The next day was better... and worse.

It was better because it stopped raining and allowed a peaceful, serene atmosphere to take over, it was easier because while people were still trying to get to know Bella they were settling down with their gossip. I chuckled lightly every time I saw Eric glare at Mike or Mike glaring at him. It was stupid, I mean they could both be friends with her... and if they wanted to date her, which I'm sure is on their minds-teenage boys. Well, that would make it hard on them, but all their fighting was going to alert Bella. Then there was Bella, she was starting to fit in at school, joining in the conversation when necessary.

How she was liking the town, well it was a little early for that. But I bet Forks could outdo Phoenix, I mean there was far more in the ways of vegetation, wildlife, and weather. It was perfect for those who just wanted to get lost in nature.

The day was worse though because I couldn't keep my eyes away from the Cullen table... or rather the people missing from the table.

I couldn't care less if Edward was there, but Rosalie was missing as well, which didn't help my current paranoia. I hadn't seen her all day, not at lunch or in Art. I could have thought maybe she was sick or just wasn't feeling up to it, but when I caught Alice glancing at me throughout the day... well that didn't help.

Plus, they never missed because of being sick, they had near perfect attendance unless it was sunny outside. Unlike me who routinely missed at least a week a semester from getting sick. More during the spring, usually.

But I couldn't get the nagging suspicion that I was responsible for it. It was ridiculous, and egotistical, to think that I could affect anyone that strongly, especially someone like her. It was impossible.

And yet I couldn't stop worrying that it was true.

When the school day was done, I stayed behind a little to put on the finishing touches to my masks first layer. It would take the rest of the week to dry then we would paint next week. Plus staying behind meant I could avoid the long line of cars trying to leave the lot.

On the way out of the art room I ran into Bella, who appeared to be trying to hide.

"you, okay?" I asked startling her. "sorry, didn't mean to scare you, you just look like your hiding"

"it's nothing..."

"okay. Today any better than yesterday?" she looked around probably afraid someone would hear.

"it's not that bad" she mumbled.

"I remember when I first moved here, people were weird... but they were all like 10 so obviously didn't have the same tact that they do now. Plus, Mike just moved here too so it was easier to have someone else take some of the burden"

"oh, where'd you move from?"

"Alaska. Fairbanks to be specific"

Bella's eyes widened "are your parents from there too?"

I smiled slightly "no. My mom was born in Forks. My great grandparents moved here from Slovakia, during the... Well world war II. My great grandfather was a successful doctor and could have survived if it weren't for the fact that he was Jewish."

Bella's eyes widened; it was very well known what happened during that time.

"yeah, anyway, they moved here for Religious freedom and had seven kids. But only my grandfather had children, my mom and aunt. My dad, he was born in La Push, and his grandmother was from Canada, I think. She moved down in the in the 20's when she was just a kid. They lived on the reservation, and she married then had a daughter and then she had a son, my dad. It's all sorts of complicated"

"oh... so you could have gone to school on the reservation, couldn't you?"

I nodded as we stepped out into the crowded parking lot... looks like my attempt to wait didn't work out in my favor. "Yeah, but because my mom works at the Hospital it was easier for me to come here."

Bella nodded "that makes sense"

"yeah, well I better get home, calculus is piling up" I replied lifting the book slightly.

"see you later" Bella replied with a small wave.

As I got into my car I managed to get in line behind everyone else, in front of Bella, whose truck roared in a deafening manner. Just as I drove past the shiny Volvo, i watched as the three Cullen's and one Hale got into the vehicle.

It was strange to see them without Rosalie.

I kept my eyes straight forward and was relieved when I finally was free of the school grounds. Rosalie being gone was a good thing for me, it would ensure my secret was kept.

That evening my aunt and I cooked dinner, as my mother had to work a little later than normal, something about a car incident... I never got the full details but that was okay, I didn't really need it and doctor confidentiality.

Eve and I prepared some salmon and asparagus with roasted potatoes. Occasionally I would sneak some potatoes and hand them to Toby, Eve wouldn't care but if my mom saw, she'd scold me.

Toby was some sort of shepherd that my dad got before he died. The white and brindle shepherd was generally calm, but he would get so excited when it snowed. It was the cutest thing.

Despite his old age, he still loved hiking or kayaking, so when it got warm I made it my mission to take him with me. Who knew how long he had left.

While I waited for the food to cook, I finished up my Calc homework. I was so focused on my homework that I didn't hear my mother walk into the kitchen. "almost done?"

I jumped slightly marking out the answer on the sheet. Letting out a sigh I turned towards my mom who was trying to hold back a laugh. "sorry"

I laughed with her "it's okay, I was done anyway"

I started packing up all my school supplies and rushed them upstairs to my little office off the side of my room.

We basically removed a smaller bedroom so that I could have a crafts room slash office. The house was originally bought by my great-grandparents, and it has been continuously updated. But back then they had like 6 kids, my grandparents inherited the home since all of their siblings passed before their parents did. Since there were three of us there wasn't a need for 7 bedrooms, so now I had the addition to my room. And one of the smaller bedrooms downstairs was turned into an office.

My office area, like the rest of the house had wood floors, there were drawersand cabinets built into the wall, that held all sorts of art supplies and homeoffice gear.

In the center of the room was a square table that was where I did most of my art, occasionally I did my schoolwork there as well, but sometimes I risked destroying my project. Thus, I had a small writing desk off to the side of the room, with a desk chair that I tended to do most of my schoolwork at – when I wasn't in the kitchen.

The washing station was right across from it, which was a good thing I didn't want to risk having paint on the floors. I would feel bad for the cleaning lady. The table had a power station for any electronics I would use, and finally I had a mini fridge that I kept some juice and occasionally a soda, that I hid from my mom.

Though I was sure she knew. But it was one of the one 'junk' food items that I could easily stomach.

The three of us sat at the table, my mom on the end and my aunt and I across from each other.

Now that I had time to think, now that I wasn't busy with homework, I kept thinking about the Cullens. I had this strange and undeniable pull towards them, towards Rosalie. Something that made me want her to like me, but something that kept me from being a nuisance. I didn't want to bother her but... what did I want.

I couldn't explain, it was strange and foreign an emotion that I had never experienced before. It couldn't be love, I've never spoken to her in my life. Infatuation? No.

"Alex?" I looked up suddenly to see both my mother and aunt looking at me with concern on their faces. "are you okay?" my mother asked.

"oh... uh yeah I'm okay"

"you sure, because you've been playing with your food for the last 5 minutes" Eve replied, this was her 'soothing' tone she used with her patients, not her joking tone that she often reserved for home.

We often joked that she should have been a therapist but for some reason she was turned towards the life of surgery and anesthesiology and didn't look back.

I managed a smile "just thinking about my projects is all" I could tell they weren't convinced so I changed the subject. "when did you say we were having dinner with Charlie and Bella, mom?"

"oh, Friday. We'll meet them at the diner. Unless you don't want to" my mom replied, I could tell she was trying not to force Bella and I to interact. I didn't have anything against Bella so i didn't see any issue with it.

"that's fine. Bella and I get along"

"you have classes with her?"

"only 2, but she sits with us at lunch, don't worry mom."

"Yeah Valentina, Alex is an easy-going girl. She'd make friends with a squirrel if you gave her the chance" Eve replied getting a round of laughs from the three of us. It was easy sailing from there.