words would still ring in my head now and then. Carlisle had been too amused to not share it with everyone and it got a few rounds of laughter in the process.

I have never understood the fetish for Doctor/Nurse play, but I'm gettin' it now.

And the thing was… my traitorous mind couldn't help but rewind the situation and change up the details a bit when it came to fantasizing.

See, I'm also a doctor. I have quite a few doctorates under my belt if I may be so proud as to note.

So, whenever that line came to mind, it often wasn't Carlisle in the place of the doctor she was talking about. And that was embarrassing to admit, even to myself.

Never before would I have thought that Doctor/Nurse fetishes would be interesting to me. Or fetishes in general.

I suppose Bella and I are in the same boat in that respect.

Everyone had spent the entire evening preparing for Bella's visit. In fact, Esme had been marinating chicken wings in a special hot sauce buttermilk blend she'd found online. Bella had mentioned hot wings not too long ago during one of our gaming sessions, and I'd brought it up when I'd gotten home. Esme had taken that as inspiration and a chance to finally use the kitchen.

Personally, I had had a minor mental crisis over what to wear for the morning.

See, Alice is the one who primarily does the clothes shopping as she is the one most interested in those things. She keeps up with current fashion trends and makes certain that we all blend it as much as we can considering our appearances and the fact that we can't really change our hair much.

I had an entire closet full of clothes all separated into their own bags by full design. Each bag contained underwear, a t-shirt, an over-shirt, trousers, matching shoes and socks, and a pullover that went with the ensemble.

Normal teenagers pull their clothes out and lay them on their beds to look them over. I had to hang mine from the curtain rod because I do not have a bed. Because I do not sleep. Because I am not human and therefore not normal.

Several dozen bags had been tossed in the corner as I cleared out space to better gaze upon my options.

It was a nice day, and I was feeling interested in brighter colors, so the darker outfits were shoved to the left where they'd be bagged back up later.

But what to wear now? Something simple and not too busy, but perhaps still proper.

Alice appeared in the doorway, "You're wearing that one," she said, mind pulling up the hanger in question. "There's no need to be this nervous over clothes. She's seen you in many styles by now."

Now compared to then is different though, because we're not at school or her house. We're going to be in my house and around my family.

And, adding on to the stress… I want to play her the song I composed for her, but I need a good time. I can't just tell her I wrote her a song and then play it for her, that'd be weird. It has to be natural. Something that can just occur without too much planning or thinking involved.

"Everything will be fine," Alice assured me. "Now go shower and get clean so poor Bella doesn't have an aneurism over germs."

I did as I was ordered because it gave me something to distract myself with.

Esme had finally extracted the chicken wings from the bath of hot sauce buttermilk and was now patting them dry. She intended to let them finish drying in the fridge and once Bella arrived, she would begin baking, and after that, she'd begin frying them five at a time as the instructions said to. She was practically giddy over it and hummed a low tune to herself in the process.

Carlisle was in his office doing paperwork. He was focusing on something about one of his patients who needed a referral to a neurologist in Seattle.

Emmett wanted to replace the stereo in his Jeep, and Rosalie was planning to give the rack and pinion a check over. She then had thoughts of adding yellow neon lights to the underbody. Technically, it wasn't legal in Washington, but so long as it remained off when on public roads, it shouldn't get them in any trouble.

Besides, even if they got pulled over somehow, the fine wasn't exactly something to worry about.

Still, Emmett was unaware of the plan and just thought he was getting a new stereo.

Alice was plotting something with clothes and… anime. She'd been browsing the internet for hours looking up what were considered the most popular anime out right now.

Based on everything that she had heard Bella say so far, it was obvious that an obsession with Japanese anime was the center focus of Bella's fictional interests at present. Alice wanted to get herself acquainted with the styles of the different characters currently revealed in the Naruto franchise so that she had many ideas on which outfits to recreate in person.

For example, it was very obvious that Bella would not want to be dressed up as Sakura ever, despite her unique design. So, there was no point in elaborately recreating whatever outfit it was that Sakara Haruno wore. At the same time, I really don't think Bella would be all too interested in the orange get up that Naruto was known to wear.

This probably left Kakashi and his standard uniform of choice, and then Sasuke whose outfit was very unflattering in my opinion.

Of course, there were a few other characters, but most of them didn't have outfits that stuck out too much.

There was the Zabuza fellow and his massive sword. Creating that in real life would be an interesting undertaking even if the rest of his outfit wasn't too detailed. And Kurenai had a very interesting style, though I must admit that I don't understand if it is a dress, or a single roll of fabric looped around her body multiple times. I'm not even sure if Alice could make a dress/outfit similar to that. The Hokage had a cool hat but that was it. I'm not sure Bella would be interested in replicating Anko's clothes.

Maybe in a couple years…

I wouldn't mind if Bella wanted to dress as Anko. And I tried not to feel guilty about that.

Then there was Gaara, but it was mostly his eyes and the thing on his back that made up his design. Ino's clothes weren't too difficult in design, and the hair would probably be the biggest challenge as it was a very light shade of blonde and dye jobs were a hassle. Rock Lee was unique, but the leotard and the leg warmers weren't exactly… fashionable.

We'll just have to see, I suppose.

Besides, Naruto wasn't the only anime Bella had mentioned, and Hunter X Hunter and Revolutionary Girl Utena had options to choose from as well. Two different styles to be precise. Alice was already frothing at the mouth over the idea of designing a ball gown and a matching sword.

Yes, we'd looked into that particular anime. It was... interesting to say the least.

As for Jasper, he'd decided to take his time to read up on some new works of fiction. He'd recently acquired I Am Legend and was planning to get through it before the day ended.

When I was all finished, I ended up rather pleased with how things turned out. Perfectly ironed trousers made the outfit come together quite nicely. I felt more like a fictional character than me though, as this was not something I'd wear all too often.

Still, there was no more time left to procrastinate because I was due to pick Bella up soon.

The drive over was filled with Vivaldi because I was trying to relax, but more in the not-nervous kind of way, and less in the no-energy at all kind of way.

Bella likes Vivaldi, which is nice. She probably wouldn't mind listening to it on the way back to my house. At least if I choose the right song.

I arrived exactly on time, as I expected to. Thirty-five past nine just so we'd hopefully reach my home by ten. Bella opened the door and then just stared at me for fourteen seconds, in complete silence might I add.

Suddenly, I'm regretting choosing this outfit. Especially since she'd chosen an all-black ensemble. Perhaps the dark options would have suited me better today after all.

"Do you dress like that on days when we don't have school?" Bella finally asked, staring down at my shoes as if they'd offended her. They were a simple pair of tan slipper loafers and were very nice to look at in my opinion. Comfort wasn't exactly something clothes could really provide, but they at least looked nice. Looking the way one wanted was at least a step toward feeling at peace with oneself.

"To be honest," I admitted, "Alice is the one who chooses everyone's clothes and then I just pick out whatever stands out the most on that particular day."

She was still looking at my shoes as she said, "You do know that Carlton is not very popular in the story, right?"

I beg to differ, actually. He always felt like a very outstanding character in my eyes. And Alfonso Ribeiro was a phenomenal actor who just gave the character so much life. Personally, I feel that Carlton was very much necessary in the story and played a much larger part than Bella seems to believe.

Though now that she'd bought it up, I am aware that I am dressed very much like what one would imagine when thinking of Carlton. There was a yellow cardigan included in the bag, but I had chosen not to wear it because it wasn't too cold outside, and it wouldn't look natural in my opinion.

"I'll have you know that I happened to like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and that I liked Carlton as a character as well."

Bella's lips pursed and she valiantly tried to stop herself from smiling at whatever was going on in her head. Based on our history of interactions, it was probably something at my expense.

I took a moment, while she busied herself in her amusement, to take in her own appearance.

She didn't look much different from usual, though her hair seemed a lot more shiny and soft today. A light, floral scent covered her flushed skin, and I could tell she'd put on her favorite chapstick before leaving the house.

"As for your own outfit… you look very nice." I have complimented Bella many times already. At some point it has to feel repetitive and lacking in genuine feeling. It's still true of course, but it probably doesn't sound that way.

But she is rather lovely, and I enjoy just watching her simply be.

"What? Does the black-on-black-on-black ensemble not do it for you, or am I too emo?"

It did it for me a little too much actually, not that she needed to know that little detail. I find myself curious to see how she'd accept a real leather jacket.

Furthermore, when it came to the style she embodied, she wasn't even right in her suggestion.

"You don't even have the right hairstyle for the emo look nor would you fit the grunge look." I think she'd need some fishnet, a lot of hairspray, a lot of black eyeliner, side-swept bangs, graphic t-shirts, and a piercing or two for the emo, and baggy, ripped jeans and perhaps a few beanies added on for the grunge idea, oh, and something plaid for the aesthetic.

To give more Avril Lavigne.

"However, you could perhaps very loosely be given the Goth tag if that is something you absolutely need." With her hair looking almost black in the dreary weather of Forks, Bella's only splash of color was her skin, and to be honest, there wasn't much pigment there at all, which made her appear almost ghostly in her chosen attire for the day.

Black skinny jeans, a black shirt with belled sleeves, and black ballet flats, coupled with her near-black hair and black-looking eyes when in the shade, and Bella was like a walking billboard for the modern goth scene of the twenty-first century. All she needed was some dark makeup and maybe a fake piercing somewhere visible and she'd have it.

"We sure do make quite the pair."

It pleases me that she's willing to lump the both of us into a group together. That makes it feel more like we're companions and less like people who occasionally hang out.

"Did Charlie go out again?" I asked, since for once I did not know. I'd been too busy at home to check. And since he wasn't at home, there were only a few places he could be.

"Yeah. They're having a lil' shindig down at the reservation and he's been invited."

That made sense. His best friend lived on the reservation, and he was related to the Quileutes anyway, so of course they'd invite him to an event. Bella had probably been invited as well… but she'd had prior commitments. With me.

I'm trying not to be too pleased by that.

Bella followed me to the car, asking, "So, what can you tell me about this day of ours?"

I was seated beside her within the next second, as if I'd never left her side to begin with. "Esme is cooking you lunch and dinner and is very excited about it."

She hummed in response, but that was all.

As we drove on over, I ruminated on whether or not I should formally introduce Bella to everyone. She'd met them all except Esme already, so was an introduction even necessary?

Would it just make the most sense to have brought her inside and show her around that way?

Maybe she'd like to see the piano. She said she could play, and I'd be interested to see what she'd choose. With her taste in music, it could literally be anything from a hymn to something Japanese that I don't know.

I wonder if she can play anything else. She's never mentioned it, but for all I know, she took private lessons in other things. A lot about Bella didn't add up after all, so the chances of there being more than Jenks somehow wasn't able to find, were incredibly high.

Bella's head bobbed to a beat only she could hear, and it clashed with what was already playing. She didn't ask me to change it though, and for once, she wasn't mumbling the words to herself, so I have no idea what was going on in her head.

She gripped the hem of her shirt pretty tightly though. I wonder what was wrong.

The drive was rather quick in my opinion, and by the time we were nearing the long driveway leading up to the house, I could hear everyone clearly.

I'm taking the wings out of the fridge now, Esme made sure to tell me. I dried them off and kept them in the fridge to better dry out. I'll bake them first, then fry them up when it's closer to lunch.

Alice was still in her room doing her research, but she was practically vibrating with excitement about the visit.

Everyone else was simply going about their business.

Carlisle had even left his office so he could come down and greet Bella personally.

Emmett and Rosalie were outside working on the Jeep. The garage was too full, and Rosalie needed all the space possible so she could do what she wanted. Emmett was sitting in the driver's seat, fiddling with his new stereo.

Can't believe you guys kept the lights a secret from me! he thought, aiming his shock in my direction. A whole house full of vampires and surprises are still possible. Maybe I should have spinning rims to the Jeep.

I don't think the Jeep is the kind of vehicle you'd put spinning rims on.

Bella would probably encourage him though, since every car she designed in Need for Speed Underground 2 had them.

Emmett's thought trailed to hydraulics and the idea of getting them added to Rosalie's BMW in return. I can practically feel Pimp My Ride becoming my family's reality soon if they keep this up.

I wonder if Bella likes that show. Emmett loved it, Rosalie thought it was a sham.

Before Bella could even get her seatbelt off, I was opening her door. It's a habit of mine and I can tell just by how she froze for a moment, that it was probably a bit much for her.

"Moving at the speed of sound is not going to make time move any faster you know. I'm still slow as hell at the end of the day."

Her comment left me stunned for a moment as she stood and patted herself down to make certain everything was in place just as she wanted it to be. Her hair was fine, but she seemed particularly concerned about the ends laying right.

"Normally people talk about the speed of light," I told her, trying to catch up to the new topic of conversation. Leave it to Bella to be the odd man out.

"Your ass ain't that fast," she said with a huff. "My eyes can still perceive your movement even just a bit, and I'm pretty sure my body would have disintegrated if you ran at the speed of light with me on your back."

…Your girlfriend is weird, Emmett thought.

I didn't even bother to correct him, because there were more important things happening. Such as Bella once again saying something truly terrifying with a straight face. How she could manage that so often and not be affected in any way is a mystery to me.

"That's so gruesome."

"I mean- If there's nothing even left, it can't be that gruesome."

She didn't even understand why it was so creepy to hear! Perhaps she was into horror and suspense thrillers. That would explain such an approach.

"I was commenting more on how blasé you're being over the idea of your body just being disintegrated into nothing," I made sure to tell her.

Alice was laughing from inside the house as I led Bella up the stairs to the front door. She was already amused, and Bella hadn't even been here for a minute. What else could happen in the next few hours?

"Well, if it was actually happening, I doubt I'd even be aware of it, so there's no reason to be offended or scared. It's just science at the end of the day."

…If everyone approached life with such an outlook, I wonder how humanity would function.

Just as expected, Esme and Carlisle were awaiting us, with Alice and Jasper not too far behind them.

She's looking pretty good. That shirt must be new since she's never worn it before today, Alice noted, taking in the dimensions of Bella's sleeves.

Finally calmed down? Jasper asked.

They look so cute together, Esme smiled.

Carlisle looked on approvingly, because I still managed to observe proper treatment of a lady. He'd never hold us to such expectations of course, but Carlisle lived by a specific moral code on how he preferred to treat others and be treated in return. He appreciated good manners and common decency above all else.

Unsurprisingly, it was Esme who decided to greet Bella first. She'd practically been bursting with the urge to meet her ever since that major family debate we'd had.

She desperately wished to know the person that got me invested in composing again.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Bella. If it'll make you feel better, we can put on some of those gloves," she said, gesturing to the nearby box. "I made certain everything was as clean as possible before you arrived."

Bella's cheeks flushed instantly as she shook Esme's hand firmly. "Thanks for going to all the trouble."

Oh, it was no trouble at all!

"It's usually not so bad whenever I'm around Edward because he's not sneezing in people's faces, wiping his nose or mouth on his sleeves, or, even more disgustingly, putting his hands all over other people's possessions."

With the whole being dead bit, doing most of that was pretty impossible. Also, I avoid touching people in general, so of course I wouldn't be doing that. One, I don't want to go around touching people, and two, I don't like people enough for that stance to ever change.

Though I have noticed that Bella personally does not seem to like touching too much either. And she always hesitates just slightly when she goes to touch Angela or Jessica or Mike. Probably because she's never fully aware of the state of their cleanliness and it makes her nervous.

Jasper has noted just how anxious she gets all the time. I doubt she's even aware of it.

Before anyone else could say much, Alice bounded forward, intent upon getting the hug she'd long desired from Bella. We all got to hear Bella's heartbeat practically triple in speed as they made physical contact, and I almost sighed in jealousy over it. Of course, Alice was still her favorite Cullen.

Now, now, Jasper tried to soothe me teasingly, let her have her moment. What she feels is akin to a crush with very strong physical attraction, but she's also displayed that same amount of attraction to Carlisle.

Well now I'm just floundering for some semblance of control.

Bella fancies Carlisle too?!

Like, I know she finds him handsome but to the same extent as Alice? Even after everything she said?!

Thankfully, the meet and greet did not need to last too long, because Jasper had things to do, Alice had designs to finish, and Esme wanted to make certain the chicken wings would be perfect. She was also dying to have some time with Carlisle so they could talk amongst themselves about mine and Bella's relationship.

This left me with the duty of showing Bella around the first floor, where I made certain to lead her toward the piano first. It had to appear natural, but still kind of obvious in a way.

Maybe I could get her to play!

"This is relatively new to me," I told her as I pulled the bench out for us both to sit on it. "The old one is in storage. I liked the color of this one more." The old one also suffered mild damage from a mover back in the 90s. The poor man had panicked terribly when he realized he'd dropped a Steinway.

We never pursued the situation as it was rather pointless, and we could easily pay for it to be fixed. But in the end, this one came across my way while I was waiting for the other to be repaired, and it just spoke to me more.

Bella sat down and cracked all of her knuckles, as well as bent all of her fingers from side to side to better loosen them up, I'm sure. It still sounded absolutely disgusting and made me so glad that I felt no urges to do that to myself.

She tested a few scales, first with the right hand and then the left, and nodded to herself as her fingers moved from key to key with little hesitation.

She plays the piano as well? Esme thought with admiration. It's so sweet!

Without preamble, Bella's fingers spread to cover six different keys. She was a chord player, it seemed. Focusing most on the basics of movements to play the song. It was slow, and each note required a different chord, but in the end, her hands merely moved back and forth, while the shape of her fingers remained the same.

I've heard her singing this one before. It's one she tends to fall back on a lot when her mood was low.

"Is that a hymn?" I asked, trying to think of the lyrics I'd heard her side before.

From the kitchen, Esme's thoughts drifted to me. One of my favorites. Truly beautiful on the church organ. If only we had one it would be stunning.

