iting for you to believe it。 If you re smart； you ll avoid me。 Ah； but would I allow her to do that； if she tried？ Her eyes tightened。 I think you ve made your opinion on the subject of my intellect clear； too。 I wasn t exactly sure what she meant； but I smiled in apology； guessing that I must have offended her accidentally。 So； she said slowly。 As long as I m being not smart； we ll try to be friends？ That sounds about right。 She looked down； staring intently at the lemonade bottle in her hands。 The old curiosity tormented me。 What are you thinking？ I asked it was a relief to say the words out loud at last。 She met my gaze； and her breathing sped while her cheeks flushed faint pink。 inhaled； tasting that in the air。 I m trying to figure out what you are。 I held the smile on my face； locking my features that way； while panic twisted through my body。 Of course she was wondering that。 She wasn t stupid。 be oblivious to something so obvious。 I couldn t hope for her to I Are you having any luck with that？ I asked as lightly as I could manage。 Not too much； she admitted。 I chuckled in sudden relief。 What are your theories？ They couldn t be worse than the truth； no matter what she d e up with。 Her cheeks turned brighter red； and she said nothing。 I could feel the warmth of her blush in the air。
I tried using my persuasive tone on her。 Won t you tell me？ She shook her head。 It worked well on normal humans。 I smiled encouragingly。 Too embarrassing。 Why would her speculations Ugh。 Not knowing was worse than anything else。 embarrass her？ I couldn t stand not knowing。 That s really frustrating； you know。 My plaint sparked something in her。 swiftly than usual。 Her eyes flashed and her words flowed more No； I can t imagine why that would be frustrating at all just because someone refuses to tell you what they re thinking； even if all the while they re making cryptic little remarks specifically designed to keep you up at night wondering what they could possibly mean now； why would that be frustrating？ I frowned at her； upset to realize that she was right。 She went on。 Or better； say that things from saving your life under you like a pariah the next； and he he promised。 That； also； would be I wasn t being fair。 person also did a wide range of bizarre impossible circumstances one day to treating never explained any of that either； even after very nonfrustrating。 It was the longest speech I d ever heard her make； and it gave me a new quality for my list。 You ve got a bit of a temper； don t you？ I don t like double standards。 She was pletely justified in her irritation； of course。 I stared at Bella； wondering how I could possibly do anything right by her； until the silent shouting in Mike Newton s head distracted me。 He was so irate that it made me chuckle。 What？ she demanded。 Your boyfriend seems to think I m being unpleasant to you he s debating whether or not to e break up our fight。 I would love to see him try。 I laughed again。 I don t know who you re talking about； she said in an icy voice。 you re wrong anyway。 But I m sure I very much enjoyed the way she disowned him with her dismissive sentence。 I m not。 I told you； most people are easy to read。 Except me； of course。 Yes。 Except for you。 Did she have to be the exception to everything？ Wouldn t it have been more fair considering everything else I had to deal with
now if I could have at least heard something from her head？ ask？ I wonder why that is？ I stared into her eyes； trying again She looked away。 table。 Was that so much to She opened her lemonade and took a quick drink； her eyes on the Aren t you hungry？ I asked。 No。 She eyed the empty table between us。 You？ No； I m not hungry； I said。 I was definitely not that。 She stared at the table her lips pursed。 I waited。 Could you do me a favor？ she asked； suddenly meeting my gaze again。 What would she want from me？ Would she ask for the truth that I wasn t allowed to tell her the truth I didn t want her to ever； ever know？ That depends on what you want。 It s not much； she promised。 I waited； curious again。 I just wondered she said slowly； staring at the lemonade bottle； tracing its lip with her littlest finger。 If you could warn me beforehand the next time you decide to ignore me for my own good？ Just so I m prepared。 She wanted a warning？ Then being ignored by me must be a bad thing I smiled。 That sounds fair； I agreed。 Thanks； she said； looking up。 with my own relief。 Her face was so relieved that I wanted to laugh Then can I have one in return？ I asked hopefully。 One； she allowed。 Tell me one theory。 She flushed。 Not that one。 You didn t qualify； you just promised one answer； I argued。 And you ve broken promises yourself； she argued back。 She had me there。 Just one theory I won t laugh。 Yes； you will。 She seemed very sure of that； though I couldn t imagine anything that would be funny about it。 I gave persuasion another try。 I stared deep into her eyes an easy thing to do； with eyes so deep and whispered； Please？
