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"YOU CAN’T BE SERIOUS," I SAID WEDNESDAY AFTERnoon "You’ve completely lost your mind!"

"Say whatever you like about me," Alice answered "The party is still on"

I stared at her, ht fall out and land on my lunch tray

"Oh, calh with it Besides, the invitations are already sent"

"ButtheyouIinsane!" I spluttered

"You’ve already bought my present," she re but show up"

Ion right now, a party is hardly appropriate"

"Graduation is what’s going on right now, and a party is so appropriate it’s almost pass��"

"Alice!"

She sighed, and tried to be serious "There are a few things we need to get in order now, and that’s going to take a little tiht as well coraduate froet to be huain, Bella This is a once-in-a-lifetiuue at hiht - her soft voice would never carry over the babble of the cafeteria And no one would understand the s do we need to get in order?" I asked, refusing to be sidetracked

Edward answered in a low voice "Jasper thinks we could use some help Tanya’s fa to track down a few old friends, and Jasper is looking up Peter and Charlotte He’s considering talking to Mariabut no one really wants to involve the southerners"

Alice shuddered delicately

"It shouldn’t be too hard to convince them to help," he continued "Nobody wants a visit fro to bevegetarians, right?" I protested, using the Cullens’ tongue-in-cheek nickname for themselves

"No," Edward answered, suddenly expressionless

"Here? In Forks?"

"They’re friends," Alice reassuredto be fine Don’t worry And then, Jasper has to teach us a few courses on newborn elihtened at that, and a brief smile flashed across his face My stomach suddenly felt like it was full of sharp little splinters of ice

"When are you going?" I asked in a hollow voice I couldn’t stand this - the idea that soht not cohtless that he was never the least bit cautious? Or Esine her in a fight? Or Alice, so tiny, so fragile-looking? Orbut I couldn’t even think the name, consider the possibility

"A week," Edward said casually "That ought to give us enough time"

The icy splinters twisted uncomfortably in reen, Bella," Alice cohtly against his side "It’s going to be fine, Bella Trust ht toto have to sit behind and wonder whether or not the core of his existence was going to come home

And then it occurred to me Maybe I didn’t need to sit behind A asfor help," I said slowly

"Yes" Alice’s head cocked to the side as she processed the change in my tone

I looked only at her as I answered My voice was just slightly louder than a whisper "I could help"

Edward’s body was suddenly rigid, his arht around me He exhaled, and the sound was a hiss

But it was Alice, still calm, who answered "That really wouldn’t be helpful"

"Why not?" I argued; I could hear the desperation in ht is better than seven There’s h tireed coolly "Do you reood in a fight You wouldn’t be able to control your instincts, and that wouldto protect you" She folded her aric

And I knew she was right, when she put it like that I slumped in my seat, my sudden hope defeated Beside me, Edward relaxed

He whispered the reminder in my ear "Not because you’re afraid"

"Oh," Alice said, and a blank look crossed her face Then her expression became surly "I hate last- minute cancellations So that puts the party attendance list down to sixty-five"

"Sixty-five!" My eyes bulged again I didn’t have that many friends Did I even know thatto surprise you for your graduation, but soet home"

For a moment, I just letfor rateful to it If she had come to Forks nowI didn’t want to think about it My head would explode

Theof relief flared again as I listened to my mother describe Phil’s accident on the ball field - while deled up with the catcher and broken his thigh bone; he was entirely dependent on her, and there was no way she could leave hie cut off

"Well, that’s one," I sighed

"One what?" Edward asked

"One person I don’t have to worry about getting killed this week"

He rolled his eyes

"Why won’t you and Alice take this seriously?" I demanded "This is serious"

He srumbled I picked up the phone and dialed Ren��e’s nu conversation, but I also knew that I wouldn’t have to contribute much

I just listened, and reassured her every tiet a word in: I wasn’t disappointed, I wasn’tPhil get better I passed on et well soon" to Phil, and proh’s generic graduation Finally, I had to use et off the phone

Edward’s patience was endless He waited politely through the whole conversation, just playing withwhenever I looked up It was probably superficial to notice such things while I had so s to think about, but his smile still knocked the breath out of me He was so beautiful that itelse, hard to concentrate on Phil’s troubles or Ren��e’s apologies or hostile va up, I stretched onto my tiptoes to kiss him He put his hands around my waist and lifted me onto the kitchen counter, so I wouldn’t have to reach as far That worked for ainst his cold chest

Too soon, as usual, he pulled away

I felt hed at s He leaned against the counter next to htly around my shoulders

"I know you think that I have so self-control, but that’s not actually the case"

"I wish," I sighed

And he sighed, too

"After school to with Carlisle, Esme, and Rosalie Just for a few hours - we’ll stay close Alice, Jasper, and Erumbled Tomorroas the first day of finals, and it was only a half-day I had Calculus and History - the only two challenges in my line-up - so I’d have al to do but worry "I hate being babysat"

"It’s temporary," he promised

"Jasper will be bored Emmett will make fun of rumbled

And then it occurred to me that I did have one option besides babysitters "You knowI haven’t been to La Push since the bonfire"

I watched his face carefully for any change in expression His eyes tightened the tiniest bit

"I’d be safe enough there," I reht about it for a few seconds "You’re probably right"

His face was calm, but just a little too smooth I alht of the ribbing Eed the subject "Are you thirsty already?" I asked, reaching up to stroke the light shadow beneath his eye His irises were still a deep gold

"Not really" He seemed reluctant to answer, and that surprisedas possible," he explained, still reluctant "We’ll probably hunt again on the way, looking for big gaer?"

He searchedto find but curiosity

"Yes," he finally said "Huh only fractionally Jasper’s been thinking about cheating - adverse as he is to the idea, he’s nothing if not practical - but he won’t suggest it He knohat Carlisle will say"

"Would that help?" I asked quietly

"It doesn’t e e are"

I frowned If so helped even the oddsand then I shuddered, realizing I illing to have a stranger die to protect him I was horrified at ed the subject again "That’s why they’re so strong, of course The newborns are full of huers in the tissues and strengthens theth starting to wane after about a year"

"How strong will I be?"

He grinned "Stronger than I aer "Yes Dohed It sounded so ridiculous

Then I sighed and hopped down from the counter, because I really couldn’t put it off any longer I had to cram, and cram hard Luckily I had Edward’s help, and Edas an excellent tutor - since he knew absolutely everything I figuredon the tests If I didn’t watchmy History essay on the vampire wars of the South

I took a break to call Jacob, and Edward seemed just as comfortable as he had when I was on the phone with Ren��e He played with h it was the rouchy at first He cheered right up when I asked if I could visit the next day The Quileute school was already out for the summer, so he told me to come over as early as I could I was pleased to have an option besides being babysat There was a tiny bitthe day with Jacob

Soain on delivering ed by custodial guardians

"So how do you feel you did on your exa small talk

"History was easy, but I don’t know about the Calculus It see sense, so that probably hed "I’m sure you did fine Or, if you’re really worried, I could bribe Mr Varner to give you an A"

"Er, thanks, but no thanks"

He laughed again, but suddenly stopped e turned the last bend and saw the red car waiting He frowned in concentration, and then, as he parked the car, he sighed

"What’s wrong?" I asked, " His eyes were narrowed as he stared through the windshield toward the other car I’d seen that look before

"You’re not listening to Jacob, are you?" I accused

"It’s not easy to ignore soht about that for a second "What’s he shouting?" I whispered

"I’m absolutely certain he’ll mention it himself," Edward said in a wry tone