I haven't watched Romeo
and Juliet yet for English。〃
Alice snorted。 〃You have Romeo and Juliet memorized。〃
〃But Mr。 Berty said we needed to see it performed to fully appreciate it—
that's how Shakespeare
intended it to be presented。〃
Edward rolled his eyes。
〃You've already seen the movie；〃 Alice accused。
〃But not the nineteen…sixties version。 Mr。 Berty said it was the best。〃
Finally； Alice lost the smug smile and glared at me。 〃This can be easy； or
this can be hard； Bella； but one
way or the other—〃
Edward interrupted her threat。 〃Relax； Alice。 If Bella wants to watch a movie；
then she can。 It's her
birthday。〃
〃So there；〃 I added。
〃I'll bring her over around seven；〃 he continued。 〃That will give you more
time to set up。〃
Alice's laughter chimed again。 〃Sounds good。 See you tonight； Bella！ It'll be
fun； you'll see。〃 She
grinned—the wide smile exposed all her perfect； glistening teeth—then pecked
me on the cheek and
danced off toward her first class before I could respond。
〃Edward； please—〃 I started to beg； but he pressed one cool finger to my
lips。
〃Let's discuss it later。 We're going to be late for class。〃
No one bothered to stare at us as we took our usual seats in the back of the
classroom （we had almost
every class together now—it was amazing the favors Edward could get the
female administrators to do
for him）。 Edward and I had been together too long now to be an object of
gossip anymore。 Even Mike
Newton didn't bother to give me the glum stare that used to make me feel a
little guilty。 He smiled now
instead； and I was glad he seemed to have accepted that we could only be
friends。 Mike had changed
over the summer—his face had lost some of the roundness； making his
cheekbones more prominent； and
he was wearing his pale blond hair a new way； instead of bristly； it was
longer and gelled into a carefully
casual disarray。 It was easy to see where his inspiration came from—but
Edward's look wasn't
something that could be achieved through imitation。
As the day progressed； I considered ways to get out of whatever was going down
at the Cullen house
tonight。 It would be bad enough to have to celebrate when I was in the mood to
mourn。 But； worse than
that； this was sure to involve attention and gifts。
Attention is never a good thing； as any other accident…prone klutz would
agree。 No one wants a spotlight
when they're likely to fall on their face。
And I'd very pointedly asked—well； ordered really—that no one give me any
presents this year。 It
looked like Charlie and Renee weren't the only ones who had decided to
overlook that。
I'd never had much money； and that had never bothered me。 Renee had raised me
on a kindergarten
teacher's salary。 Charlie wasn't getting rich at his job； either—he was the
police chief here in the tiny town
of Forks。 My only personal ine came from the three days a week I worked at
the local sporting
goods store。 In a town this small； I was lucky to have a job。 Every penny I
made went into my
microscopic college fund。 （College was Plan B。 I was still hoping for Plan A；
but Edward was just so
stubborn about leaving me human）
Edward had a lot of money—I didn't even want to think about how much。 Money
meant next to nothing
to Edward or the rest of the Cullens。 It was just something that accumulated
when you had unlimited time
on your hands and a sister who had an uncanny ability to predict trends in the
stock market。 Edward
didn't seem to understand why I objected to him spending money on me—why it
made me
unfortable if he took me to an expensive restaurant in Seattle； why he
wasn't allowed to buy me a car
that could reach speeds over fifty…five miles an hour； or why I wouldn't let
him pay my college tuition （he
was ridiculously enthusiastic about Plan B）。 Edward thought I was being
unnecessarily difficult。
But how could I let him give me things when I had nothing to reciprocate with？
He； for some
unfathomable reason； wanted to be with me。 Anything he gave me on top of that
just threw us more out
of balance。
As the day went on； neither Edward nor Alice brought my birthday up again； and
I began to relax a little。
We sat at our usual table for lunch。
A strange kind of truce existed at that table。 The three of us—Edward； Alice；
and I—sat on the extreme
southern end of the table。 Now that the 〃older〃 and somewhat scarier （in
Emmett's case； certainly） Cullen
siblings had graduated； Alice and Edward did not seem quite so intimidating；
and we did not sit here
alone。 My other friends； Mike and Jessica （who were in the awkward post…
breakup friendship phase）；
Angela and Ben （whose relationship had survived the summer）； Eric； Conner；
Tyler； and Lauren （though
that last one didn't really count in the friend category） all sat at the same
table； on the other side of an
invisible line。 That line dissolved on sunny days when Edward and Alice always
skipped school； and then
the conversation would swell out effortlessly to include me。
Edward and Alice didn't find this minor ostracism odd or hurtful the way I
would have。 They barely
noticed it。 People always felt strangely ill at ease with the Cullens； almost
afraid for some reason they
couldn't explain to themselves。 I was a rare exception to that rule。 Sometimes
it bothered Edward how
very fortable I was with being close to him。 He thought he was hazardous to
my health—an opinion I
rejected vehemently whenever he voiced it。
The afternoon passed quickly。 School ended； and Edward walked me to my truck
as he usually did。 But
this time； he held the passenger door open for me。 Alice must have been taking
his car home so that he
could keep me from making a run for it。
I folded my arms and made no move to get out of the rain。 〃It's my birthday；
don't I get to drive？〃
〃I'm pretending it's not your birthday； just as you wished。〃
〃If it's not my birthday； then I don't have to go to your house tonight〃
〃All right。〃 He shut the passenger door and walked past me to open the
driver's side。 〃Happy birthday。〃
〃Shh；〃 I shushed him halfheartedly。 I climbed in the opened door； wishing he'd
taken the other offer。
Edward played with the radio while I drove； shaking his head in disapproval。
〃Your radio has horrible reception。〃
I frowned。 I didn't like it when he picked on my truck。 The truck was great—
it had personality。
〃You want a nice stereo？ Drive your own car。〃 I was so nervous about Alice's
plans； on top of my
already gloomy mood； that the words came out sharper than I'd meant them。 I
was hardly ever
bad…tempered with Edward； and my tone made him press his lips together to keep
from smiling。
When I parked in front of Charlie's house； he reached over to take my face in
his hands。 He handled me
very carefully； pressing just the tips of his fingers softly against my
temples； my cheekbones； my jawline。
Like I was especially breakable。 Which was exactly the case—pared with
him； at least。
〃You should be in a good mood； today of all days；〃 he whispered。 His sweet
breath fanned across my
face。
〃And if I don't w