She blinked； and her face went blank。 Well； that wasn t exactly the reaction I d been going for。 Er； what？ she asked。 She looked dizzy。 What was wrong with her？ But I wasn t giving up yet。 Please tell me just one little theory； I pleaded in my soft； nonscary voice； holding her eyes in mine。 To my surprise and satisfaction； it finally worked。 Um； well； bitten by a radioactive spider？ ic books？ No wonder she thought I would laugh。 That s not very creative； I chided her； trying to hide my fresh relief。 I m sorry； that s all I ve got； she said； offended。 This relieved me even more。 You re not even close。 No spiders？ Nope。 And no radioactivity？ None。 Dang； she sighed。 Kryptonite doesn t bother me either； I said quickly before she could ask about bites and then I had to laugh； because she thought I was a superhero。 You re not supposed to laugh； remember？ I pressed my lips together。 I ll figure it out eventually； she promised。 And when she did； she would run。 I wish you wouldn t try； I said； all teasing gone。 Because ？ I owed her honesty。 Still； I tried to smile； to make my words sound less threatening。 What if I m not a superhero？ What if I m the bad guy？ Her eyes widened by a fraction and her lips fell slightly apart。 And then； after another second； I see。 She d finally heard me。 Oh； she said。 I was able to tease her again。
Do you？ I asked； working to conceal my agony。 You re dangerous？ she guessed。 Her breathing hiked； and her heart raced。 I couldn t answer her。 Was this my last moment with her？ Would she run now？ Could I be allowed to tell her that I loved her before she left？ Or would that frighten her more？ But not bad； she whispered； shaking her head； no fear in her clear eyes。 don t believe that you re bad。 You re wrong； I breathed。 Of course I was bad。 Wasn t I rejoicing now； that she thought better of me than I deserved？ If I were a good person； I would have stayed away from her。 I stretched my hand across the table； reaching for the lid to her lemonade bottle as an excuse。 She did not flinch away from my suddenly closer hand。 She really was not afraid of me。 Not yet。 I spun the lid like a top； watching it instead of her。 My thoughts were in a snarl。 Run； Bella； run。 I couldn t make myself say the words out loud。 She jumped to her feet。 We re going to be late； she said； just as I d started to worry that she d somehow heard my silent warning。 I m not going to class。 Why not？ Because I don t want to kill you。 It s healthy to ditch class now and then。 No； I To be precise； it was healthier for the humans if the vampires ditched on days when human blood would be spilt。 Mr。 Banner was blood typing today。 Alice had already ditched her morning class。 Well； I m going； she said。 always did the right thing。 She was my opposite。 I ll see you later then； I said； trying for casual again； staring down at the whirling lid。 And； by the way； I adore you in frightening； dangerous ways。 She hesitated； and I hoped for a moment that she would stay with me after all。 But the bell rang and she hurried away。 I waited until she was gone； and then I put the lid in my pocket a souvenir of this most consequential conversation and walked through the rain to my car。 I put on my favorite calming CD the same one I d listened to that first day but I wasn t hearing Debussy s notes for long。 Other notes were running through my head； a fragment of a tune that pleased and intrigued me。 I turned down the stereo and listened to the music in my head； playing with the fragment until it evolved into a fuller harmony。 Instinctively； my fingers moved in the air over imaginary piano keys。 The new position was really ing along when my attention was caught by a wave of mental anguish。 This didn t surprise me。 She was responsible she
I looked toward the distress。 Is she going to pass out？ What do I do？ Mike panicked。 A hundred yards away； Mike Newton was lowering Bella s limp body to the sidewalk。 She slumped unresponsively against the wet concrete； her eyes closed； her skin chalky as a corpse。 I almost took the door off the car。 Bella？ I shouted。 There was no change in her lifeless face when I yelled her name。 My whole body went colder than ice。 I was aware of Mike s aggravated surprise as I sifted furiously through his thoughts。 He was only thinking of his anger toward me； so I didn t know what was wrong with Bella。 If he d done something to harm her； I would annihilate him。 What s wrong is she hurt？ I demanded； trying to focus his thoughts。 It was maddening to have to walk at a human pace。 I should not have called attention to my approach。 Then I could hear her heart beating and her even breath。 As I watched； she squeezed her eyes more tightly shut。 That eased some of my panic。 I saw a flicker of memories in Mike s head； a splash of images from the Biology room。 Bella s head on our table； her fair skin turning green。 Drops of red against the white cards Blood typing。 I stopped where I was； holding my breath。 blood was another altogether。 Her scent was one thing； her flowing I I think she s fainted； Mike said； anxious and resentful at the same time。 don t know what happened； she didn t even stick her finger。 Relief washed through me； and I breathed again； tasting the air。 Ah； I could smell the tiny flow of Mike Newton s puncture wound。 Once； that might have appealed to