And then, for the first time in a very long time, Esme chose to sing… and the whole house stopped to listen in awe.

"Abide with me, fast falls the eventide. The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide. When other helpers fail and comforts flee, help of the helpless, O abide with me." It was an angelic sort of sound, and there was something warm and special about it.

I wonder what it was about this song for Bella to choose it first.

After listening to classical music on the car on the way over, to Bella sitting there and thinking about whatever song was actually in her head, she still somehow ended up playing a church hymn. I would never think to start off a session with a hymn, but perhaps it was because it was just simple.

With this kind of song, Bella did not have to worry about extensive notes and fingering and other such things as tempo. She maintained a simple tune the entire time and was in no rush to change it. Perhaps she hadn't been able to play the piano in a while and just wanted to get back into the swing of it more easily.

However, this song typically seems to be one that people would play funerals, so it was an interesting choice for Bella to play something like this.

I'm going to do the final verse to close it out, Esme thought. It's a lovely song but can become very emotional if on for too long. Still, this was a nice change of pace, and I think I'm going to go looking for some classical renditions of this later on.

"Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes; shine through the gloom and point me to the skies. Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee; in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me."

Definitely a funeral song.

Bella is on the verge of tears, Jasper warned me from upstairs. Whatever pushed her to play this, is truly weighing on her heart.

Should I ask about it?

I can smell the salt from her tears already, but I'm not sure she'd appreciate my prying into her feelings right now.

But isn't that what a good friend is supposed to do? When it seems like your friend is sad, shouldn't you be a good friend and ask them about it? But at the same time, interacting with humans and interacting with vampires was a very different thing. When it came to vampires or pretty much anybody who wasn't Bella, I didn't really have to question them to find out why they were feeling the way they feel. Typically, everything was just laid out for me to hear.

As such, I had developed no real skills in normal conversation, and therefore I was not certain about which social cues meant it was acceptable to broach this type of conversation. She wasn't looking at me, and her head was angled downward, so she was probably trying to hide the fact that she was so sad.

But what if she wanted to be consoled?

My ruminations were interrupted when Bella transitioned into a new song. One that was much faster, but not exactly energetic. In fact, it had a more majestic feeling to it. And I swear, it sounds like an orchestra should be playing it.

Bella's mood has significantly improved, Jasper told me. Maybe she just really likes Star Trek.

Oh!

"Is that the Deep Space Nine theme?" Bella likes Deep Space Nine?! This is amazing news! Something that we can further bond on perhaps, since she knows the song so well.

"Do you like Star Trek?" she asked, glancing away from the keys to gauge my reaction.

"Mm. Deep Space Nine is my favorite of the television shows thus far." It just feels so special to me and makes me feel more invested.

The Original Series was definitely decent, but the inconsistencies in the filming and the political discourse over them daring to have non-white actors and actresses involved in the show, ruined its initial impression on me. I can't think about TOS without remembering the horrible things said about Nichelle Nichols. She is also from Chicago and I'm a bit biased. She's a lovely performer.

It's nice to know that Bella and I can have all sorts of conversations that don't have to center around just video games and anime. It feels like I will personally have something to contribute. And while her knowledge of Naruto is extensive, my knowledge of Star Trek is unparalleled. My memory would allow for nothing less.

"And let me guess… your favorite character is Odo."

…I am feeling very called out right now. What about me made her think of him first?

Emmett was laughing in the Jeep. She knows you too well! You might as well propose right now!

"...Yes. Actually, very much so. I find him to be a very fascinating and complex character."

He was a non-human being devoid of his past memories, who walked through life in a humanoid shape that wasn't quite realistic enough to be compelling. He spent much of his new existence trying to understand human nature and learn how to simply exist in the morally correct way.

Of course, such a character would be a draw to me.

Always looking on and watching humanity, and serving as a voice of an outsider trying to fit in.

I like Odo very much.

"Do you have a favorite Star Trek series?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation going since we'd finally gotten into a topic I'm personally knowledgeable in.

Probably The Next Generation, if I had to guess.

"Voyager of course."

Or not.

Though, considering Bella as I know her to be…

"...Is it because of Janeway?"

There was a moment of silence from Bella as she finished the song and began it anew.

"Partially," she finally said, lips pursed. "I also liked how it takes place in the Delta Quadrant with new species to encounter and new problems to experience and everything couldn't be traced back to the same two enemies every other episode."

The aggression that entered her tone on those last words made me smile. Bella truly gets so invested into her fandoms and it's rather adorable in my opinion.

"And your favorite characters?"

"Seven of Nine and Tuvok."

Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One. A person who was born as a human and then was changed into something non-human against her will. Personally, her origins were a very particular kind that also called out to me, being of a similar sort. But that was basically where the similarities ended, because she was a victim of child kidnapping and non-consensual body and mind modification and spent much time trying to contact her captors again because she knew of no other way to be. My situation wasn't even remotely similar.

As for Tuvok… Actually, he makes a lot more sense.

If one were to line Seven of Nine, Tuvok, and Odo up, it's not exactly wrong to say they're not too different from each other. The logical outsiders looking in on emotional human interaction and serving as foils to the ideals of the standard character model set for the main character of each series.

However, I'm certain that what is drawing me to Odo's character is not what drew Bella to Seven of Nine and Tuvok.

Odo feels very personal in a way. What about Seven of Nine and Tuvok made them so special to Bella?

My ruminations were interrupted by Jasper's thoughts, informing me that, I don't know what you did but Bella is very happy right now. Almost bubbling with amusement.

With a huff, I turned to Bella and gave her a heatless glare. "Now why am I getting the feeling that you're laughing at me?"

She is in fact, laughing at you, Jasper clarified.

Bella adopted an expression of innocence, her brown eyes becoming wide and glassy. "My lips have been sealed and my lungs have neither taken in or lost any excessive air. I have no idea what you could possibly be accusing me of."

Carlisle and Esme tittered at her response, and Alice sighed in appreciation.

"Right." She was just so totally innocent. "Got any songs I might not know somewhere in that maddening head of yours?"

She gave it a moment of thought, and then snickered to herself and spread her hands across the keys. This time, her back was straight, and her jaw was tight. She was about to attempt something far grander that what she'd focused on prior.

It started on E and had a distinctive quality that reminded me of Korobeiniki, which was the Russian folk song that was used as the main theme of Tetris. If it had a more video game sound, it'd be even closer. Not exactly true to traditional Russian folk songs prior to the 18th century, as it leaned more heavily on what was stereotyped as Russian in the more present day, but the intent is easy enough to pick up.

I have never heard this one before, though it doesn't shock me that Bella would know of foreign music that I do not.

She knows many things I do not.

Still, I could not even begin to wonder where she'd learned this from but judging by the intense look of concentration on her face, and the minor mistakes she made as she missed keys or accidentally hit more than one with a single finger, it wasn't something she'd perfected yet. And as it got faster and faster, it was clear that this was more for pure entertainment because of the skill and less for musical enjoyment.

And again, but faster. The overall melody was simple enough, she just kept making it faster and faster.

Finally, I had to say, "I've never heard this before."

She nodded as she finished it off finally, though she didn't look as pleased with herself as she'd been before starting. Perhaps the challenge was truly that intense. Still, she'd done very well, and it was in fact entertaining to see how fast she could go.

I wonder how fast I could make it go with the speed that I can play at.

Would the piano even be capable of handling that though? It might fall apart on me if I tried.

"It sounds Russian," I added, hoping that maybe she'd elaborate a bit on it.

Instead, she snorted and shrugged. "I would just like to say that no, I did not come up with that song and no, I did not perform it as fast as it is supposed to be performed. However, I can teach it to you and then we can see how fast you can perform it considering your unnatural speed and how it probably extends to fingering."

Instantly, Emmett's laughter filled the air and practically shook the walls of the house despite how he was still outside. SHE'S A TRIP! YOU NEED TO PROPOSE RIGHT NOW SO I CAN HAVE ACCESS TO HER MIND AT ALL TIMES!

Oh my, was Esme's reaction.

As Bella's face turned a bright red, and her thunderous cackle filled the room, the rest of my family finally seemed to understand what was being said. Accidentally, obviously.

I can only imagine what Bella will end up saying in the future, Alice remarked.

If Bella and Emmett end up in close quarters for too long, it's going to spell disaster for the rest of us. Edward, for the sake of my sanity please do not enable them, I beg of you, Jasper pleaded.

By this point, Bella had been laughing for so long that tears where actually streaming down her face, and she rushed to wipe them away.

All of this because Bella basically made an innuendo and Emmett was the one to catch on first. And now both of them were too busy stuck in their own amusement to properly function.

A literal child, Rosalie grumbled as she imagined kicking her husband in the shin to shut him up.

I tried not to dig too deeply into the unintended joke and instead, focused on her words. She'd basically challenged me to complete the song she'd just performed, but even faster. I'd like to surprise her with it at some point, and I'm certain I could probably compose a more difficult version on top of that.

I sat upright and moved a little closer to the keys so I could reach all of them. It'd be best to progress past this moment. Bella was still wiping away her tears, smile wide and carefree and lovely.

"Got any requests for me?" I asked her, hoping for something I'd actually recognize.

And even if it's a song I've never played before, so long as I know it, it shouldn't be too hard to come up with a satisfactory version at the moment. As a vampire, my mind functions faster than that of a human so I would need less time to prepare myself for such a challenge.

"Hm… Hungarian Dance No. 5 at mid-tempo."

It was as if the clouds had parted, and the sun came shining down upon us. "You like Brahms?" I asked as I immediately set to fulfilling her request.

"I like the songs I know," Bella admitted as she continued to rub at her eyes. They were still watery from all that laughing it seemed. Her face had yet to return to its normal color too.

"I know some, but not all, and I don't like all of them either. This one just makes me very excited. I probably heard it on Looney Tunes at some point."

Hm… not an answer I expected to hear.

Also, not one I'm familiar with. To be honest, that was never something I was interested in looking into.

"I've never watched Looney Tunes. It never seemed to be something targeted toward my type of audience."

It was only in recent years, through Alice's specific instructions, that I'd been forced to understand that animation is not an inferior form of storytelling and that cartoons are actually pretty interesting. Most of them still don't interest me, but even I have watched Spongebob Squarepants and enjoyed it.

Band Geeks remains the superior episode for a reason.

However, when it comes to Looney Tunes, I know of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck's shenanigans and constant competitive natures, but that's about it.

"I recommend the Rabbit of Seville. Best one out of them all, and you probably know which song plays during the episode just by name alone."

Il barbiere di Siviglia.

A much beloved opera in my humble opinion. And music is always a nice way to lift the mood. I find myself much more interested now. Especially if it is something Bella likes.

I OWN THE BOX SET! Alice declared. We can watch it together at any time! Just say the word.

"Ah. I'm sure Alice may have actually bought the Looney Tunes box set at some point. I can get acquainted before Tuesday morning, I'm sure."

Bella turned to look at me so fast that her neck popped in the process, and I got a full view of her twitching eye and the tears still pouring down her reddened face.

"Something tells me you would like to watch them with me?"

She nodded.

"Shall we do that now then as we wait for lunch to roll around?"

Another moment to rub at her eye, displacing some of her now soaked eyelashes and revealing that one of them had somehow managed to bend backwards. That was why she was still tearing up. She almost looked ill if I'm being honest.

"Oh my God, yes! Could I use your bathroom first though? I think one of my eyelashes turned traitor and it's stabbing me."

"Your left eye is very red now and yes, a lash in the middle has bent all the way up and over and is poking directly into your cornea." It looked unpleasant. I'm so glad my body can't do anything like that to me.

One of those few benefits to being a vampire I suppose. None of those pesky, embarrassing situations the human body could put a person in.

"Right in front of both of us too and neither of us noticed it."

I escorted her to the closest bathroom. The house had four because despite everything, we still liked being clean and did not like the idea of sharing a single bathroom to get ready in. Therefore, it was easier on all of us to just have multiples upstairs and downstairs.

"I can get you a pair of tweezers. Would you prefer to get it yourself or would my dexterity be useful at this moment?" I'm certain I can handle it with ease, but I don't want to overstep any boundaries.

Bella was holding the skin of her lower eye down so that the eyelash couldn't actually hurt her any further. The inner flesh around the eyeball was pink and filled with small veins. I could see the intricate details in the striations of her iris more clearly in the fluorescent light of the bathroom.

Her eyes weren't just brown. There were several shades of amber, green, and warm chocolate in there, layered over and over so close together that they gave the appearance of brown from a distance. The human iris always looked like pieces of thread that had been woven into unique patterns to me.

"I'm going to just yank it out in the end so if that's something you're comfortable with, then go for it."

I went to get the tweezers and didn't even have to go far because Alice appeared at the foot of the stairs to hand over a new pair that was still in the packaging. "Just take it easy and everything will be fine," she told me.

"Thanks."

Bella was leaning against the sink when I returned.

After a moment of hesitation, I gently took her soft and smooth jaw into my hand and angled her head for a better view of the affected area. I tried valiantly to not pay her exposed throat too much attention. Or the fact that her blood was right there, so close to the surface and so hot under her skin.

I could actually feel the way it rushed through her body beneath my hands.

It was a dangerous sound to me, but also beautiful because it was proof that she was alive and present and that she still had a life to live.

"Do you want a warning, or should I just do it?" I offered, tweezers at the ready.

"Can't be more stressful than getting blasted in the eyes by a tonometer at the optometrist."

"Can't say I've had the experience," I revealed with a small smirk of amusement.

"Privilege," she countered.

It took no time at all. I'd done more dangerous procedures than this before and I never made a mistake in any of them. Removing a single eyelash was nothing compared to open-heart surgery, that's for certain.

Bella blinked repeatedly once she was free of my grasp, no doubt trying to return her vision to normal and reacquaint herself with basic comfort. "That took the phrase 'getting bent' in a completely unnecessary way. My face is so hot now," she said as she patted at her warm cheeks.

"Would you need an ice pack?" Carlisle had placed half a dozen in the freezer just to be sure. While none of us wanted Bella to get hurt, it's no trouble for us to prepare just in case something beyond any of our control happens.

Also, there were two doctors on the premises, even if I'm not the one actively practicing right now, so of course we'd have the necessities on hand just to be safe.

"Um… just a washcloth."

We kept those nearby because most human homes were set up that way.

"Thanks," she murmured, already running it under cold water.

"Would you like a drink before we go upstairs? We bought cans of Coke because you like it so much."

"Two please. And thanks for being so chill about the odd turns of our interactions."

Esme had been so excited to shop for very specific things that Bella would enjoy. She'd anticipated that Bella would be coming over a lot more in the future and she wanted to be sure that we had things on hand for Bella's enjoyment.

We even have rabbit-themed candies and chocolates of all sorts because Bella made mention of liking rabbits more than cats or dogs at one point during lunch with her friends.

Two chilled Coke cans were placed in my hands by Esme before I could actually enter the kitchen. She was beaming and Carlisle, not too far behind her, mirrored the expression. I could hear Bella wetting her washcloth and patting at her face. She was humming to herself, though I doubt she's aware of it.

She tends to be oblivious to such things.

It was cute.

When Bella stepped out of the bathroom, it was accompanied by the persistent sound of dripping water. She motioned a thumb behind her, toward the sink, and said, "Hey, I know you don't really need to use the bathrooms for any purpose, but it'd be best to replace the flange under your sink 'cause it's cracked and is causing a leak."

Your girl knows about plumbing? Emmett asked, not actually looking for an answer. It was more of an observation. That's a bit hot, you know.

"I'd recommend just buying a new one of better quality instead of any kind of hotfixes. They don't last long, and you'll end up spending more money in the end because you won't just replace it entirely."

As for Esme, who was the one that took care of such things in the house, she was already making note of what to do. It involved taking a significant part of the bathroom apart to check if everything was still in working order. And yes, the flange in question did come up, and suddenly Bella's words made more sense.

It won't take too much effort to fix, Esme assured me. We could have it done before tomorrow even.

"Esme will look into it," I told Bella, just so she'd know that no one was ignoring her advice.

"Is she the resident plumber?"

"Yeah." And architect, designer, and standard technician. "Rose is our mechanic-"

"Badass!" Bella concluded with a sharp nod, earning herself a pleased hum from Rosalie herself.

As for me… I really wanted to share more information as I led Bella to the stairs. "Esme handles architecture, interior design, and even plumbing." She'd designed many of our houses and many others for other people. For our cousins in Alaska, she designed their home as well. It was built right into the side of a mountain.

"Jasper deals with technology and likes tinkering with existing or yet-to-be-released gadgets to improve upon them and then he sells his designs for profit." Jasper was even trying to create functioning holograms. Almost like bringing many things in Star Trek into reality. He swore it was possible and that it was only a matter of time before things advanced far enough to get there.

"Carlisle is a doctor, and he can not only smell cancer in a patient right as it's developing, but he can even see things on a microscopic level that none of us can see." Being a doctor was the best possible job for someone like Carlisle. We should all count ourselves lucky that he spent his time trying to help others. If his inclinations leaned toward cruel experimentation, he'd be a far greater threat than most anyone.

Judging by the look on Bella's face, she found this information to be the most fascinating.

"Alice is very… intuitive when it comes to the stock market, to an almost precognitive level you could say. She's always monitoring the money and how to keep it stable." She did a lot more than that of course, being capable of Seeing the future as she could. Still, that was her main contribution to things, and she enjoyed how quickly things could change because it made things feel more challenging.

"And Emmett is obsessed with construction which makes him the best work partner for Esme." He tended to be the brawn that helped set everything up. Emmett also had a minor obsession with steelmaking and woodworking too. Carpentry was also a skill of his.

Bella's eyes couldn't possibly get any wider. She looked as if she'd vibrate out of her skin at any moment.

