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THE NEXT DAY WAS BETTER...AND WORSE. BUT, MOSTLY BETTER.

It was better because my flow had lightened tenfold, and my cramps weren't as painful as yesterday. It was easier too, not being gawked at as much. I'm sure Bella is relieved too, or so she seemed. Whatever happened yesterday with her and Edward Cullen, rattled her a bit. Probably as rattling as what happened with Zain and me, though I'm not entirely sure what happened.

Oddly enough, after the fact, I wasn't particularly interested in looking further into it. As much as I wanted to be, it wasn't my biggest concern at the moment, despite it bothering me. Now it was all up to Bella whether she wanted to be bothered by Edward Cullen or not. The beautiful boy with bronze hair. Seemed like we both were into Cullen boys.

Speaking of boys, the only ones that flocked around her so openly were Mike Newton, Eric Yorkie, and occasionally Tyler Crowley. It wasn't exactly terrible for me, although it also meant Bella was involuntarily on the "competition" radar of Jessica and Lauren. My sister was so oblivious to Lauren's snide comments and glares, which she kept under her breath. Whether it was fear of me hearing or not, I wasn't sure.

It was worse for me because now I'd have to explain to Anais that my hormones caused me to overreact. I knew what she would say. She'd say something along the lines of, "That was dramatic of you." In my defense, my hormones were all over the place, I was angry one second, and happy the second. For a minute, I felt bipolar. The next day was worse because Zain hadn't shown up for school. He wasn't with his family in the lot. He was gone.

His presence wasn't the only one.

Edward hadn't shown up either.

I've been at Forks longer than most of the Cullens have lived here, and it wasn't often Edward missed school or Zain for that matter. Of course, their occasional hiking trips were the exception, as Dr. Cullen and his wife pulled all of their children out of school. But that was when the sun made its presence known, uncovering itself from the thick clouds. Though it was quite rare for the sun to be out, so it was rare for the Cullens to just not show up to school. I wondered if Zain's absence was my doing, but I couldn't recall any instances of doing anything to offend him.

Maybe it was just my imagination.

"Girl!" Anais grumped loudly next to me, jump-scaring me as I entered the cafeteria for lunch.

She was a little less enthusiastic about my abandoning her yesterday. Every emotion that crossed her face was bemused and betrayed.

"Hi, Ana." I bumped my shoulder with hers.

"I don't 'Hi, Ana,' me! What the hell happened yesterday? No, I know what happened - you stood me up! I, like, waited at your locker for at least fifteen minutes!"

"I'm sorry." I apologized, asking myself the same question. What DID happen? I wasn't so sure myself. Mostly, I was in pain, anatomically, and emotionally. Although, the emotional was partially hormonal. Now that I think back on it, period or not, there was nothing to be so butthurt about. I hadn't any reason to feel so angry, we didn't know each other, or at least not personally. We were just strangers in the same class. Nothing more, nothing less, but...his eyes...and the way he looked away from me...I felt the blankness from my malfunction return. Whatever happened to him, it terrified me. I couldn't recall a moment in my life where I feared for it.

His eyes...I have never seen a set of eyes so black and cold before.

Even for a day that we talked, he never once had such dreadful eyes toward me. If it could've, my heart surely would've stopped beating. My brain malfunctioned for the rest of the day, in all honesty, I even had difficulty sleeping last night.

How would I even begin to explain this to her?

"Fess up, Faye!" She latched onto my left arm and tugged me toward the lunch line. "What happened?"

"I don't know." I admitted sheepishly.

"Does it have to do with why two of the Cullens are absent to today?" I hoped not. My friend narrowed her eyes at me, her lips thinned, as if whatever expression I had confirmed or worsened her suspicions.

The whole ordeal could've been nothing but a coincidence. Zain must've had a personality disorder, but I don't think I've ever heard of a disorder that drastically changed eye colors. Bright eyes don't suddenly become dark, right? Trying to decipher the facts killed off some of my brain cells. It was weird - our interaction. Tuesday seemed more like a distant memory now. The more I thought about it, the more furious I became. We were good! We got along and chatted like an old pair of friends.

