eah... sorry," Bella blushed even more and then started reading.

I tried to hide my smile as I answered her question.

"I suppose you could say yes to the first...if you don't mind -," her choice, always her choice, " - it's easier than any other explanation."

"I don't mind," she whispered. Her heart had not found its normal rhythm yet.

"And as for her other question..." I couldn't hide my smile now. "Well, I'll be listening to hear the answer to that one myself."

"Argh," Bella said, now glaring at the book. "That's not fair."

"But it does make this more entertaining," Jacob laughed.

Let Bella consider that. I held back my laugh as shock crossed her face.

I turned quickly, before she could ask for any more answers. I had a difficult time not giving her whatever she asked for. And I wanted to hear her thoughts, not mine.

"I'll see you at lunch," I called back to her over my shoulder, an excuse to check that she was still staring after me, wide-eyed. Her mouth was hanging open. I turned away again, and laughed.

Jacob was laughing too. It was definitely better hearing the annoyance in Bella's voice as she read this.

As I paced away, I was vaguely aware of the shocked and speculative thoughts that swirled around me - eyes bouncing back and forth between Bella's face and my retreating figure. I paid them little attention. I couldn't concentrate. It was hard enough to keep my feet moving at an acceptable speed as I crossed the soggy grass to my next class. I wanted to run - really run, so fast that I would disappear, so fast that it would feel like I was flying. Part of me was flying already.

I put the jacket on when I got to class, letting her fragrance swim thick around me.

I would burn now - let the scent desensitize me - and then it would be easier to ignore it later, when I was with her again at lunch...

"Hmm..." Bella said, "maybe I should wear his jacket more often then... if it would help him."

It was a good thing that my teachers no longer bothered to call on me. Today might have been the day that they would have caught me out, unprepared and answerless.

"I wouldn't call that a good thing," Jacob pouted.

My mind was in so many places this morning; only my body was in the classroom.

Of course I was watching Bella. That was becoming natural - as automatic as breathing. I heard her conversation with a demoralized Mike Newton. She quickly directed the conversation to Jessica, and I grinned so wide that Rob Sawyer, who sat at the desk to my right, flinched visibly and slid deeper into his seat, away from me.

Ugh. Creepy.

Well, I hadn't lost it entirely.

"And you want to be creepy?" Jacob said. "This guy is weird."

I was also monitoring Jessica loosely, watching her refine her questions for Bella.

I could barely wait for fourth period, ten times as eager and anxious as the curious human girl who wanted fresh gossip.

And I was also listening to Angela Weber.

I had not forgotten the gratitude I felt to her - for thinking nothing but kind things toward Bella in the first place, and then for her help last night. So I waited through the morning, looking for something that she wanted. I assumed it would be an easy; like any other human, there must be some bauble or toy she wanted particularly. Several, probably. I would deliver something anonymously and call us even...

"Would it really be that easy to please someone?" Bella asked, she couldn't really think of a 'thing' that would make her happy.

"Probably," Jacob said, thinking about the master cylinder that he needed for his car

But Angela proved almost as unaccommodating as Bella with her thoughts. She was oddly content for a teenager. Happy. Perhaps this was the reason for her unusual kindness - she was one of those rare people who had what they wanted and wanted what they had. If she wasn't paying attention to her teachers and her notes, she was thinking of the twin little brothers she was taking to the beach this weekend - anticipating their excitement with an almost maternal pleasure. She cared for them often, but was not resentful of this fact... It was very sweet.

Bella smiled, she was definitely going to have to make friends with this girl.

"Well, it looks like you're not so unique after all," Jacob said. "There are other humans out there that aren't selfish."

"I never thought I was unique," Bella shrugged.

But not really helpful to me.

There had to be something she wanted. I would just have to keep looking. But later. It was time for Bella's trig class with Jessica.

Bella grimaced and the annoyance was back in her voice now.

I wasn't watching where I was going as I made my way to English. Jessica was already in her seat, both her feet tapping impatiently against the floor as she waited for Bella to arrive.

Conversely, once I settled into my assigned seat in the classroom, I became utterly still. I had to remind myself to fidget now and then. To keep up the charade. It was difficult, my thoughts were so focused on Jessica's. I hoped she would pay attention, really try to read Bella's face for me.

Jessica's tapping intensified when Bella walked into the room.

She looks...glum. Why? Maybe there's nothing going on with Edward Cullen.

"That's not it," Jacob said chuckling. "I bet you're glum because you have to talk to her..."

"And I know that Edward will be listening," Bella added, her voice was even more annoyed than it was before."

That would be a disappointment. Except...then he's still available... If he's suddenly interested in dating, I don't mind helping out with that...

Bella had hissed the last words out and Jacob chuckled harder than ever.

Bella's face didn't look glum, it looked reluctant. She was worried - she knew I would hear all of this. I smiled to myself.

"Tell me everything!" Jess demanded while Bella was still removing her jacket to hang it on the back of her seat. She was moving with deliberation, unwilling.

Ugh, she's so slow. Let's get to the juicy stuff!

"What do you want to know?" Bella stalled as she took her seat.

Jacob groaned and chuckled at this. "You're not going to make this easy on her are you?"

"No," Bella shook her head.

"What happened last night?"

"He bought me dinner, and then he drove me home."

The chuckling got louder now. "You really are going to annoy her... and Edward, too, of course."