"And you?" she asked. "Divulge thy epithets and thy vocation."

Alice's tinkling laugh floated down the stairs. Her way with words makes this even better!

"I've dabbled in a few things here and there. It's more like I'm good at reading people and tend to just rely on that to help out the family. Though… I do play a plethora of instruments so perhaps being a musician could count in a way."

There was a moment, where Bella stared me down at the foot of the stairs. Where I felt as if she knew more than she let on.

Bella is doubting you, Jasper told me. Just another thing in a long list of curious behaviors that don't make sense yet are still suspicious.

So, she could tell that my words about myself weren't entirely true.

"I know this is toeing the line of the boundaries I set up, but I'm nosy enough to ask anyway… y'all aren't actually related, right?"

"No."

It shouldn't be too revealing to tell her that much at least.

She nodded to herself. "Yeah. This many super talented people being born into one bloodline would be incredibly suspicious. Also, despite all the shared physical attributes, none of you look alike. At all."

As we ascended the stairs, Bella caught sight of our… collection of graduation caps. Her eyes trailed over each one carefully, and I waited eagerly for her to ask about them. A little private joke of ours and any time we need to have humans around for work of some sort, it always makes them pause and wonder.

Of course, Bella had to be different from everyone else who has ever visited our home.

"How many of those are actually yours alone?"

HA!

She's so observant.

If all people reacted this way, I'd be so concerned for our secret.

With a sigh, I gestured to all fourteen caps that were mine. I had marked them specifically to set them apart. Four of them were from colleges, but the rest were all from high school.

Yes, I have graduated far too many times. It gets very old after a while. I have the most graduation caps out of my siblings and it is… annoying.

Bella's head tilted as she looked back and forth between me and the caps. "...Is high school really the only option you have? You don't look that young. You could pass for a nineteen or twenty-year-old with ease."

"We matriculate a lot because the younger we start off in a new place, the longer we can stay." It shouldn't be too bad to explain that, right? That wasn't exactly giving anything important away, right?

There was a moment of silence, before Bella's eyebrows furrowed. "Dude, that's so depressing."

"It's not that bad." Going through the whole song and dance over and over was annoying, true, but it could literally be worse. And we always leave before people have enough time to get too suspicious. As Bella has stated many times before, we do have a lot of wealth and privilege at our disposal and things would certainly be a lot harder if that wasn't the case.

She shook her head, still looking displeased.

"Having to move around because you don't age and people will begin to notice after too many years pass, is depressing."

Ouch! Emmett gasped dramatically. She always has a way of just cutting to the heart of the issue instantly, huh? Not even a spare thought to lighten the impact.

"Yes, you live a privileged life that many of the less fortunate could only dream of having, but that doesn't mean your situation isn't fucked up. You can't stay in one place because people would get suspicious and become nosy and it could land your whole family in an unfortunate situation."

And yet even after all of her criticism, she can still find it in her heart to have sympathy for our situation.

"God forbid the US Government ever found out beings like you exist," she went on to say.

Something we dread every single day, of course.

"Can you realistically survive an atom bomb?"

Probably not, though I don't think any of us have truly given it enough thought before. Since we're pretty weak to flames, explosions probably wouldn't be a good experience.

"Or are your morals so flimsy that you'd be unaffected by blackmail and the attempt to use innocent people to force your compliance?" Bella added. She was always thinking of the worst possible scenario.

It was things like that that made the Volturi so intent upon our kind not being discovered. Becoming a vampire did not make us suddenly different at heart. And plenty of vampires had guilt complexes they dealt with constantly.

Guilt-tripping a vampire, especially one who was incredibly young, into doing something, wouldn't be too difficult with enough power to back it up.

Jasper in particular, found Bella's line of thinking to be interesting, as well as a very good example of different mindsets. She has the mind of a leader. She looks and sees and ponders as a result. Her brain makes leaps to logical conclusions very quickly, and she pinpoints the real crux of an issue. Be glad she's so calm and carefree as a person, otherwise she'd be a real threat that Rosalie would truly need to worry about.

"It is genuinely better that people remain unaware of your existence as it is… but we as people are not meant to be alone, so it's understandable that you'd seek community even when it could backfire on you so terribly."

She finally turned around and began to ascend the staircase once more, leaving me to my own thoughts and wondering just what other world-shattering observations she'd make while here.

Needless to say, Esme had been suitably impressed.

"To be honest I'm surprised you have something like this in here, but not so surprised you don't need a bed."

"I don't sleep," I revealed, watching as she shifted back and forth on the chaise lounge I'd purchased in a panic last week in preparation for a day when she'd come over here.

"And that's why you look like you need ten years of it," Bella commented, somehow already upside down on the chaise, head dangling off the edge as her feet pointed toward the ceiling. Her long hair had pooled on the floor and looked more like black ink than hair. The lighting of my room wasn't enough to display any highlights it seems. "Does makeup not work?"

"Actually, powders don't really work all that much… and liquids don't come in many of our skin tones…"

"...Because you're all so white you're basically translucent?"

An apt description, honestly. "Basically," I agreed. "Powders just rub off as there is nothing for them to adhere to. Liquid foundation can last around an hour or so if applied liberally to the location in question but… it's a bit obvious when we wear it as it looks like a literal layer of additional wet skin. It also doesn't work in the sunlight."

"'Cause you sparkle like a disco ball in the sun?"

And there was Emmett's cackling from outside again. BURN, BABY, BURN! DISCO INFERNO!

"Yes."

"That sucks."

Alice appeared in the doorway to my room, holding up the box set of Looney Tunes and bearing a mischievous smile. "Hi, Bella! I brought this for you guys to enjoy!"

Bella's orientation flipped around in a mass of limbs upon hearing Alice's voice, and if it wasn't for my advanced speed, she would have faced-planted on the floor while attempting to sit up properly. "Thanks," she murmured into my shoulder, and I set her back to rights. Her face had gotten very pink in the process, and she stared Alice down like a woman possessed.

"My heroes," Bella said with a grand wave of her arm.

"Edward got that chaise lounge while thinking of you," Alice added as Bella accepted the DVD box from her. "He was so concerned about his usual armchair not being enough because 'what if having her just sit in the chair and me looming over her makes her uncomfortable?'" she mimicked perfectly, easily sounding like I had when I made the purchase.

Alice was giddy though, eager to embarrass me further in front of my… friend. "When I suggested you just sit in his lap, he got offended on your behalf. So, then I suggested he sit in your lap and the argument ended up pretty much the same."

Bella hummed. "I wouldn't jive with that simply for the fact that you're like statues and my butt doesn't have enough cushion." She held up her hand and began to poke in several places. "As you can see, my body molds around the pressure to a certain extent." She then grabbed my hand and attempted to do the same thing on me, only for my skin to remain completely solid and immoveable. "And as you can see here, I'm not strong enough to displace even a little bit of your skin or fatty tissues, which means it'd be like sitting in a marble statue's lap or having a marble statue pinning me down."

"...We've barely made physical contact and you noticed that much?" I asked, because she had managed to hit upon something that I've long since dreaded about the reality of my existence. How unnatural my skin and body are compared to that of a human.

"Bit hard not to, you know."

She's really good at paying attention, Alice thought to me. It's so fun to hear you both just talking to each other. It's nice to know that you can just relax around Bella even with her being your Singer.

"I see," I said for Bella's benefit.

She returned to the chaise. "You ever get into superhero movies?" she asked as she struggled to open the box. "I happen to like Blade a lot."

OOH! Emmett gasped.

"Emmett has a whole bunch," Alice said. "If it's American he'll no doubt have it. He also has a few non-American films in his collection too."

I also have Godzilla!

"Does he have Daredevil?"

"YES!" Emmett's voice practically boomed from downstairs so Bella could hear him.

She smiled. "On DVD?"

"YES!" Emmett called again.

"Nice. You guys have Batman Begins?"

Instantly, both Emmett and Alice's thoughts came to a halt.

That didn't come out yet, Emmett thought. Why would she know about it?

The Christopher Nolan film isn't set to release until May of this year, in Japan, was what flitted through Alice's mind.

Perhaps another inconsistency? This time with my family here to witness it?! Finally, it doesn't seem as if I am going crazy!

"No, sorry," I told Bella with an easily practiced grimace. "Do you happen to like that one very much? I can find it for you if you want it."

She shrugged as she finally cracked open the Looney Tunes box set and began searching for the DVD she wanted. "It's fine. To be honest, I prefer the sequel the most anyway."

I very carefully did not look in Alice's direction, and merely listened to her as she scoured the future.

They haven't even begun scouting locations for the sequel, she told me. How does Bella know anything about that?

Your girl is a bit of an odd one, Emmett told me from downstairs. She's too observant and knows a bit too much that makes no sense. Her medical records make no sense. Her entire being when matched up against all notes about her behavior doesn't make any sense.

Emmett is currently downstairs giving Rosalie, Carlisle, Esme, and Jasper a full rundown of why what Bella just said was suspicious.

And that's when Esme quietly asked, "Is time travel possible?"

…Time…Travel…

Bella knows songs that she refuses to share the names of. She knows many languages despite her youth. Has, supposedly, lived through something that required her to be quarantined. Has had at least one bone marrow biopsy and developed a terrible fear of needles as a result from an infection. Her experience with being quarantined also made her develop a fear of germs and a lack of cleanliness. Bella had somehow acquired information about things that are happening overseas, and never seemed to struggle in her classes if it wasn't trigonometry.

She always gave off the vibe of a mother or perhaps a much older sister when she was around her friends. But also felt like a teenager at the same time. There was just something about Bella as a person that made her stand out compared to her peers.

Her medical history did not match the kind of person that she had come to be known as in Forks. An entire history of getting hurt and falling and dozens of hospital visits, and yet seeing her now, she was like an entirely different person.

However, what if somehow in some way, time travel was entirely possible? What if Bella was somehow from the future? What if she somehow had lived a lot longer than she seemed to, and had ended up back in the past? And if she had ended up back here with all of her life's worth of experiences still in mind, then that would technically mean that she was not really a teenager like she appeared to be. That could explain why she had an odd confidence about her that one did not typically find in teenagers from 2005.

Bella had expressed attraction to men and women and had said things that implied a connection to gender identity and gender studies, and she was very vocal about supporting minorities, and politics. And that wasn't exactly something that a 17-year-old in 2005 would be talking about all the time. Even when she was met with confusion, or in certain cases like Lauren in the beginning, bigotry, she did not back down.

Bella had formed her own belief system, and she stuck quite rigidly to it, and barely seemed to have room for a change of mind.

Alice was practically frothing at the mouth to ask Bella questions. What if she already knew us!? What if that's why she's never shocked by anything you say or do?!

I wasn't ready for this to be how things ended up when Bella came to visit today. I just thought it would be a nice time for everyone to get to witness her in a setting outside of school.

Now I have to wonder if Bella somehow knew of everything ahead of time because maybe she'd already lived through all of this before.

Bella took to the hot wings with ease. Esme had pulled out all the stops and Bella looked like it was Christmas and her birthday all wrapped up into one.

And while she ate, my sibling sat in the living room trying to reason out Bella's existence. Esme and Carlisle sat with us in the kitchen, smiling kindly even as they too tried to reason out Bella's confusing nature.

Bella being so distracted by the food gave me an open opportunity to quiz her a little. Nothing too drastic of course, but with the chance of time travel being involved, this meant that Bella was even more fascinating than previously believed.

Anything could be on the table.

I read minds, Jasper controls emotions, Alice sees the future, and the Volturi have many guard members with astonishing powers. Who's to say time travel isn't possible? We don't know if it would involve science or... magic... or even something else!

"Do you like yellow?" I asked her suddenly.

She sneered. "Ugh! Hell no."

"Do you hate it more than orange?"

"Not really, they're both pretty equal in my opinion."

"So, let's say you could get your favorite car ever, completely for free, but it could only come in yellow, and you could never change it to another color, would you accept such a thing?" I asked, trying to keep her sufficiently distracted.

Bella's chicken wing was held aloft as she considered her response for a moment. Finally, she shook her head and said, "I'm good. The truck is holding up just fine even at its age and I can just handle that."

"But the truck is a faded red that is now orange," I mentioned. So, is that something that bothers her? Would she be willing to change it if she could get something new, even if it was a bad color in her eyes?

Bella didn't look impressed by my wording. "Please do not take this as some kind of green light to buy me a vehicle. I wouldn't be able to justify such a waste of money to my guilt complex."

Okay, so maybe I had considered buying her newer, safer car once or twice. But it was entirely out of concern for her well-being and not because I'm obsessed with buying things!

At least… I'd like to think that's the case.

"Dude, I get that your love language seems to be spending money and providing for others, no doubt a remnant of the culture you were born into, but that isn't my love language." Which did make sense in a way.

People responded better to the things they actually valued. While effort would typically be appreciated, better results could be acquired through meeting people the way they wanted to be met.

"Things are different in this day and age, and while being financially stable is nice, it's not the driving focus of real relationships with real people anymore. You don't have to buy me things to prove that you are worthy of spending time with me. This isn't the 1920s, you know."

What an interesting decade to bring up. And what an oddly mature outlook to have on relationships.

Once again, Bella managed to throw all of us for a loop.

Both of my parents seemed particularly invested in Bella's words. Esme for the lingering sentiment, and Carlisle for the way they displayed her sense of character. They were both very impressed by how she behaved, and the way she approached conversation topics.

"It's not that your generosity isn't appreciated," Bella told me softly. "It's very nice of you to want to help others and make others happy, but you also need to reach out to people in the ways they prefer and the ways they respond to."

Sometimes she sounds like a therapist, Jasper noted from the living room.

"You also need to do a deep dive on yourself and your beliefs and determine if you behave this way because you genuinely want to, or because it was something expected of you while growing up. Only doing things to appease some sort of societal expectation that was impressed upon you at some point, will not result in any real joy or contentment."

It's easy to tell that Bella understands human emotions and how people function very well.

Such understanding cannot have been gleaned from a meager seventeen years upon the earth. It's just not realistic to think about at this point. Now that time travel is on the table, so many things have become clear.

But how to broach the subject?

Speaking with Bella often leaves me feeling very strongly. I'm not sure what life would be like had I not met her.

Before returning to her wings, she decided to throw one last line at me. One thing that felt as if she was reading my very life from some kind of book.

"You don't want to end up miserable through your own actions. It never ends well, and you have people in your life who care and will help you in any way they can. It's okay to lean on others sometimes. Being the ever-enduring pillar of fortitude can only last for so long."

"... Speaking with you always leaves me reeling," I confessed, hoping to push her to speak more with little effort.

"Perhaps you just need someone who challenges the carefully laid out routine you've set for yourself. Monotony is the death of the Personality."

It always feels like she's speaking from experience with these things.

I ended up too side-tracked by my own jumbled thoughts to question her further, and ended up sitting at the counter awaiting her return while she washed her face in the bathroom.

Through it all, Bella sang quietly to herself, with animated vocals, and quiet giggles. "A heffalump or woozle, is very confuzzle. A heffalump or woozle is very sly, sly, sly, sly! They come in ones and twoozles, but if they so choozles, before your eyes you'll see them multiply-ply-ply-ply! They're extra-ordinary, so better be wary, because they come in every shape and size-size-size-size! If honey's what you covet, you'll find that they love it! Because they guzzle up the thing you prize!"

"Yes," I told my family. "This is the duality of Isabella Swan."

Spouting philosophical gems one moment and singing Disney songs for children the next.

~.O.~

A/N: Another is done!

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Chapter Text

A/N: Hello, people!

I don't own Twilight.

I have no regular beta.

ENJOY!

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~.O.~

SIDE A

After lunch, Edward and I returned to his bedroom so that we could chill more comfortably.

And I'm being so real when I say that those wings left a lasting impression on me, and I kind of wish I could have them every day forever. Putting an unlimited supply of that kind of thing in my hands would be a mistake though, so I have to be mature about it.

Thankfully, it seemed that Edward was very much invested in trying to keep me distracted. He let me choose some music for us to listen to as we played a game of Pay Day. I chose Britney Spears because why not?

I was never really good at Pay Day but it's far less intense than Monopoly, so I think it was the better option. Monopoly ends lives and whole family lines so I don't think that would have been a good idea. Not when we're just trying to relax and have fun. He doesn't need to see my cutthroat side just yet.

1.) I am always the thimble. I like them and I find them to be pretty nifty. I just think they're neat, you could say.

2.) I also like being the banker when I play, and I don't like fighting for that position with others. I am the banker and that is final.

The issue for me is that it's very clear that between the two of us, Edward would totally be the better person to be the banker because he's better at math in general. But just because he would be the better option doesn't mean I want him to be the banker.

"Dude, I will bury you," I promised him as I once again had to give up money.

"No matter what you pull, it will never be as bad as what Emmett did when he made the rule that we have to use real money."

"...Huh?" The sound came out of my mouth more like the honking of a goose rather than an actual question. "As in, you guys literally bring out the real money when you play Pay Day as a family?"

"Actually, it was his idea for us to use real money in any board games that require us to spend money. So it feels more real. Monopoly gets very dangerous very quickly. Bargain Hunter was a trip in the 80s. The Game of Life in the 60s was also a hit for us."

I cannot fathom using real money to play these games. The idea that the Cullens were just exchanging thousands of dollars, and that somebody had to be the banker and watch the money, was almost impossible to imagine. Could they move fast enough to slip away some extra money without others noticing? Was sleight of hand a thing for vampires?

"So, do you guys have special rules when you play these games? In my version of Monopoly, if somebody does not remind me to give them the money when they Pass Go, I don't do it. It is up to each player to keep track of how much they are owed and how much they owe. I also make people pay a mortgage or I'll repossess their house cuz they can own the land all they want, but do they actually own the house? I will also let people bargain between themselves when someone lands on another's space, because it's funnier that way."

"...Not really."

I would just like to point out that his family uses real money to play these games, but he's looking at me like my version of Monopoly is somehow crazy!

"We do have special rules for Uno if that makes you feel better."

Everyone has their own special rules for Uno. That's nothing new.

It was toward the end of our game when Alice and Jasper appeared again. She bounded right into Edward's room without hesitation while Jasper hung back at the doorway. "Bella, I wanted to ask if you'd let me give you a makeover! I have this beautiful blue eyeshadow that would look so good on you when paired with a black eyeliner!"

"She's here to hang out with me," Edward insisted with a frown. "Invite her over yourself next time if you want to monopolize her attention."

Are they really fighting over who gets to spend time with me of all people?

She stuck her tongue out at him. "But Bella just likes me so much that she'd totally be excited for a makeover, right?"

And contrary to what my attraction to Alice has made me say and do thus far, my answer was, "Not really, sorry."

Makeup is just so time consuming, and really a bit annoying. I never liked the feeling of it on the skin, and I especially don't like the different products people use to apply makeup. Some of them are a big no-no for me.

I also typically don't like people getting that close to my face for such extended periods of time.

"Not even if I say pretty please and bat my lashes at you?" Alice asked slyly, doing that very thing immediately.

"Sorry, but no. I don't like makeup very much." I like getting dolled up in the sense of putting on nice clothes and looking cool, but not really in the sense of having to do makeup.

"The problem is that the only kind of makeup anything you're getting out of me is a collection of chapsticks, and even then, I'm more likely to eat them than wear them." I do not like the feeling of most makeup on the skin, and I could never force myself just for the flimsy excuse of wanting to look pretty.

As time progressed, makeup started getting less and less gritty and heavy and became overall smoother, but I'm not wasting time and money to find out which ones I like.

Edward gave me a look. As if this was the weirdest thing he had ever heard despite the fact that he was a mind reader who could hear the thoughts of several hundred teenagers every day at school for hours nonstop. "Isn't that incredibly unhealthy?" he asked.

I gave him a shrug and said, "If they didn't want us to be eating them then they shouldn't be making them taste so good." It's one thing to smell good but to actually flavor them was another entirely. Clearly the goal was to make it so they could be eaten if someone did manage to swallow any.

Of course, these words are also coming from the same woman who willingly ate cookie dough. As in I would willingly make chocolate chip cookie dough for the sake of eating it and not even making cookies with it. I would even buy cookie dough specifically for the purpose of eating it and ignoring all the warnings that say 'do not consume'. And I'm going to be honest when I say that even when they started selling cookie dough that could be eaten because it wasn't made with eggs, I still bought the same containers I was buying before if I could afford to. The eggless ones just tasted weird, you know?

"Besides, if we're going to the trouble of targeting groups of young people by telling them that this product that they have to put on their mouths has different flavors, it has to be safe to eat. Toddlers aren't the only people who shove random things into their mouths out of curiosity."

The day I found out that Blistex did not taste the way it smelled should totally be on the list of the top 10 Anime Betrayals of All Time. It was rank. It was vile. It was a true abomination above all others and the biggest let down on top of it all. I never want to relive that day in any capacity.

"Well, if you ever decide that you want to learn how to do makeup you can totally come to me," Alice offered, still as open and pleasant as before despite clearly being a bit bummed out that I won't be a mannequin for her to mess with.

"Mostly, I don't wear makeup because I don't like the textures, but even if I could handle those, I couldn't reason away those kinds of expenses for something that I honestly wouldn't have the energy to dedicate myself to. It's both time and money, and time is money in a way so it's not appealing to me. I'd love to give myself borderline raccoon eyes but unfortunately, it takes time, and liquid liner is the easiest to use because I doesn't make my skin crawl, but it also requires a deft hand that I don't possess. And I also don't have the energy enough to care about waking up earlier just to do makeup. I could be using that time to get more sleep. And if I was to wake up earlier I would sooner do it for the sake of food than makeup."

In the doorway, Jasper managed a low snort at my expense.

"Laugh all you want, bro, but few things in life are important enough for me to wake up early."

"But you always end up looking so put together for school," Edward pointed out. "It's clear that the lot more thought goes into the outfits you choose to wear and how you style your hair, than you'd like people to believe."

I huffed. "Dude, that is the fruits of my labor from the night before. My entire outfit for the next day is set out at night, and sometimes I even press my shirts too. Also, the hair isn't as much effort as you think if you take care of it properly on a constant basis. I repurposed a satin pillowcase into a bonnet so I could protect my hair and limit any friction that can cause breakage during sleep. Also, bonnets can be very useful in protecting braids from getting messed up."

Less friction and less breakage meant less flyaways sticking out of any braids you'd make and less chances of getting split ends.

Bella had very nice, long, flowing hair and had taken minimal care of it. I put in a bit more effort because I felt that was worth it. It would never take as long as my original hair did on wash days, so it didn't feel like it was that much of a sacrifice of my time.

Caucasian hair does those waterfall braids nicely for example and I am willing to put in the effort to do that. They look cool.

But honestly, when it comes to things like makeup and jewelry, I'm really not into taking the time to do those. Like- Bella has pierced ears, and yet it was never mentioned that she wears earrings as far as I recall. That would mean that it could be any amount of time since the last time she actually wore earrings and people might not be aware, but the holes of your piercings can eventually close.

Trying to wear earrings might result in me forcing a sharp piece of metal through a closed hole, and I'm really not about that life. Definitely not right now, and certainly not at this point in time when I'm surrounded by vampires who would like to eat me and are just holding back their natural instincts.

How long does it take for the scent of blood to completely fade away? And is washing blood off with water, or even peroxide, enough to actually get rid of it completely? Because all of my knowledge of blood and how it works and affects its environment is all based upon human understanding. And this is a fictional world where vampires have the most insane cheat codes to existence, and they can see and smell things to a degree human bodies are not capable of.

I don't even know how far away vampires can smell blood. If I end up bleeding in a way that's not menstruation how far can Edward smell it? Would he be able to smell it all the way across the town? Does bleeding in the privacy of Charlie Swan's house actually afford me any safety at all?

The biggest problem with things like this is that Edward has an incredibly strong will and is able to hold back his natural impulses simply by the fact that he respects Carlisle and Carlisle's vision so much that he wouldn't want to disappoint him. And that's very admirable of him and I have nothing against him in that capacity. But a lot of it is also based on the fact that they have the benefit of Alice's visions on hand which can prepare them for things soon to occur.

Edward even gets an enhanced version of Alice's ability because he can See what she Sees the moment she Sees it and understands before anybody else in the family can.

But a significant problem with this was the fact that Alice's Visions were subjective, and the future was not actually set in stone. It was all based currently on the actions and planned actions of everybody in the world. There could never be a concrete future for anybody, because their actions could lead to an impossible number of reactions and consequences.

I am aware that they are definitely tracking my movements through my future, because that is what Alice did in the original story. And it would kinda be stupid of them to not take advantage of that boon they have at their disposal. Any action I take affects my future, and any decision I make can change that future.

I could get injured before Alice would even get a vision of the new future. And that could be what sucker punches Edward into losing his shit.

All of this is a really unsure kind of thing basically. No matter what it is I constantly have to tiptoe around certain things that are completely out of my control because I'm just a powerless human. I can know all I want to know about the Twilight Universe and all of the lore bits that have ever been revealed, but that only does so much to help me protect myself.

I can't even do much by myself right now. I'm on the side of the country that I'm completely unfamiliar with. If I was in New York or Pennsylvania or New Jersey, I would have a lot more options and be a lot more comfortable. I might have even felt comfortable enough to run away or just leave even with a lack of money and a lack of a bank account.

It all comes down to this being the best place for me because I can't seem to escape canon, as the Key Plot Points still happen either way regardless of what caused them. So long as things stay relatively in line with the canon story, I won't ever be too lost or out of my depth. But if I stray too far, canon will find me whether I like it or not.

Best that canon finds me in a familiar place.

Wow. I really went off on a mental tangent about something not really related to makeup and jewelry, huh?

A stellar example of what it's like to live inside my head. And I have to be honest with you, it really isn't that fun. Other than the never-ending cycle of music that I end up going through on a daily basis, my mind kinda sucks.

It exhausts even me.

Hm… Speaking of music…

I looked over at Edwards massive wall of music so that I might appreciate it even more a second time around as Britney's album faded out. It looked as if he had some kind of fancy stereo/CD/cassette player thing. It had two decently sized speakers on either side of it and could clearly fit five discs. But there was a little bit at the front that could open for a cassette too.

"Are these good speakers?" They sounded fine in my opinion, but ...Baby One More Time is like the ultimate 90s pop record, so it sounds a bit different than what I'm thinking of now.

"Top of the line."

That made it sound like they were very expensive. And I'm not sure if super expensive means super good.

"They're B&Ws," Edward clarified. "Traditionally a very good brand for speakers, and with Jasper's expert assistance, they work even better than they would originally and can be connected to many more electronics than originally intended."

"Are they super distracting for everybody though? Like- would using thema bit of a higher volume ruin everyone's day?"

"I'm going to have to be honest with you, but any sound for us can be very distracting. So, it's really no different than me playing piano. Everyone will hear it regardless of what they or I am doing in the meantime."

Having such intense hearing had to suck.

Alice clapped her hands and bounced up and down a bit. "You don't need to worry about annoying anyone or anything. We're all really happy that you're here and we want you both to have fun together. So, if you want to listen to some music and dance your heart out, then go right ahead."

Okay… while I'm definitely not going to be doing any dancing so long as Edward doesn't try to get me to waltz or something, that was nice to know. It was nice of the Cullens to sacrifice their own piece of mind, just to deal with the fact that I'm going to be annoying and loud for a few hours with my human needs and wants.

I had spent the past several minutes just looking over every single CD case that Edward had in his library. All that music gathered over the past century and all of it very clearly listened to. It seemed that Edward was not the kind of person to buy something and then leave it forever in its package untouched. That was actually a bit of a relief, because some people got really stuck up about their music collections.

My eyes landed on Elvis. And for some reason, despite the fact that it was Elvis, my brain went to Jerry Lee Lewis. And then I was hit with the urge to hear a song I haven't thought about in a very long time.

I skipped ahead from the E-Section to the J-Section to find the artist in question and did not find one album or single by Jerry Lee Lewis in Edward's possession. He got Elvis but not Jerry? The disrespect.

The absolute audacity. Did he just forget that the man existed at some point or something?

And the worst part about it was that it wasn't even like there were any of his albums that were misplaced somewhere. There just weren't any. Now that I know what I'm looking for, I cannot find any. Not even for singles.

"Is there something you need?" Edward asked. "If I somehow don't have it, then there's still a chance that somebody else in the house will."

"You ain't got no Jerry Lee Lewis."

Edward blinked twice and then looked at his wall as if to double check. As if he doubted the contents in his own library.

"It appears that that is an artist that no one in this house listens to."

Fucking Elvis, The Temptations, and Avenged Sevenfold on that wall but no Jerry Lee Lewis?

Shame. Dishonor. Dishonor of his whole family.

"Okay, I have a small request!" I decided, realizing that I needed to hear a specific song or else I'd go crazy. And not the fun kind, but the jittery, can't focus on anything until I hear it kind of crazy.

"Yeah?" Edward asked, looking very eager all of a sudden.

"I know that this is coming out of nowhere, but it just hit me, and I realized that I wanted to hear it - but would you be able to play "Great Balls of Fire" on the piano, but actually give it the swag that it is due? I never personally learned the song because I honestly forget that it exists sometimes, but I now suddenly very much would like to hear it and you don't have any of Jerry's music in your library."

And all Edward did was just stare at me like I had grown a second head, like somehow, I had said something that was just so out of left pocket that he had no idea what to do about it. "'Swag'?" he repeated, sounding confused.

"Yeah, swag. You know, like- Jerry Lee Lewis definitely had some swag when he was doing that song live. You gotta do it justice."

There was a moment of total silence, before Edward nodded. "Do you want me to sing it as well?"

"Would you say that you sound good while singing it? Like- it's not like your voice isn't nice, but can you actually pull off that kind of song and make it sound believable? 'Cause no offense, but you give off the air of a choir boy kind of vocals and not rock & roll. Like, despite the music that's in your library, I wouldn't expect you to be singing anything but something sung at church."

Jasper snorted and Alice tittered at his expense.

We ended up backdown at the piano, and Edward did a fancy little flourish on the keys and then smirked. "I could imitate him perfectly. In fact, we're capable of mimicking pretty much any sound if we absolutely want to. Alice could sound like me, for example, or I could sound like her. There really is no limit. I could sound like an ambulance if I so desired."

Such interesting examples because both Alice and Edward had voices that were pretty much on opposite ends of the scale. The idea of a deep voice coming out of Alice's little body was actually really funny. But the idea that they could somehow be like Siren Head and lure people away with sounds they imitated from other living beings or even machinery was so creepy.

Once again being a vampire was a total unfair cheat code to life. But at the same time, there was something naturally very horrifying about the existence of vampires in Stephanie Meyer's world. Hell, there were still the occasional essays insisting they were some kind of fae and not vampires at all, which was totally possible depending on the myth being used.

"Honestly, I have no reason to doubt that you can sound exactly like Jerry Lee Lewis, or even Alice, but can you mimic exactly the way he sings the song? It's one thing to sound like a person when they speak, it's another to be able to sing exactly like them."

For example, it was very easy for impersonators to impersonate Adele's speaking voice, but a common thing with a lot of English singers was that their singing voice was not bogged down by their accents. Adele was one such artist. Her singing voice and speaking voice were very different, and pretty much 80% of the planet wouldn't have a hope and hell of being able to imitate her singing.

So, I'm just saying that the 'goodness gracious great balls of fire' part is not perfectly enunciated, and that's what gives it a little bit of spice. It's where the flavor is at. It's what made Jerry so interesting.

"I guess I'll just have to surprise you."

And surprise me he did! I have to admit that I wasn't expecting him to do it so well, considering how he's always acted, but I must remember that I got him to sing the lyrics of "Get Low" to me. Nothing is truly off the table, it seems. If Edward wants to actually impress someone without using his mind reading bullshittery to do it, then he actually puts in the effort.

Also, it was actually pretty sweet of him to do it in general just because I asked.

"This doesn't mean that you have to go and buy any of Jerry's work," I told him as we sat at the piano. "Just because I was a bit bummed that you didn't have him doesn't mean you need to buy anything of his. It's your music library and whatever you have should be there because it's what you like, and no other reason. Please do not put yourself out there, or even drastically change who you are, for the sake of another person."

Just because I'm into something doesn't mean that Edward has to spend money on it. That was why I was borrowing manga from the local library and then lending them to him so he could read them and then give them back so I could return them in time. I don't want him to think that he has to get stuff simply because I like it, and I don't want him to feel pressured into getting music that he might not actually like. I don't know if he likes Jerry Lee Lewis or anything. I don't know why he didn't have any of his music, but he shouldn't get it just because he thinks it'll make me happy. That's not how relationships work.

Like- there's next to no rap music or hip hop in general on Edward's wall, but I'm not sitting here complaining about that. For all I know, Edward only likes certain rappers of certain kinds. For instance, he had a few West Coast rappers' CDs in there but none from the East Coast. Maybe he's got a type.

Hell, he could probably prefer rap music from the 90s versus the current rap music out in 2005 considering when all those albums he has came out.

And no, knowing a few club hits that are popular everywhere does not mean that someone is into rap music. Lil Jon is known by everyone, whether willingly or unwillingly, he doesn't count.

"Basically, if you do choose to get some of his music, please just make sure that it's because you want to have it, and not because you think it's gonna make me happy. Please, don't do that. Sometimes your need to please concerns me."

If vampires could blush, his face would be a tomato. I said what I said.

To smooth things over, I began to play Megalovania for him. "I'll return your favor with another bop of a different sort."

You ever just be minding your own business and then suddenly Undertale of all things comes to mind? Yeah, that happens a lot. Typically, the things that come to mind for me are usually Papyrus and hOI!

Also, Flowey. Fuck Flowey. Me and my homies hate Flowey.

"This sounds like it should be played with a guitar instead of a piano."

"Technically it's 8-Bit but it would slap a lot more with an electric guitar instead of a piano."

"No one in this house plays guitar," Edward said regretfully.

"A-HEM!" came Emmett's voice form the garage.

"Guitar Hero doesn't count!" Alice called back from upstairs.

"It should!" he called back.

Guitar Hero is already out by now?

"You have Guitar Hero already?" I asked, trying to make it make sense. I thought that came out in like 2007 or something.

Edward cleared his throat unnecessarily. "Emmett knows a lot of people and gets sent beta versions of games and consoles prior to release. It's actually scheduled to release in November but he's play-testing it to find any issues."

The things money can buy you. Early access to unreleased games. By like- half a year. I didn't even know that was thing done for older games, but it makes sense.

Dear Lord, if only I could open my wallet and have the money I need just right there at all times. It'd be a nice existence. Alice's Visions could be so useful.

Talk about privilege.

"I need me some of those connections, damn. Who do I gotta talk to in order to have an inside man?"

Edward shook his head. "I don't think that's something you actually want the answer to," he said damn near ominously.

Considering Jasper's alluded-to connections in Breaking Dawn, maybe it's best that I don't know. Having someone who can just make fake papers of identification for you was handy but also came with knowledge that I would not want.

"Perhaps you're right," I conceded. "Guess I'll just have to be unlucky like the average Joe."

"Maybe not so unlucky, because lucky for you, dinner is done," Edward said, standing from the piano and offering me a hand. "Esme was very excited about it."