And then? C'mon, there has to be more than that! She's lying anyway, I know that. I'm going to call her on it.

"How did you get home so fast?"

I watched Bella roll her eyes at the suspicious Jessica.

"He drives like a maniac. It was terrifying."

This time both Jacob and Bella were chuckling.

She smiled a tiny smile, and I laughed out loud, interrupting Mr. Mason's announcements. I tried to turn the laugh into a cough, but no one was fooled. Mr. Mason shot me an irritated look, but I didn't even bother to listen to the thought behind it. I was hearing Jessica.

Huh. She sounds like she's telling the truth. Why is she making me pull this out of her, word by word? I would be bragging at the top of my lungs if it were me.

"That's not Bella's style," Jacob shrugged.

"Was it like a date - did you tell him to meet you there?"

Jessica watched surprise cross Bella's expression, and was disappointed at how genuine it seemed.

"Well there's one good thing about having an open face," Jacob said and laughed when Bella stuck her tongue out at him.

"No - I was very surprised to see him there," Bella told her.

What is going on? "But he picked you up for school today?" There has to be more to the story.

"Yes - that was a surprise, too. He noticed I didn't have a jacket last night."

That's not very much fun, Jessica thought, disappointed again.

"Ah... poor Jessie not getting anything fun out of you," Jacob laughed.

I was tired of her line of questioning - I wanted to hear something I didn't already know. I hoped she wasn't so dissatisfied that she would skip the questions I was waiting for.

"So are you going out again?" Jessica demanded.

"He offered to drive me to Seattle Saturday because he thinks my truck isn't up to it - does that count?"

Hmm. He sure is going out of his way to...well, take care of her, sort of. There must be something there on his side, if not on hers. How could THAT be? Bella's crazy.

"Why does everyone have to question my sanity in this book?" Bella huffed.

"Because you're crazy!" Jacob laughed.

"Yes," Jessica answered Bella's question.

"Well, then," Bella concluded. "Yes."

"Wow...Edward Cullen." Whether she likes him or not, this is major.

"I know," Bella sighed.

The tone of her voice encouraged Jessica.

"Damn," Bella said, she really wished she could have gotten out of this without revealing anything.

Finally - she sounds like she gets it! She must realize...

"Wait!" Jessica said, suddenly remembering her most vital question. "Has he kissed you?" Please say yes. And then describe every second!

"Do girls really care about that crap?" Jacob rolled his eyes. "Talking about kisses and stuff like that?"

"I guess," Bella shrugged, she wasn't one to talk about something like that unless it was pulled out of her painfully like Jessica seemed to want to do.

"No," Bella mumbled, and then she looked down at her hands, her face falling.

"It's not like that."

Damn. I wish... Ha. Looks like she does too.

Bella blushed again, and of course Edward was listening to that.

I frowned. Bella did look upset about something, but it couldn't be disappointment like Jessica assumed. She couldn't want that. Not knowing what she knew. She couldn't want to be that close to my teeth. For all she knew, I had fangs.

"Um... this guy does realize that if you like someone you probably think about kissing them, right?" Jacob said.

Bella shrugged at that.

I shuddered.

"Do you think Saturday...?" Jessica prodded.

Bella looked even more frustrated as she said, "I really doubt it."

Yeah, she does wish. That sucks for her.

Was it because I was watching all this through the filter of Jessica's perceptions that it seemed like Jessica was right?

Bella rolled her eyes.

"Slow as always, man," Jacob said.

For a half-second I was distracted by the idea, the impossibility, of what it would be like to try to kiss her. My lips to her lips, cold stone to warm, yielding silk...

And then she dies.

Bella rolled her eyes and Jacob flinched at that.

"You really have to take that seriously, Bella," Jacob said. "He's getting used to you... but it's got to be harder for him if he's close to you like that."

"I'll be careful," Bella said, but that didn't change her mind about wanting to be close to him like that.

I shook my head, wincing, and made myself pay attention.

"What did you talk about?" Did you talk to him, or did you make him drag every ounce of information out of you like this?

"A little of both," Jacob chuckled.

I smiled ruefully. Jessica wasn't far off.

"I don't know, Jess, lots of stuff. We talked about the English essay a little."

"Um... you did?" Jacob questioned.

"He mentioned it," Bella shrugged.

A very little. I smiled wider.

Oh, c'MON. "Please, Bella! Give me some details."

Bella deliberated for a moment.

"Well...okay, I've got one. You should have seen the waitress flirting with him - it was over the top. But he didn't pay any attention to her at all."

What a strange detail to share. I was surprised Bella had even noticed. It seemed a very inconsequential thing.

"Yeah, to you," Bella said. "But having someone flaunt themselves in front of someone you like isn't fun at all... and something that anyone would notice."

Interesting... "That's a good sign. Was she pretty?"

Hmm. Jessica thought more of it that I did. Must be a female thing.

"Or maybe it's a human thing," Jacob said, he thought it meant something, too. Of course he wouldn't have discussed this...

"Very," Bella told her. "And probably nineteen or twenty."

Jessica was momentarily distracted by a memory of Mike on her date Monday night - Mike being a little too friendly with a waitress who Jessica did not consider pretty at all.

"Hmph," Jacob huffed, his opinion of Mike, which was already low, just dropped there. He could have had at least the decency to not look at other girls when he was out on a date.