Unable to stop being a gentleman no matter what happens. I just know that Esme and Carlisle are super proud of him.

Also, time passed that quickly?!

"You know about carne asada?!" Esme Cullen knows about carne asada. Esme Cullen is making me tacos with carne asada instead of standard ground beef like in white households.

Esme beamed. "Based on how much Edward talks about you, this seemed like something you'd be very much interested in. So, I wanted to make sure I did it right."

She not only has guacamole, but she also has pico de gallo on the side. Like four types of cheese as well! And a weird little jar of green chilis too! And a bottle of habanero sauce and a jar of salsa. Oh! And soft, corn tortillas that she made herself that look fire as hell!

Edward looked embarrassed, probably because his mom just revealed that he talks about me way too much at home. But honestly, I don't mind because that actually means that he's paying attention and he's paying enough attention that he said something, and the rest of his family cared enough to pay attention as well.

That's a lot of effort for someone.

"This is going to sound really weird, I know, but do you also have mayonnaise?"

A jar of mayo appeared within seconds, though Edward looked confused. "Don't people usually put sour cream on their tacos?"

"Sour cream definitely has its place in certain areas of cooking, but I personally don't actually like it on tacos." I then looked up at the ceiling, as if I was looking beyond it to the heavens and calling upon the ancestors of the Mexican community to give me mercy for what I was about to do in mixing mayo with pico de gallo.

"Sinceramente lo siento a todos los personas de los Estados Unidos de México. Estoy haciendo… um… blasphemy."

I couldn't remember how to say 'blasphemy' in Spanish. Sue me.

But let's be honest. Who is casually using the word blasphemy in a sentence at all? Of all the words in the Spanish language that I could know, why would that one be at the tip of my tongue? Let's be realistic here.

Also, let me defend mayonnaise and its usefulness as a poor people choice of substitute in many dishes. Don't have oil and eggs? Get mayo. It works for a lot more than you'd think and somehow, the flavor doesn't infect everything it's added to.

Solo mayo sucks, but when added to other things it slaps. Also, the brand of mayo is an important decision. If you can't splurge on eggs and oil, at least treat your mayo choice with due diligence. I can't even begin to enumerate how many off brand mayos are just not it.

"It's just mayonnaise," Edward pointed out.

I shook my head. "You won't understand." For many reasons he'll never be able to truly comprehend the discussion about mayonnaise in society.

Anyway, food!

And if I want to dedicate myself fully to this venture, then I need Edward to not interrupt me like he did during lunch. I really don't like talking with my mouth full, and I really don't like feeling like I'm being rushed to answer questions. The best way to appreciate food is to actually sit there and eat it and not play with it.

So, something that can distract him sufficiently enough… Something that has distracted me and that I have thought about in-depth.

Ah!

"You know what? I have a thought experiment for you to work through while I sit here eating this."

Edward looked to be very interested in my words. Like… if he had a tail, it would totally be wagging, kind of interested. Dude gets way too into it when I speak, which is sweet in its own way, but also a bit unnerving.

Does the silent mind really make everything coming out of Bella's mouth that much more interesting?

"I'm going to give you a hypothetical scenario and then ask some difficult questions. I then want you to explain to me your reasoning for your answers."

"I'm ready," he stated firmly.

As I began to ladle different items into my two tortillas, I started to explain the thing that had come to mind a few times these past few weeks. "Let's say you're a person who is Autistic and also has ADHD. These are things that you have dealt with your whole life, and there is really nothing that can be done about it. They are neurodevelopmental disorders, after all, and there is nothing that can be done to change what they do to you."

It was so serious that Edward was already taking notes in a notebook that appeared out of nowhere.

"Imagine that you go to sleep one night, and you wake up in a body that isn't yours. This is not a dream. It's not some figment of your imagination. You are in a stranger's body. They look nothing like you. You don't know where you are, but you are not home. You don't know the people around you. You don't know the name of the person whose body you are inside, and you don't even know where that person is. You don't know if they are still in there with you, or if something has happened, and perhaps they have died or moved on to whatever afterlife you believe in."

The tortillas were honestly pretty freaking huge. Esme did the damn thing with them.

Edward, Carlisle, and Esme all stared at me with intense interest. It wasn't just Edward who was taking this little thought experiment very seriously, it seemed.

Or maybe they'd been this weirdly attentive to Bella as well.

I'm going to be honest about how it appeared to me, but it seemed as if Bella and Edward were so absorbed within each other that it was damn near impossible for them to see anything else outside of themselves. Even Edward, with all the mind reading and the fancy vampire senses, was so wrapped up in Bella that he struggled to pay attention to the world around him properly.

So, it is entirely possible that the Cullens were actually paying a lot more attention to Bella during her visit than she had noticed, probably because she doesn't like attention in general and would try to avoid getting attention or pretend that she didn't recognize that she was getting attention at all.

"All you know is that you are in this person's body, and you have to live as them for however long, because you don't know how to get home. You don't know where you are or where your own body is, and you have to pretend convincingly enough so people don't ask questions. But unfortunately, you are not the same as the person whose body you are stuck in, and you are a very different person overall, because you weren't neurotypical and that affected your entire life growing up.

"But wait! This is not your body. A neurodevelopmental disorder happens because of something in the brain being different and it affects your mental growth and future in response. And clearly, this is not your brain or your nervous system or anything beyond whatever encompasses you as an existence, because this is not your body. How can you still be displaying Autistic or ADHD traits if this is not your body that has your specific neurodevelopmental disorders? What are the chances that you would somehow wake up in the body of a person with the exact same neurodevelopmental disorders as you? And what would the chances be that their neurodevelopmental disorders manifested the exact same ways that yours did and have affected their life the same way yours affect you down to a 1:1 ratio?"

Edward and Carlisle looked incredibly baffled by my thought process. Esme had a shrewd look on her face though.

"So, here are my questions for you. Are you still neurodivergent despite being trapped in a foreign body that is not afflicted with a neurodevelopmental disorder? If yes, how? If not, then does that mean that neurodevelopmental disorders extend past physical effects and are something intangible that can be attached to your essence as a living being and can follow you even when you are not connected to your own earthly form? And this leads into a broader topic of whether or not minds and souls actually exist and how they factor into these kinds of thought experiments. Hell, take it a step further and we can consider that if the mind is a real thing, is it actually located in the brain or not?"

I must confess that I have been thinking about this a little bit lately. I've realized that despite how I am in Bella's body and not even my own body, I'm still exhibiting the same exact issues.

My aversion to certain textures and sounds and flavors is still there. Corduroy and felt still make me wanna rip my skin off. The sound of mastication makes me wanna vomit. The shapes of certain eating utensils gives me the ick. Most makeup brushes gross me out.

Being in Bella's body has not made me suddenly do a one-eighty. All of my opinions that I had before waking up this way are still the same as they were, and my reactions to situations are still as they have always been. Bella has none of my health concerns and issues, and yet I still have my issues.

So, is it somehow possible that either Bella is just undiagnosed, or that perhaps, things like neurodevelopmental disorders are intrinsically linked to us beyond the physical plane?

Are we like- fated to have these problems whether it's in the body we were born in or not?

Before all this nonsense with Bella happened, I wouldn't have been so sure, because I wasn't exactly someone who believed in fate. But considering how I've been forced to live the life of Bella Swan and still experience the severe circumstances she ended up in canonically, I'm not so sure anymore.

The additional layering to this... is the fact that I'm Afro-Latina. There's a significant part of my culture that I cannot reasonably access or be part of while I'm stuck as Bella Swan.

So, the idea I've been haunted by is if I still count as a Latina or even a person of color. It's not like I've suddenly forgotten the way I grew up and all the lessons I've learned. I am still me, even if the outer appearance doesn't show that.

Edward stared down at the notes he had been making the entire time I was speaking, and said, "I don't think I'll be able to give you an answer today… And I'm also not certain I'll be able to give an answer that doesn't sound a little rude or inconsiderate."

"It's a hypothetical scenario that is entirely impossible," I lied simply. "It's not a crime to think outside the box, and it's not a crime to consider the workings of the universe. Take your time, but I am very much interested in your response either way."

I then looked toward Carlisle, as he was a doctor as well and could have some insight. "What do you think, doc?"

"Personally, I would say no. In this very unique scenario, ending up in the body of somebody who is not Autistic nor has ADHD or ADD, or even Bipolar Disorder - or basically any neurodevelopmental disorder - would mean that you do not have them anymore. What you have is learned behavior. A sort of nature over nurture kind of situation. Spending your whole life behaving a certain way does eventually become a habit and even when you would end up in that other body, those habits are long ingrained in you."

He did have a point, even if I don't personally agree with the answer. His reasoning is sound.

Esme decided to weigh in as well. "Basically, you not suddenly changing because you are in a stranger's body, is because your entire being encompasses learned behaviors. Everything you do is something you learned at some point. In this scenario, that foreign body is not influencing you in any way, so you remain as you are as a person regardless of what your external form suggests. You might no longer cringe at certain textures or sounds, but that doesn't mean you suddenly like them after years of them putting you off. All you know is to dislike and even borderline hate them. But that still doesn't mean you'd be Autistic in this scenario."

It was clear by the look on his face that Edward didn't quite agree with his parents. But at the same time, it was also clear that he wasn't exactly sure how to word anything. It would probably be a while before I even got a reply from him, and honestly, that was good, because I would like to eat my tacos in peace.

And Blessed peace I was afforded. I swear there's just something inherently unfair about the fact that a person who cannot even eat food in order to tell how it's coming along, can cook so well.

The immediate concern for things like this would be the flavor. And I need everyone to understand that the flavor was on point. The next thing would be the state of the meat itself, and the meat was not dry. It wasn't hard like a rock. It was nice and juicy but not drowning in liquid. And she even decided to slice the meat into decent portions.

With Bella's small ass mouth, I can't take the same kind of bites I could before, so this was especially nice.

Esme did say that she bought the pico de gallo and I need to know where she got it from, because I need to buy the store out. I need to clean it of its stock forever. Let's just say that if I could, I would buy out the rights to the recipe itself and make this pico de gallo the main attraction of a family restaurant.

Never mind the fact that I would never wanna run a restaurant or have to do any of that kind of stuff.

"You really like those tacos, huh?" Alice said as she walked through the kitchen doorway. "You act like you haven't had them in forever."

I needed a moment to finish chewing and swallowing and then wiping my mouth before I could even answer. "I like my white people tacos as much as the next person, but there's just something super special about having a real taco, and it actually slaps."

"'Slaps'?" she repeated curiously.

"Yeah, you know. It's good, it's cool, it's awesome. One of my favorite slang terms, not gonna lie. Same with salty. I'll never grow out of it."

What can I say, I like my funny words and their silly meanings. Sometimes I still use radical and totally tubular.

Alice deposited a few Tupperware containers with blue lids on the counter in front of me and winked. "Since you probably won't be able to finish everything, we got these so you could take food home and share it with Chief Swan."

While that was totally sweet of them, I would just like to say that they were severely underestimating my ability to eat food. No matter the size of Bella Swan's body, my spirit is willing.

"Your consideration is most appreciated."

I was on my fourth taco, and still not even halfway through all of the prepared ingredients, when Emmett walked into the kitchen with a big grin on his face. "I would've thought that you would've added some hot sauce to your tacos. Or maybe a bit of hot pepper flakes or something? Aren't tacos supposed to be spicy?"

"Tacos don't have to be spicy, but people can often add hot sauce or salsa anyway. And I, in fact, did use the habanero sauce and salsa that Esme had purchased for this, but habanero is a very mild pepper, in my experience. The flavor and the punch of heat are just mild overall."

It's pretty cool that Bella can handle heat, so I don't have to worry about hot sauce suddenly being the spawn of the devil. Maybe she was eating a lot of spicy food down in Arizona. Meyer never really touched on what Bella's life was like before she came to Forks and saw Edward.

"Personally, I would prefer to use my favorite hot pepper blended into a tomato puree for things like chili con carne and other Mexican foods because there is actual flavor and heat in it. But the Carolina Reaper pepper is pretty expensive even for just a few ounces of powder." Seasoning over five dollars is expensive in my opinion.

Emmett snorted. "I'm supposed to believe that someone is tiny as you can handle something more than a habanero pepper?"

"My flesh prison is mightier than you may think. I am the Capsaicin Crusader and not even the hottest pepper in the world can stop me," I declared. "I can handle over 1.6 million Scoville Heat Units. I'd even daresay that I'll be able to handle anything hotter that comes out in the future."

I did the One Chip Challenge despite the warning on the packaging suggesting people in my health state should not do it. And not to brag or anything, but not only did I not have to drink anything afterward, but I put way more Carolina Reaper powder in my chili than whatever amount was on that single chip. Also, my chili recipe calls for five types of hot peppers, which is why it's called 5 Alarm Chili.

"You're a bit of a weird one, ain't you?" Emmett asked, ignoring Edward's very clearly offended gaping.

"I'd like to think of weirdness as proof that I have an interesting personality and people who aren't even a little weird are just boring, thank you very much."

He shrugged. "So long as you aren't being a nuisance to society, then it doesn't matter how weird you get."

"Unless you're one of those extreme hoarders who collects used baby diapers so you can sniff them every day or some shit, then you can stay far away from everybody."

It was clear that none of them had ever seen an episode of Hoarders. Of course, it's entirely possible that the show hadn't come out yet. I wouldn't know since I wasn't that avid of a viewer.

And I do understand that compulsive hoarding is, in fact, a disorder, but some of the things being hoarded make me side eye a few folks. And I know damn well I wouldn't feel comfortable around them in a public space.

That is unfortunately the harsh reality of life. While I can tolerate a lot of abnormal behaviors, if I use myself as an example, there are still some things even I can't get behind. Like- if you wanna collect yogurt cups or popsicle sticks or even bottles of peroxide, then by all means go ahead, but when it gets to used condoms, vodka bottles, douches, and cigarette butts, I'm not so on board.

Maybe it's mean and it's definitely judgmental, but I'm only human and we spend our whole lives judging others over everything so I don't feel that bad for how I feel about anything in general.

"I've seen things," was my great reply to their unasked question of why I'd bring up such an example.

Okay… I can admit that I may have bitten off more than I can chew. Literally.

I don't think I have it in me to finish all the tacos. I ate five of them, and that is definitely a lot - especially since I had a full lunch - but I don't think Bella's body can handle any more tacos.

I'm sure that the look of regret on my face was priceless, but I have to be honest with myself in regard to this exact thing. I'm not as capable as I once was and that's okay. It is out of my hands after all.

Emmett snickered and shook his head before turning and leaving. "You kids are so adorable," was his parting line.

Esme began to pile the food into the containers Alice had brought. Each item got its own container so that nothing would mix on the way over. And those damn tortillas were placed in their container with a small cut of wax paper between each one. She'd really gone above and beyond for this, and I can't express my gratitude enough.

Edward stood then, clicking his pen once and hooking it into the cover of his notebook. "Give it an hour and then you can have dessert."

THERE'S DESSERT?!

Esme beamed. "I made an apple pie last night!"

I rounded on Carlisle, unable to hold back as I said, "I would like to marry your wife, sir. Are you willing to fight to keep her hand?"

Esme tittered as Carlisle sent me a friendly smile and sharp gaze that practically dared me to try. "I think you'll find that dear Esme has already made her preferences known," he said, holding up his ring finger to show off the fancy wedding band he wore. "I'm afraid it would be a most futile effort on your part."

Nards.

Edward huffed. "I swear, you flirt with everyone in my family."

"Excuse you. I flirt with the women in your family… and your hot dad," I added as an afterthought. "But that's different 'cause he's like- Adonis come to life so it makes sense. Anyone attracted to men is going to notice him, sorry that I have functioning eyes."

See, the scope of my attraction seems to be women, and then off to the side, like one or two guys.

And to be absolutely clear, Taylor Swift was the only other natural blonde I'd ever been attracted to, so this is new for me. Blonde wasn't really my thing. Red hair wasn't really a thing for me either but Jessica Chastain when her hair is red can get it.

"Like, you're a pretty boy, don't get me wrong Eddie, but your parents are just hotter than you. We all gotta accept the fact that there are people out there who are just better looking than we are. For someone of your elevated physical appearance, those people just happen to be your mom and dad."

Emmett's bark of a laugh proceeded to echo through the house, and I shook my head. He's getting way too much of a kick out of my presence. Poor Edward must be going through it right now. I can only imagine the things people are saying in their own minds.

I patted his arm consolingly and said, "Think of it this way; despite the fact that your apple did not grow on that tree, you managed to roll so far away from your own tree to get to theirs, that people honestly wouldn't notice the differences."

That was the nicest way I could placate him. Like- sorry bro but your parents are hotter than you are. Get over it.

Also, and maybe this is just a personal thing for me, but it's a lot easier to charm women than it is to charm men. It's also a lot more fun.

"Anyway, can we watch some Looney Tunes to pass the time? I got the urge to watch The Rabbit of Seville on repeat."

"Sure!" Alice yelled from elsewhere in the house.

Sweet.

It was so nice of them to let me watch the same short four times in a row.

"An icon," I determined. "Bugs Bunny was ahead of his time. Real queen shit there."

Bugs was wearing dresses and seducing men for almost the entire time Looney Tunes has existed. We can't help but stan someone so dedicated to the bit.

We did watch a few other episodes, but The Rabbit of Seville has a place in my heart.

After that, I was deemed to have digested enough of my dinner to eat dessert. I'm choosing to ignore the fact that they all probably had to hear Bella's body digesting food. That's a bit too weird for my tastes.

The pie was awesome. Esme is even able to bake perfectly. Life is so unfair.

I think I could be a good wife to her if given the chance. I know I don't hold a candle to Carlisle and all his god-on-Earth thing going on, but damn would I love to try! That's a woman who deserves the world.

On a side note, I had been waiting for hours for them to bring up the baseball game. But for some reason, no matter how much time passed, Edward didn't even think to mention that they wanted to go play sports. In a way, I felt kind of bad, as it was like they were postponing their plans for the evening to deal with me.

And while I definitely don't wanna watch people playing sports, and I don't want to deal with what happens at the baseball game in the canon story, at the same time, people having to put off their plans and their happiness for the sake of my needs doesn't sound pleasant.

It's almost as if I'm selfishly hoarding their time and attention. Like- they invited me over for a visit, but I don't think the visit was supposed to last this long.

Edward was holding all the Tupperware containers containing the food that was leftover, including the pie. He had them all stacked up quite easily and was holding them with one hand and his keys in the other. Not a word about the American pastime. Not a thing about sports. Not a baseball cap and sight. And no one was dressed in baseball gear.

Did he realize that I'm just not into sports, and I wouldn't wanna be there?

"Thank you for coming," Esme said, giving my hands a tight squeeze. She looked just as beautiful as she had this morning.

"Thank you for putting up with me for so long," I said in return. I gave Carlisle and Esme a nod of acknowledgement, and then did the same for Alice and Jasper. As usual, Jasper hung back a lot more than the others, but he didn't look as constipated as he had in the morning. Maybe he'd gotten used to me being around.

"Sorry about flirting with your partner while you were right there."

He shrugged, but Alice seemed amused by my words. "I'm different," Alice shrugged with a smirk aimed Edward's way. "So, it's okay."

And my ass, filled to the brim with memes and soundbites, responded by snapping my fingers in a rhythm and singing, "'I'm different, yeah, I'm different. I'm different, yeah, I'm different. I'm different, yeah, I'm different. Pull up to the scene with my ceiling missing! Pull up to the scene with my ceiling missing! Pullup-'"

I got a bit further in the edited lyrics before I got bored because that's probably the most interesting part of the song, not gonna lie.

Emmett shook his head. "Things are so much more interesting with you around. You're going to have to come back soon, that way Edward here stops sulking when you're not around, and I get to be entertained for free."

And yet, not one person mentioned anything about baseball.

Did I inhale some odd fumes or something? Am I forgetting something that happened before they went and played baseball or something?

Curious, looked up at the sky and said, "Guess we should get going. If it starts to rain anytime soon, I would like to be indoors before it happens, because the walk from the car to the house will suck." All the water coming down, and all the mud being made below, it would be disgusting.

Alice waved off my 'concern'. "You don't have to worry. There's no storms or rain coming for quite a while. Forks just so happens to have a dreary air to it all the time. It looks like it'll rain, but it doesn't rain half the time, and the forecast is pretty good for the next two weeks so don't worry."

For a moment there, I looked between Alice and the gray sky and wondered if I was somehow missing something.

And then it clicked.

Oh.

I think I just finally realized something. Despite how events are falling in line relatively along the Key Plot Points of the canon story, the big thing here is that time is not the same.

Edward and I haven't spent the exact same amount of time that he and Bella did getting to know each other in the canon story. We had less drama overall because of the lack of romance so far. So, the reason that there wasn't a baseball game tonight was because there was no thunderstorm that could obfuscate their actions. Because while the plot had progressed far enough to this point, the timing wasn't aligned and there was no scheduled thunderstorm anytime today.

And the only reason the Cullens played during a thunderstorm was so that they could use the thunder and the lightning to their advantage. I had been so distracted by what the baseball scene meant in the canon story, and how I could possibly escape it, that I didn't even realize the date.

This meant that this Sunday was not the day for the baseball game. It could be next Sunday. It could even be the Sunday after it, but it was not today. And that meant that I still had a couple more weeks of agonizing over what could happen. That meant that the nomadic coven of vampires were still roaming around Washington state somewhere, unchecked.

And with how things have been going despite all of my efforts to try and avoid dealing with canon, I could encounter James anywhere and I'm not here for it.

The basic fact was that there couldn't be a baseball scene without poor weather and thunder in the air. So, no game would happen for now.

And I get to go back to being nervous about the future.

I'm sure Jasper just got hit with an insane bit of panic and I feel a bit bad for it.

"At least I don't have to deal with mud," I murmured. "Thanks again, and if anyone, for some reason, wants to chill at Charlie's house with me, you're welcome so long as you come at normal times of the day and win Charlie over when you do." I'm not telling them how to do that though. Let them figure it out on their own.

Okay. I'm going to have to prepare for the future.

And to be honest, there really wasn't much that I could do to prepare for a potential vampire invasion. But I'm talking about preparation more as in the mental kind of preparation, because, damn, I'm going to need it. Unfortunately, I don't have chill pills to take this time around, so I'm gonna have to raw dog every emotion I deal with.

God, and I can't even arrange to somehow be out of state for that time period.

Unfortunately, we don't have any reference for what the nomadic coven would have gotten up to if they had never chosen to address the Cullens in the first place. I have no idea where they would go once leaving Washington, or at least the Olympic Peninsula, and I really don't want to find out.

You know, despite all of my knowledge and all the things that I'm into, I have never been a particularly adventurous individual. I'll try new things, but I'm not going that far out of my comfort zone to do those things. I never liked the idea of traveling alone. Perhaps I was just too attached and dependent on my mother to stray too far from her side.

I really don't want to be alone. As in, I don't want to have to face struggles in life on my own. But Charlie isn't my dad, and what little I got from Renee proved she is nothing like my mom. I'm just stuck here and having to deal with some weird, otherworldly being that's shipped me off into a fictional character's body and left me to fend for myself.

I stopped thinking it could possibly be a dream quite a while ago, because no matter what, dreams really don't last that long.

I'm here somehow and I have to do everything by myself.

My attempts thus far have been pretty stellar, if I do say so myself, but it's still just one person trying to fight the canon story… and it's not like I'm winning. I'm at this all alone and I'm kinda tired of being stressed so much. I'm fist-fighting fate and that bitch has a clean right hook.

Every time Edward points out my stress levels, I'm always reminded of just how closely I'm being watched and how I'm never truly physically allowed privacy.

Whatever. I'll deal with these issues some other time.

I don't have it in me right now, and I'm good at ignoring my feelings if I have to.

School the next day wasn't something I wanted to deal with.

Does this mean that things are on pause until the baseball scene actually happens? Does the main storyline not progress until we get to the baseball part? Am I supposed to just do my dailies and pretend everything's fine?

Am I treating this like a video game? Indeed, I am.

Jessica had pulled me aside the moment she got a look at me in the morning. Her eyes were practically sparkling with excitement because she had known that I was going to be visiting Edward, because I told a lot of people that I was visiting the Cullen's house. I am protecting my safety above all else.

Do your best to always have a witness and do your best to always make sure that at least two people know where you're headed if you're going out somewhere.

"You got to go into a place that nobody else has ever been in. I need all the deets!"

The irony of her dramatics was the fact that she was right. I had recently learned Esme handled not only the house being created as the family architect, and the decor as the interior designer, but also the plumbing. That Alice is the reason for all the money they are able to have. Rosalie handles their vehicles solo. Jasper is a wiz with technology and literally improved things only in-the-making as of right now.

Basically, everybody in that family was qualified for all jobs involved in building and maintaining a house. They didn't need to outsource jobs because they could handle it themselves. And this was the era before YouTube DIY videos, so you know that they actually had those skills to do the things themselves and didn't need to watch a short clip first.

Sometimes living forever seemed super useful.

"What do you want me to say?" I'm not exactly the kind of person that people would come to for gossip, because the things that I find interesting are not the things people are looking to gossip about. So, wanting to know the details of someone's house… I'm just like, it's a house. Even if it's an expensive house, it's still a house. I would find talking about the variety of cars in their garage more interesting, and even then, I don't really care much about cars either.

Jessica huffed and looked at me as if I wasn't understanding something significant. And to be honest, she would be completely correct.

"Bella, I love you, I really do, but sometimes you frustrate the hell outta me! What did it look like? What style of house was it? What was the paint job outside? What are walls like inside? What kind of rugs or carpeting do they have? What about the state of their kitchen? How many bathrooms are in the house? How many bedrooms are in the house? How big is the garage? Do they have a veranda or a big yard? Do they have a backyard? Do they have a pool? Do they have cobblestone walkways? Is there a wrought iron fence surrounding the property? Give. Me. Deets!" she practically hissed, smacking the back of her right hand into her left palm after each pause on the last three words.

To be honest, I forgot most of the questions she asked, she was speaking so fast. And by the time I had registered what she said she was on to like three things after that.

"I am the worst person to come to for stuff like this, so, I'm going to tell you what I remember, and I don't know how to sensationalize it for you."

I guess the best way to tell it would be to point out all the things that I found interesting.

"Okay, they live deep in the woods on the outskirts of town. Could probably barely be considered living in town, honestly. There is a very long dirt driveway through the woods that leads up to their house, and it spreads into a much larger area for parking. There is a connected garage, although it was double doored and closed when I saw it. When we got there, Rosalie was outside working on Emmett's Jeep. Several vehicles were also outside, so I'm going to assume that she was working on all of them, but I doubt any of them belonged to Dr. Cullen or his wife. I saw the Jeep, which is white and black and meant for off-roading, and it belongs to Emmett. And then there was the red BMW that Edward told me Rosalie owned a while back. And there were several motorcycles that I think are Jasper's. I know one was a Harley, and the other was a Ducati. The last two were probably dirt bikes, but I don't know enough about those to be able to tell you what they were."

Jessica sat there; mouth agape as I spoke. Clearly, this probably wasn't what she was looking for.

"It looked like there were three stories to the house above ground. The bottom story seemed to be made of some kind of blue-gray stone. The middle story looked like wood, but I'm not sure if it was actually wood, but it's supposed to look like wood grain. And then the top story was the same blue-gray kind of stonework on the bottom story with black and gray tiling. Leading up to the door was a wide and rather flat stone staircase. A type of white stone I can't explain. There isn't a yard so much as there are many very deliberately placed shrubs, ferns, and some weirdly shaped trees that looked like each branch had puff balls on the end all surrounded by brown mulch. This brackets either side of the stairs and the walkway that leads from the garage on the left."

I took in a lot more details than one might think.

"Oh, and a curious detail is that one side of the house is almost entirely made of glass windows. Across all three visible stories. It's the side that faces the river out back, but the river is pretty far away. Also, the front of the house has a significant number of large windows too, but the main floor is actually elevated a bit above road view, so just pulling up on the house wouldn't let you see into their business. You'd have to get on the same level first which is basically being at the front door."

Honestly, I think I'm surprising myself with how much I've noticed.

If only I was capable of sharing these details in an interesting way.

I ended up talking Jessica's ear off with extreme details for the next five minutes until class started, and I'm not sure if she got what she wanted or not, but I know I gave it my all.

And that's what matters most in my opinion.

SIDE B

With the dramas and revelations of lunch far behind us, I decided to offer our large collection of board games to Bella so that we may better pass the time. She ended up selecting Pay Day of all the games, which was a relief because Monopoly is far too serious of a game and needs to be planned days in advance in this household.

For background music, Bella chose Britney Spears. The very first album Britney ever released to be specific. Her head was already bobbing to whatever Britney song she had in mind, and then her head whipped to the side, and she dramatically said, "It's Britney, bitch!"

I have no idea what that was about, and she certainly didn't seem like she was willing to divulge any information about it, but it did send her into a fit of giggles.

Having to operate like a normal person when around Bella is so frustrating. I want to be let in on the secrets. I want to know the references that she's making. I want to know what it is about these references that made them stick in her mind so much that she can't help but respond to random phrases with these references.

And with all of the random thoughts that my family was currently cycling through about Bella's existence, the potential for these to be future references was astonishing. After all, if it was a pop culture thing, despite how I might not be as the teens these days are, I am very well aware of the things happening in pop culture. I might not behave like teens of the modern day, but I do need to know how to recognize their behavior and emulate them, so I don't draw negative attention to my family.

But the prevailing thought after Esme's comment was that Bella might actually be from the future somehow and is just reliving her teen years. And so maybe every single thing she says that I don't personally know if it's not in another language, is actually… from the future.

Bella knew about Naruto despite how there were only five volumes available in English right now. And she knew enough Japanese to be able to surf the internet in Japanese to acquire the raw scans of the original Japanese volumes of the manga. And she had a depth of understanding of the story that many people, including her own friends, who were also interested in it, did not.

So, if she was technically an adult from the future, then that would mean she must be from a time where Naruto was actually finished. Or at least further along in the story. And that could mean that anything she was saying to Mike or Tyler or Eric could actually be nods to future content.

This meant that practically anything Bella had to say could be a nod to the future. I've been taking notes about her ever since I met her because sometimes, I feel like my own memory is not a good enough place to keep track of these things. I've done journaling for many years in order to keep my thoughts in check, and I have already used many journals for Bella ever since meeting her.

I'll have to review every single thing that I've chosen to write down and then try to view all of it through the perspective of Bella potentially being from the future. Such a thing would greatly change the meaning behind all of our interactions thus far.

Every time I feel like I've gotten a little bit more understanding of who Bella is as a person, something else about her feels like it's throwing me all the way back to the beginning. Like I'm floundering for purchase among a sea of disordered thoughts.

And of course, there was always the potential that she may have met us already and actually knew about us and our secrets. And that's why she did not want us to tell her what we are. Maybe she was aware of the Volturi and what they did when humans found out about them. Maybe she was trying to spare all of us from such a horrific fate.

There was no proof unfortunately. Just suppositions.

And many incredibly suspicious occurrences lined up over and over and over. Eventually, things stop becoming convenient coincidences and start becoming reality, but I'm not exactly certain where we should draw the line between fact and fiction.

From the kitchen, I could hear Esme and Carlisle conversing in low tones so their voices wouldn't echo down the hall and potentially end up upstairs where Bella might hear it.

"She is a delightful young lady that much is for certain, but I simply have a feeling that she is far too old in spirit," Esme said softly. "No matter the experiences they might have by this point in their lives, seventeen-year-olds do not behave that way. They do not possess such wisdom so early on."

Carlisle seemed to agree, though the future idea wasn't solid enough to him yet. "Perhaps she is like Alice and can see the future. But maybe she only knows about a fixed future that cannot be changed."

Honestly, that idea was also very possible. But it does feel like that explanation would be far too simple for what we are dealing with. I know gut instincts aren't always something to rely on, but mine are telling me Bella isn't supernaturally talented, she's just well-informed. About a lot of things teenagers are not even aware of by the age of seventeen.

Alice sighed happily from her bedroom. In her mind, a Vision of Bella and I playing Monopoly with Emmett and Jazz came and went in the blink of an eye. There was no sound, but I could still read lips well enough. Vision-Edward was haggling madly with Vision-Emmett over mortgages while Vision-Jasper was trying to hide half of his money under his side of the board. Vision-Bella, though, merely watched with a demented smirk on her face, as if all was going according to plan while she counted money.

Bella is probably one of the most cutthroat people you'll ever encounter in the gaming space.

The ironic thing was that I was about to find out just how true that thought was.

I will be honest, but Bella is not very good at Pay Day. Either she's just so unlucky that she can never get something good, or she's just really bad at the game. Either way, she keeps losing money instead of actually making anything, and she's losing more than she's making which is an even greater loss.

Of course, as a gentleman, I should not laugh at a lady's misfortunes, but I can't help it because the look of frustration on her face is adorable. Her normally flat eyebrows bunch together very cutely and it's a good look for her. At this moment, she seems far less mature than she usually appears to be when speaking around me.

"Dude, I will bury you," she hissed when I laughed at her having to pay money again. She even mumbled a few choice words that I shan't repeat even in my own thoughts because they were far too graphic.

Though perhaps I could be a bit lenient and say that it involved a blunt spoon and my nether regions.

Emmett was cackling and Rosalie seemed to approve of Bella's threats as it was something similar that she'd leveraged against me in the recent past.

To distract everyone from the fact that Bella threatened me with very unique bodily harm, I decided to throw Emmett under the bus.

"No matter what you pull, it will never be as bad as what Emmett did when he made the rule that we have to use real money."

Hey! Emmett protested! That's probably the most genius idea I've ever had, and we have had some of the greatest games in history. Just because you can't use your fancy mind reading to cheat at Monopoly doesn't mean that my ideas are bad.

Monopoly was probably the one game where mine and Alice's powers did not actually help us. Alice could see the current future, but it would always change immediately based on people's decisions. So, up until the very last second, even something as simple as a dice roll would affect her Visions. The effort, the speed, and even the wrist movement before releasing the dice could influence what number someone received.

There's no way to control which spaces we land on, and there's no way to determine, even with how we absolutely do our best, that we can get the exact roll we want every single time. That's one thing all of our vampire senses can't accomplish for us.

And the goal of Monopoly is to basically own the board and have the most money and least debt at the end of the game. At least while we're playing. Everyone's goal is basically the same thing though. So, reading minds and seeing the future doesn't really help. This isn't like Scrabble or Scattegories where those abilities would give Alice and I an unfair advantage.

Nobody likes to play chess with us, but we also don't really like to play chess with each other because in the end, it's not a real victory. Monopoly is one of the rare games where we all get to play, and there is no guarantee that I or Alice will be the winner. It's nice that things can just be spontaneous in such a game.

So, it's not really that Emmett's idea is bad, more like adding real money makes the games more intense.

"Huh?" Bella squeaked, looking as if I'd just told her something so shocking she couldn't contain herself. Though, perhaps the thought of people being able to use real money while playing a game like Monopoly was actually that shocking.

Perhaps this is just more proof to her that we are filthy rich and too privileged for our own good.

It certainly wasn't a normal way to play a board game, but it didn't seem that odd.

"As in, you guys literally bring out the real money when you play Pay Day as a family?" She sounded so baffled, staring up at the ceiling as her eyes flickered from side to side in thought. I would give anything to be able to hear whatever is going on inside her head. I'm sure that it is the most scintillating thought process I could ever hope to hear.

"Actually, it was his idea for us to use real money in any board games that require us to spend money. So it feels more real."

Alice's gift has afforded us a lot of benefits in our second life. Playing games with fake money is a bit boring, so using real money and real properties that we each own all around the world, does give it a bit more spice.

It also makes it feel as if there's some bit of a loss in there when you actually lose, but at the same time we just have so much money that losing any of it isn't going to affect us at all. It's more like a hit to the ego to lose money during a game of Monopoly than anything else.

"Monopoly gets very dangerous very quickly. Bargain Hunter was a trip in the 80s."

Alice had loved that game in particular. Not only was the credit card machine something that she had salivated over, but the idea of trying to get all of the sales in time, for someone who loved shopping, was appealing.

Using real money in a game like that felt dangerous.

"The Game of Life in the 60s was also a hit for us."

Yet, no matter how many new games come out with the idea of making money and saving money and having the most money out of everybody playing, when it comes down to it, Monopoly ends up being the King of Games.

Though I must admit that in recent years, we have taken a liking to the game Uno.

Emmett takes that one very seriously.

"So, do you guys have special rules when you play these games? In my version of Monopoly, if somebody does not remind me to give them the money when they Pass Go, I don't do it. It is up to each player to keep track of how much they are owed and how much they owe."

Genius! Emmett crowed from downstairs. That's a new rule that's going into our future games!

Oh no, Alice grumbled. I know that we're capable of keeping up with basically an infinite number of things at once, but I don't want to have to!

This is going to be a bloodbath, Jasper sighed.

You're all idiots, Rosalie decided.

"I also make people pay a mortgage or I'll repossess their house 'cause they can own the land all they want, but do they actually own the house?" Probably because in order to build a house on the property, they would have to get materials to do that, and buying the land and building something on that land at the same time is expensive.

Truly ahead of her time, Emmett praised. An innovator, unlike any I have ever encountered.

The Vision that Alice had seen mere moments ago appeared in her mind once was doing the exact same thing they were doing before, except this time there were audible words. An argument about paying a mortgage but now it made sense. It seemed that Bella had imagined everyone playing her version of Monopoly, and Alice had seen a future where that did indeed happen.

I would actually look forward to that if we could make it happen sometime soon.

"I will also let people bargain between themselves when someone lands on another's space, because it's funnier that way."

Hence, why the Edward and Emmett in the Vision were arguing about mortgages. They were probably trying to work out a deal between them about when mortgage time comes up.

I must admit that I'm actually fascinated by the idea of playing Emmett's version of Monopoly with the addition of Bella's own unique rules. It would probably be the most cutthroat version of the game to ever be experienced, but it would be funny.

"Not really," I admitted, in answer to her question from a moment ago. Our rules weren't exactly like that, but they were about to be if Emmett had anything to say about it.

Things were going to get a lot more serious and a lot more dangerous in our future games, and honestly, I am a bit scared. And if Bella ends up being the banker who can't even keep up with vampire speed, then things are going to be insanely unfair. Although maybe that'll add a little bit of flair to the game then, having to play around the fact that her limited human senses could not keep up with us.

I can see it now!~ Emmett sang to himself. I await that day impatiently. Invite her over next weekend so we can do it then, Eddie Boy!

I will not be doing that. In fact, I will go to the trouble of trying to go to Bella's house instead. Simply because I am not yet ready to share her attention that much.

Don't be stingy, Alice reprimanded me, already seeing a Vision of me asking Bella to spend time at her house next Sunday. Bella's going to be part of the family someday, so we all need to spend time with her.

"We do have special rules for Uno if that makes you feel better," I told Bella with a small grin.

In our version of Uno, so long as you have a card either matching the exact card put down, or the same type, then you can interrupt the scheduled person's turn. If there's a Blue 1 on the pile, you can add a Blue 1 to match it or change the color by placing another color card down so long as it was still a 1.

A legendary moment in our family history was when Alice and I worked together to destroy Emmett by collecting several Draw 4 cards over the course of the game and then slapping them down back and forth until all were gone and forced onto Emmett who went right after Alice. Emmett then had to draw thirty-six cards.

Good times.

Now, when it came to playing Pay Day with Bella, she had very specific requirements. In her opinion, twelve months was the best way to gather whether or not someone was actually good at making money and increasing profits.

"It's about the long haul, my dude. Sure, you can get rich suddenly in a month, but can you actually keep the numbers up for the rest of the year?" was her reasoning. "Even with all number of untold atrocities that can happen in your life?"

Unfortunately, no matter how good she was at maintaining her money and spending habits, she kept losing money because she kept getting unlucky. It was getting so bad that I had to wonder if she was somehow cursed with bad luck.

"These are just problems that poor people have to deal with," she said with a shrug, though it was clear she was angry about the state of things. "The most minor inconveniences stacked on top of each other can become a very big problem very quickly. And one real emergency can ruin their lives forever."

The thing is, I have never actually had to think about these things before, so every time they come up, I just feel depressed.

In a way, it felt as if this game we were playing together was a sort of representation of real life. And specifically, our places in life. I'm from a wealthy family and I struggle for nothing, and Bella comes from a family that, while not poor, is much closer to poverty than I'll ever be. She's probably had to prepare herself for the worst-case scenario on many occasions.

All those times that she had gone to the hospital because of all the injuries she had obtained, had to have been so stressful. Hospital bills were not cheap and were also borderline scams half the time. She must have done everything she could to avoid having to go to the hospital just so she wouldn't have to face the reality that there might be a bill that has to be paid. One bad hospital bill could even ruin the lives of a middle-class family.

It was all very real, and just having to see Bella consistently getting the short end of the stick in this game made me sadder than anything.

"Sometimes it really is just bad luck," she went on to say frankly. "It's not always that the people in their lives are horrible and unfair to them, or that they're lazy and they don't wanna work hard for a good life. Sometimes life just throws horrible things your way and you don't have the means to face them."

That was true.

"The car breaks down and needs a new battery and new tires. And then your grandma dies from a fall and your mom has to pay for the funeral. A week after she's put in the ground, your mom has a heart attack and is hospitalized for a while, but while recuperating she gets informed that your Food Stamps will decrease by one-fourth the normal amount starting next month due to some policy change, so you'll have even less food money. And then somehow at your biannual doctors' appointment something you say raises concerns so you have to go for testing, and you are diagnosed with Diabetes and will be on insulin for life… It's just one thing after the other for some families."

…That entire explanation felt far too personal. None of those things are on Bella's records, and neither are they on the records of either of her parents. But at the same time, it just feels far too real when it's coming out of her mouth.

And now, with the added layer of potentially her being from the future, and that actually being something that may have happened at some point…

A lot to consider.

The game progressed as normal, with Bella suffering many more misfortunes.

Alice and Jasper decided to pop in at the very end as things were clearly wrapping up. Basically, Alice couldn't keep herself away long enough because she also wanted to share some of Bella's attention.

There's no need for all the jealousy, Jasper told me with a smirk. You look as if you just drank blood from a skunk.

Skunk blood is absolutely disgusting when it comes to the variations of flavors in animals. I don't know why, and I'm not really interested in finding the answer, but if I had to choose anything to drink from, it would literally be anything but skunks. And pigs. Despite similarities to humans in terms of organs, pig blood actually wasn't that great.

I want to have fun with Bella, and you won't ruin this for me! Alice practically sang.

"Bella, I wanted to ask if you'd let me give you a makeover! I have this beautiful blue eyeshadow that would look so good on you when paired with a black eyeliner!"

And in her mind, she had already applied the makeup to Bella and the Bella in her mind actually looked very nice. Personally, I believe the blue eyeshadow was not something that people should have made popular because it always looked very tacky. However, with Bella in it, it seemed nice. Or maybe I am really just that obsessed with her.

I would like to think that I'm not. I can be normal.

Not right now, of course, but on the average day, I could totally be normal.

Still, if I have gotten to know Bella at all in these past few weeks, she wouldn't actually want to do makeup.

"She's here to hang out with me. Invite her over yourself next time if you want to monopolize her attention."

She stuck her tongue out at me. Like a child.

Stop being a fuddy duddy and let us have some fun!

You're going to have to learn to share Bella with other people someday, Emmett added from the garage.

You can't be acting like this every single time she so much as glances at another person, Rosalie chimed in. You're going to have to cut the proverbial umbilical cord sometime soon. This dependency on your end is weird and unhealthy.

I'm not dependent on Bella!

Alice was sticking her tongue out at me as she bounced on the balls of her feet. "But Bella just likes me so much that she'd totally be excited for a makeover, right?"

Okay, rubbing that fact in my face isn't fair. I've been trying to prove that I'm interesting enough to get to know!

Though, considering everything up until now, maybe I'm just not worth it… Alice is more interesting than I am, and she's more mysterious too. And more likable in general.

Maybe Rosalie's point is spot on after all.

Jasper hit me full force with a tsunami of calm. Probably because my angst levels had risen too much too quickly. You desperately need to calm down.

Sometimes it's hard to do that, but if I don't then it'll just cause problems.

Bella was giving Alice a strange look. The kind that said that she wanted to say something that probably wasn't nice but didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. The kind of expression one would make when they are nervous about expressing their own thoughts.

"Not really, sorry."

Sorry for what?

Oh!

Alice came in because she wanted to give Bella a makeover. I was so distracted by my own depression for a minute there that I forgot that detail.

And I was right! Bella would definitely not be interested in doing makeup. I might not know why she wouldn't be into it, but I do know she wouldn't care.

I pay attention when she speaks!

Of course, it appears that her lack of interest ruined all of Alice's plans. I tried not to be too pleased by that. After all, the sore winner is just as bad as a sore loser.

"Not even if I say pretty please and bat my lashes at you?" I really thought it would work, Alice grumped. She's been so easily flustered up until now that I thought it'd be pretty easy.

I guess it's safe to say that, not even for the sake of a pretty girl would Bella put herself in a situation she deemed uncomfortable.

"Sorry, but no. I don't like makeup very much," Bella said with a shrug.

She does own a large collection of chapsticks in various flavors, but I've never actually seen her wear makeup-makeup besides a time where Jessica shared a lipstick with her for a minute and then Bella ended up wiping it off seconds later because, 'it feels too thick, I don't like it'.

All of Alice's plans were ruined.

Bella's complete and utter lack of interest in getting a makeover was almost like the nail in the coffin so to speak.

"The problem is that the only kind of makeup anything you're getting out of me is a collection of chapsticks, and even then, I'm more likely to eat them than wear them."

As it was noted before, she does collect chapsticks. However, I never actually checked to see if she ever wore them. And I don't actually remember if she ever smelled like chapstick. No matter how much they may try to hide the scent of chemicals, we can still perceive them. When it comes to chapsticks and lip balms, they aren't quite as egregious as other things applied to the face, but they can smell pretty bad all the same.

Things that are organic are always better because they don't have the foul stench of artifice attached to them.

Still, the idea that Bella might just eat the chapsticks she collects instead of using them was a bit weird. If it was because they tasted good, why couldn't she just get candy in the same flavors? Lip Smackers even come in candy flavors so why not just get that instead if it's a flavor thing?

Or maybe it's because candy is unhealthy but chapstick is chapstick and is applied in a miniscule amount.

Though the mental image of Bella just opening a new tube of chapstick, just so she could take a bite out of it, made me also want to laugh. A bit. Not where she could hear though.

Your girlfriend is weird! Emmett called out.

I've heard that humans do that but surely that isn't safe, Esme wondered.

I couldn't help but ask the question my whole family seemed to be thinking. "Isn't that incredibly unhealthy?"

"If they didn't want us to be eating them then they shouldn't be making them taste so good."

I hate the fact that she's right. Making them flavored would have had to mean that they would have to consider the fact that people were going to be ingesting them to some degree, and they had to be safe enough for that to be allowed to be sold.

She's fearless, Alice sighed as a new Vision flashed before her eyes. She's also planning to go to the store so she can buy cookie dough to eat. While I don't see her getting sick or ending up in the hospital as a result, I think we should pay a little more attention just to be safe.

Sometimes I'm desperate to know what Bella's mind is going through, that she can cycle through so many thoughts and so many plans for her future. And then other times I realize that maybe I don't need to know.

The Vision of Bella hunched over a container of Nestle Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, almost like Gollum obsessing over the one ring, was something I didn't need to see. Especially when her mouth opened ridiculously wide so that she could inhale a massive spoonful of dough all at once.

Vision-Bella seemed nervous though. Like she was worried that she was being watched somehow, as her dark eyes darted back and forth. Not to the doorways or the windows of Charlie Swan's kitchen, like she thought he'd pop up to reprimand her, but to random spots in the middle distance as if she thought she was under surveillance somehow.

"Besides, if we're going to the trouble of targeting groups of young people by telling them that this product that they have to put on their mouths has different flavors, it has to be safe to eat. Toddlers aren't the only people who shove random things into their mouths out of curiosity."

I'm not even going to dignify the varying responses that line got from my family with even a hint of acknowledgement. I refuse to give them the satisfaction. Especially Emmett.

Alice still wasn't going to give up without one parting line to suggest a makeover at some point. "Well, if you ever decide that you want to learn how to do makeup you can totally come to me."

There are so many hairstyles I want to try with her long hair, and she looks really good in high heels, so I have a few pairs in mind for her. And there's also this mini skirt that I've been thinking of getting but I'd have to place an order for it. Oh! And I honestly should totally get many variations of it. And then we'll surprise her with them at some point!

While Alice plotted for the future, Jasper shook his head to dissuade me from ruining her fun. Let her get it out of her system. She'll keep popping in on you guys otherwise.

He had a point.

Bella, though, seemed to feel compelled to explain her stance on makeup, catching all of our attention once again.

"Mostly, I don't wear makeup because I don't like the textures, but even if I could handle those, I couldn't reason away those kinds of expenses for something that I honestly wouldn't have the energy to dedicate myself to. It's both time and money, and time is money in a way so it's not appealing to me."

It's not the first time Bella did not like the texture of something and got a bit… obsessive over it.

Hm…

Being poor has to suck, Emmett noted, sounding almost guilty. It's like they can't enjoy anything that happens because they spend their days constantly in a panic about what might happen to ruin their lives.

Because the point was, even if we were to somehow find makeup that Bella would absolutely not mind wearing, because the textures didn't disgust her, the price was the next greatest issue. Good makeup was not cheap, especially if people wanted it to do what it was meant to do.

Alice seemed especially saddened by Bella's words. I wish she would let us pamper her without her having to worry about all these things.

Unfortunately, a person like Bella might actually think of it as something that requires payment in return, and even if it's not money that would be the payment, she would probably come up with something else that she deemed a suitable enough replacement.

Bella knows full well that we are incredibly wealthy and want for nothing. So, no money she could give us would ever mean anything. But that would just put more pressure on her to try and find something of suitable value in return to make up for anything we give her or do for her.

She had mentioned guilt over spending habits before. The guilt would eat her alive.

"I'd love to give myself borderline raccoon eyes but unfortunately, it takes time, and liquid liner is the easiest to use because it doesn't make my skin crawl, but it also requires a deft hand that I don't possess. And I also don't have the energy enough to care about waking up earlier just to do makeup. I could be using that time to get more sleep. And if I was to wake up earlier I would sooner do it for the sake of food than makeup."

Ah, tried and true to herself. Food above all else in Bella's mind.

Dinner will be done soon, Esme told me. So, if Bella gets hungry, just make sure she knows that food will be ready whenever she is.

Jazz snorted and shook his head. It's a bit nice to have someone so different from us around. This is probably the lightest the entire household has felt in ages. Even Rosalie, despite all of her blustering and insistence that she doesn't care about anything happening, is even amused.

Rosalie wasn't able to hide her thoughts or feelings with us around, but we don't expose her too often for the sake of common decency.

Still, it's nice to know that my entire family does seem to appreciate Bella coming around, and that it's not just the fact that she's so mysterious and everyone wants to discover her secrets, but actually it's her being entertaining just by being herself. We haven't made meaningful connections with anyone who wasn't a vampire in a very long time, so unfortunately, we're not sure if other humans just act this way overall, or if this is unique to her alone.

Or maybe in the future that she is potentially from, this is how people act in general.

"Laugh all you want, bro, but few things in life are important enough for me to wake up early."

She does tend to wake up as late as possible without going overboard. Mostly because despite everything she might say, Bella still doesn't like getting to school late and gives herself some wiggle room in case traffic is bad somehow.

I believe she once told Jessica that it is a 'ten-minute grace period'.

"But you always end up looking so put together for school," I couldn't help but note. There are students who just wake up and throw on whatever they see in their immediate vicinity, but it's clear that Bella is not one of them. She might not be as overtly feminine as Jessica and Lauren might want her to be, but she is someone who does put effort into her appearance.

She's always clean, she's always put together, and she always looks like she's ready to face the day, whereas some students are still tired and unapproachable. "It's clear that the lot more thought goes into the outfits you choose to wear and how you style your hair, than you'd like people to believe."

She leveled an unimpressed look my way, and even Alice had to shake her head at me as if I somehow wasn't grasping something. Though, considering the fact that Alice is the one who basically controlled everyone's wardrobes based upon what they liked, maybe I really don't get it. I'm not the one who goes clothes shopping after all, and I don't have to put in any additional effort into looking a certain way for school.

We don't have to wear makeup because we look perfectly airbrushed already and because we have no pores, we don't break out. We don't have to deal with dead skin cells, so we don't have dandruff. Our nails and hair don't grow at all, so we don't have to maintain them. And a lot of products don't even stick because there's nothing to attach to.

Even with Alice's plethora of knowledge and experience, there's still some things even she won't be able to understand because we don't have to do them, and they wouldn't work if we tried.

It's a process, Edward. Everyone has a whole process on how they handle things, and some people will wake up early in the morning to do everything then, while others will be prepared to go at night.

"Dude, that is the fruits of my labor from the night before. My entire outfit for the next day is set out at night, and sometimes I even press my shirts too."

See?! Alice thought, looking pleased with herself. Clearly, in Bella's mind, there are levels of importance to each and every action she takes!

Bella was still talking though. "Also, the hair isn't as much effort as you think if you take care of it properly on a constant basis. I repurposed a satin pillowcase into a bonnet so I could protect my hair and limit any friction that can cause breakage during sleep. Also, bonnets can be very useful in protecting braids from getting messed up."

While I am familiar with what a bonnet is… I am quite certain that Bella is not within the demographic of people who would typically use one? And yet she not only apparently uses one but also knows the proper fabric that should be used for one.

You know, this has brought to mind something that I've been thinking of a lot lately but wasn't sure of how to word it… Bella doesn't act very…Caucasian.

Based on the background checks that we've done on her and both of her parents, she did not grow up in a multicultural neighborhood in Arizona. Despite the fact that it was Arizona, of course. But she says and does things that typically one would not expect from someone of her... complexion.

And maybe it could be reasoned away with environmental factors, like where she grew up or where she went to school, or even the students in school that she hung out with, but Bella did not really have friends growing up, according to all the notes we have. So, where would she have grasped any of these topics if she was not surrounded by people from those cultures exposing her to them?

My room was silent for quite some time. Bella seemed to be lost in her own thoughts, and I didn't have anything to say.

I was eventually declared the winner of Pay Day, to no one's surprise. She grumbled a bit to herself in Spanish over it, even as she remained distracted by something else. I don't understand some of the words though because the literal translation wouldn't make sense, so it's probably an idiom I am unaware of.

Something I hate more than anything. Idioms.

Jasper was internally cackling. She called you a lucky fucking asshole and said to count your days! 'Pinche' basically means 'fucking', so if she's using that a lot she's getting pretty vulgar and annoyed with you.

Another thing to watch out for. Where did Bella end up learning Spanish and Japanese and English? And apparently a bit of French in her seventeen years of life?

And then she basically said to go to hell, but in a more light-hearted way.

Great.

While I lamented over the fact that Bella could insult people in other languages, she was wandering back and forth between my music as Britney's album came to an end on its third full loop. It seemed that she was on the hunt for something specific and wasn't able to find it.

She lingered around the Js and then moved to the Ls, but tsked when she didn't find what she was looking for.

She tapped one of the speakers in my setup, and asked, "Are these good speakers?" She sounded a bit doubtful of the fact that they were good despite listening to the same album for two hours through them.

"Top of the line," I told her. Not cheap in the slightest but often considered some of the best. Jasper was actually the one who swore by them.

"They're B&Ws. Traditionally a very good brand for speakers, and with Jasper's expert assistance, they work even better than they would originally and can be connected to many more electronics than originally intended."

The benefits of having a family member interested in technology.

Bella bit her lip, and I tried very hard to pretend that it wasn't an attractive thing to do. "Are they super distracting for everybody though? Like- would using them at a bit of a higher volume ruin everyone's day?"

She wanted to play louder music? What would be even louder than pop?

Rock? But which kind of rock would Bella be interested in?

"I'm going to have to be honest with you, but any sound for us can be very distracting. So, it's really no different than me playing piano. Everyone will hear it regardless of what they or I am doing in the meantime."

That was just an unfortunate fact of life. We couldn't even use things like CD players, MP3 players, and Walkmans because everyone would still hear what's happening in the headphones. We did possess such things in case we had to use them while out in public, but we did not use them at home because there wasn't a point.

Typically, every member of the family got a day in which they could play whatever they wanted, and no one could interrupt if they put something on unless they bargained for it. Carlisle typically had Sundays, but he'd wanted to give Bella and I a chance to be normal teenagers and said to do whatever we wanted. So, I took that as an opportunity to let Bella choose the trajectory of our musical journey today.

My answer didn't seem to improve Bella's mood though. Her concerns were still palpable.

You need to say something to alleviate her worries, Jasper said pointedly. She's getting antsy.

"And what exactly am I supposed to say?" I grumbled too low for her to hear. It's not like I can read her mind to get any clues.

It was clear that Alice decided I was beyond hope because she decided to just step in and handle it. "You don't need to worry about annoying anyone or anything. We're all really happy that you're here and we want you both to have fun together. So, if you want to listen to some music and dance your heart out, then go right ahead."

Did Bella want to dance? I'm not sure anything in my collection would be considered modern dance music but with enough imagination anything is possible. Many songs I have access to can be considered a waltz, but I doubt that's what she'd want.

She went back to looking over the entire wall again, eyes squinting as if that would somehow help her see things more clearly.

"Is there something you need?" I asked her. "If I somehow don't have it, then there's still a chance that somebody else in the house will." Rosalie had the second largest musical collection out of everybody in the house, and she had many things that I did not have because I wasn't interested in them. So, if I didn't have it, there was a chance that she might have it and I don't think she would mind hearing music she likes being played.

There was a moment there where Bella considered the wall and then considered me, and a look of deep displeasure crossed her face. "You ain't got no Jerry Lee Lewis."

The artist's face immediately came to mind and my eyes instantly looked toward the wall, just like Bella. I immediately went to J and then I went to L, and not one Jerry Lee Lewis work was there.

I don't have him, Emmett told me.

I don't listen to that stuff, Rosalie said.

I don't think anyone here has that, dear, Esme sighed. I'm so sorry.

Unfortunately, this meant that I had to be the one to inform Bella of the details. "It appears that that is an artist that no one in this house listens to."

The look of defeat on her face made me feel so bad. I wouldn't have ever assumed that Bella would be interested in rock'n'roll, or specifically rock'n'roll around the time it was considered to have 'started'.

Jerry Lee Lewis wasn't exactly someone that came to mind when I thought of rock'n'roll.

Bella's hands came together in front of her face, almost as if in prayer, and she said, "Okay, I have a small request!" That would explain why she looked pleading.

"Yeah?"

I will even go to the trouble of illegally downloading music if she asks me to do it. One, it's incredibly easy to do, and two, Jasper has a way that makes it even faster. MP3 or even burning CDs is easier with Jasper's help.

"I know that this is coming out of nowhere, but it just hit me, and I realized that I wanted to hear it - but would you be able to play "Great Balls of Fire" on the piano, but actually give it the swag that it is due? I never personally learned the song because I honestly forget that it exists sometimes, but I now suddenly very much would like to hear it and you don't have any of Jerry's music in your library."

Of all the songs I would have expected Bella to ask for, that wasn't one of them. In fact, it never would have crossed my mind that that is potentially a song that Bella would be interested in.

Still, the way she framed her request kind of threw me a little bit. "'Swag'?" I couldn't help but repeat. As in swagger? The African American slang term specifically?

"Yeah, swag. You know, like- Jerry Lee Lewis definitely had some swag when he was doing that song live. You gotta do it justice."

Yeah, Eddie Boy, do you got swag?! Emmett crowed, filling my head with his crazed cackles. Don't wanna ruin Belly Boo's day by being lame!

Well… she wants me to play it for her.

"Do you want me to sing it as well?"

I can definitely pull that off, but I would be a little self-conscious about doing it because it's not something I've done before. For anyone.

"Would you say that you sound good while singing it?" she asked skeptically. Like she couldn't believe that I was capable of holding a tune.

Rude.

"Like- it's not like your voice isn't nice, but can you actually pull off that kind of song and make it sound believable? 'Cause no offense, but you give off the air of a choir boy kind of vocals and not rock'n'roll. Like, despite the music that's in your library, I wouldn't expect you to be singing anything but something sung at church."

… Does my general behavior truly give off such religious overtones? No matter what I do, is she honestly going to assume that I'm super religious?

It's not as if I spend my days quoting the Bible at people. What about me makes her think that I'm a choir boy? Or that I give off the air of a choir boy?

It didn't help that my siblings decided that this was probably the funniest thing they had heard all day, despite all the other things she had said. Alice was especially getting a kick out of it.

Good luck convincing her otherwise! She cheered as she dragged her husband away.

I followed Bella back downstairs toward the piano, pretending as if I wasn't blindsided by her assessment of my character.

From memory, I tested the basic chords of the song first just to make sure I had it in the right key. I could even do key changes if she wants me to try it out.

"I could imitate him perfectly," I told her. It was just a fact of our existence that as vampires we were capable of imitating almost any sound except something that was too high pitched. Like smoke alarms. Not even Alice could imitate a smoke alarm. Like that little beep they make when dying was annoying but even we can't do that.

"In fact, we're capable of mimicking pretty much any sound if we absolutely want to. Alice could sound like me, for example, or I could sound like her. There really is no limit. I could sound like an ambulance if I so desired."

I could even sound just as loud as one if I wanted. One time a few years ago, Emmett had wanted to pull a prank, in a sense, by tricking people into pulling over for an unseen ambulance. Everyone knows that when an ambulance is actually on the move and in an emergency, everyone is supposed to clear the way, no matter what they have to do to do it. So, Emmett hung his head outside Rosalie's car window and proceeded to mimic the ambulance sound, and the cars parted like the Red Sea, allowing them to speed down the road undisturbed.

Esme hadn't found it a very funny joke because ambulances being in a rush is actually a very serious matter and faking such a thing could cause problems for many people. He'd gotten his Lincoln taken away for a month for that prank. Rosalie hadn't really cared and no one else was willing to admit that they thought it was a bit funny.

Good times! Emmett thought fondly. He still felt no shame in what he did, he was only sad that it disappointed Esme.

"Honestly, I have no reason to doubt that you can sound exactly like Jerry Lee Lewis, or even Alice, but can you mimic exactly the way he sings the song? It's one thing to sound like a person when they speak, it's another to be able to sing exactly like them."

She did have a point there, but we can all sing perfectly through a six-octave range and some even higher and lower, so that's just the average range.

Now, when it comes to embodying the spirit of Jerry Lee Lewis, that might be a little different, but I can probably do it.

"I guess I'll just have to surprise you," I said, feeling the pressure but also feeling a little excited to do something different.

I must confess to being extremely pleased to see the look of surprise on her face when I performed the lead-in notes and then managed to sing exactly like Jerry Lee Lewis on the beginning line. When it comes to the singing part, that isn't any talent of mine and more of just what the vampirism does to us when we are turned, but the playing the piano part is something I can be proud of because I had to work at it for years.

By technicality, Carlisle can play a perfect song on the piano after years of watching me practice and compose, but there's a significant difference between him playing music on the piano and I or Rosalie playing it. It could be heard very easily by anyone.

By all accounts, it will be a perfect performance, and it'll also be lifeless.

To be honest, I do enjoy when I can surprise Bella in pleasant ways. Nasty surprises aren't fun for anyone.

As I played the song on a loop, I ended up taking it up two keys in the process, and she could only stare in amazement.

As the song faded out, Bella slow-clapped and nodded her head in gratitude.

She then decided to hit me with, "This doesn't mean that you have to go and buy any of Jerry's work."

OH! Emmett laughed. She knows you so well! You'll never have a moment of peace with her around.

"Just because I was a bit bummed that you didn't have him doesn't mean you need to buy anything of his. It's your music library and whatever you have should be there because it's what you like, and no other reason," she explained, giving me a very pointed look as she said it. "Please do not put yourself out there, or even drastically change who you are, for the sake of another person."

Life Lessons With Bella Swan, Jasper thought in a robotic voice, making up a whole jingle for it and everything. Sometimes it sounds like she's your therapist and she's talking to you about how to handle life.

They're just so cute, Esme sighed as she began to finish up the preparations for Bella's dinner. She was busy separating ingredients into different trays so that Bella would have an easier time getting to everything.

"Basically, if you do choose to get some of his music, please just make sure that it's because you want to have it, and not because you think it's gonna make me happy. Please, don't do that. Sometimes your need to please concerns me."

I'm not that much of a people pleaser. I just want her to like me.

I feel as if I have somehow given her the wrong idea about how I am. It is true that I derive enjoyment from giving things to people and seeing them happy, but I am not this way with every single person I know. I do have friends who are vampires, but I don't see them that often, and I don't feel pressured to get them things. This is a thing reserved for those I consider close to me.

She placed her hands on the keys, taking over from me and playing an entirely new song that I am once again unfamiliar with. Bella seemed to enjoy it though, smiling wildly as if this song made her excited.

"I'll return your favor with another bop of a different sort."

Despite being a completely different song, there were similarities in the amount of energy displayed. But in my personal opinion, it felt more like it'd be a modern rock song than anything else. I can't even begin to guess where it came from.

"This sounds like it should be played with a guitar instead of a piano," I noted, thinking of the electric guitar, but also the electric cello and electric violin.

Any of them would do such a song sufficient justice.

Bella nodded and said, "Technically it's 8-Bit but it would slap a lot more with an electric guitar instead of a piano."

Unfortunately for Bella, nobody in the house actually played guitar. Though Jasper did know how to play the ukulele.

"No one in this house plays guitar," I told her. It was just not an instrument anyone felt pressured to learn. Emmett liked the tuba and Alice had a kalimba, but that was about as adventurous as people got. And no, the spoons do not count.

Excuse you! Emmett said with an exaggerated throat clear. I happen to shred it on the dam-

Alice interrupted his thoughts from upstairs to yell, "Guitar Hero doesn't count!"

"It should!" he countered.

Unfortunately for him, it did not actually count as an instrument.

The revelation of Emmett's unique talent seemed to confuse Bella. "You have Guitar Hero already?" she asked.

It's not officially released yet, Alice warned me. Just tell her about how he gets early access. At most, she'll attribute it to us just being filthy rich.

"Emmett knows a lot of people and gets sent beta versions of games and consoles prior to release. It's actually scheduled to release in November but he's play-testing it to find any issues."

"No seas un pinche, comparte con los demás, cabrón."

Jasper snorted once again and explained for the rest of us, "Aimed at Emmett, she's telling him to not be a stingy fucker and to learn to share. Presumably, she means whatever connections he has that get him early access to video games. It seems she's more inclined toward Mexican Spanish."

Oh.

Well, it's nice when I'm not the only one she's picking on.

Bella tsked to herself and shook her head. "I need me some of those connections, damn. Who do I gotta talk to in order to have an inside man?"

"I don't think that's something you actually want the answer to," I warned.

The things that Jasper did in order to obtain those connections he had aren't exactly things that we like to talk about as a family. They're just things that we have to acknowledge are necessary if we want to continue existing relatively peacefully.

The only reason that Emmett had early access to video games was basically because he blackmailed somebody, and we have the money necessary to make that hidden details something that wouldn't ruin our lives if it was discovered. I don't think Bella would be interested in obtaining early access to video games through that method.

Of course, the other method is just having enough money to bribe people in general, and that's also not something you should always rely on. Money can only go so far, even when you have a lot of it.

"Perhaps you're right. Guess I'll just have to be unlucky like the average Joe."

One of the funny things about Bella as a person was that she didn't linger on the things that annoyed her too much.

Dinner is ready! Esme finally told me. And I think she'll really enjoy it.

"Maybe not so unlucky, because lucky for you, dinner is done. Esme is very excited about it."

The best part was that she allowed me to escort her to the kitchen, hand on my arm and everything.

And then Bella saw the food and it was all over.

It was a smorgasbord of options, painstakingly set up so that everything was neat and tidy and easily accessible. Tacos, but done in a fancy way.

"You know about carne asada?!"

And Esme had truly outdone herself as every strip of meat was exactly the same size, all cut by hand. A nearby knife was available if Bella wanted them cut into even smaller pieces.

They certainly smell like something that humans would eat, so it must have been done correctly.

Esme was practically beside herself with pride and joy at her accomplishment. "Based on how much Edward talks about you, this seemed like something you'd be very much interested in. So, I wanted to make sure I did it right."

I sent her a wide-eyed look of betrayal. There was no reason for her to have to tell Bella any of that. She made it sound as if all I did at home was talk about Bella Swan, and I did other things! Things that had nothing to do with Bella, actually.

You know I only do it in jest, she commented with a grin. Besides, women like to hear proof of the fact that men listen to them when they speak. She may have made an offhand comment, but you have proven that you were listening and that is appealing.

That was true. Bella was especially someone who appreciated actions over words.

Bella looked over all of the gathered ingredients and then made one very random and unexpected request. "This is going to sound really weird, I know, but do you also have mayonnaise?"

There was, in fact, a jar of mayonnaise in the fridge, just in case it was ever something that Bella would be interested in. Esme had purchased canned chicken and canned tuna on the off chance that Bella might like tuna salad, egg salad, or chicken salad sandwiches. But honestly, mayonnaise could be used for a lot of things when it came to cooking.

She determined that it was best to have it on hand anyway, just in case.

I've never heard of anybody putting mayonnaise on a taco, though. That is a new thing.

"Don't people usually put sour cream on their tacos?" I asked as Bella proceeded to scoop out a spoonful of mayonnaise and stir it into the pico de gallo.

She shrugged. "Sour cream definitely has its place in certain areas of cooking, but I personally don't actually like it on tacos." The wrinkle of her nose suggested that there was a story behind that reason.

Bella took a deep breath, stared up at the ceiling for a moment, before clasping her hands in a quick prayer. "Sinceramente lo siento a todos los personas de los Estados Unidos de México. Estoy haciendo… um… blasphemy."

Jasper coughed, very unnecessarily might I add, and said, "She's just so strange."

Did she just apologize to Mexico? Rosalie asked me, which, based on what I know of Latin and Spanish… yes. She did.