And then yesterday happened.

Well, whatever it was that happened.

"Did he hurt you?" Anais pried further. "Threaten you?"

"Anais," I stopped her and met her concerned gaze. "It's nothing."

She scoffed and grabbed a tray. "You expect me to believe it's nothing? I'm not an idiot, Faye."

"I know you aren't. Maybe I'm the idiot."

We approached the food being served by exhausted lunch ladies and men. Today's menu: fish filet sandwiches with potato wedges, or the salad bar. I cringed inwardly, crinkling my nose. The smell of fish churned my stomach. Nor did it entice my appetite. The salad didn't seem appealing enough either, so I skipped past the trays, figuring I could do with an apple and water for lunch.

"So, what'd you do?" Anais caught up with me.

"I don't know."

"What - you don't know what you did, or what he did?"

I groaned. "Sure."

"Well, which is it?" She impatiently prodded.

"I literally mean it when I say I don't know," I kept myself calm. It was frustrating to not know how to find the words I'm looking for, or how to describe the emotions flurrying through me. I had many thoughts about Zains' strange behavior. Too many negative thoughts overpowered the positive. I was worried for him.

"Okay, well, tell me what you do know."

"Okay...uh, well, I walked into Mr. Mason's class a little late," I began while she paid for her lunch. "It wasn't bad at all. Mr. Mason was grumpy and sent me to my seat. As I was walking, I tried waving at Zain, but he looked...I don't know...like he was in serious pain? Or maybe he was holding back something? It was a mix between pain and anger. I guess it shook me."

"So, let me get this straight," Anais inhaled sharply. "You cried after because he didn't talk to you?"

"It's not - I don't know what came over me," I say. "I guess it was the look in his eyes. He has gold eyes, right? But when I saw him, they were this black. It was...ugh...whatever. I shouldn't let myself be bothered by it."

"Hm." She gave me a side glance as we strode for our table.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing."

I narrowed my eyes at her suspiciously, but I don't say anything. Who was I kidding? I knew there was a reasonable explanation for what I'm feeling. Anais delivered it inside a neat, sparkly envelope. The first handsome boy shows me some attention and I'm putty on the floor. I can't believe I'd be so naive and yearning.

We approached our seats. It was yet again occupied by Jessica and her friends. The newest addition being Bella. I slid into the chair next to my sister, placing my water and apple on the table before me. I noticed Bella was red. From the roots of her hair to the collar of her shirt. It was kind of funny, to an extent, and interesting to watch her shyly converse with the others.

Memories of her boisterous and straightforward attitude as a kid flashed through my mind. It was strange, I had always thought I'd be the withdrawn twin, I was back then. We seemed to have swapped each other's personalities.

As I opened my water, from the corner of my eye, I caught glimpse of several pairs of scarily bright amber eyes peering at me. As soon as I acknowledged them, they averted their gazes, as if they weren't guilty of their not-so-subtle prolonged staring. It seemed too much of a coincidence for them to not be staring this way. I doubt they were staring at me specifically. The paranoia crept up on me like a cat hunting a mouse. No, I tell myself, they weren't looking over here. They were looking at someone else. Not in a million years would all the Cullen siblings look my way. Yeah, that sounded more plausible.

And then Zain's face reappeared in my mind.

I frowned, dropping my focus to the water bottle in my hands. The more I thought about it, the more impossibly delusional I felt. I glance back at the siblings, oddly finding Alice looking over to me, though she probably wasn't staring at me specifically. She smiled kindly; I couldn't tell if it was her way of telling me staring was rude.

Confused, I returned my gaze to the table in front of me and resumed sipping my water.

"You don't mind us going to the grocery store, do you?" Bella asked after school. I had just climbed into the passenger door seat.

"What for?"

"To get something for dinner tonight," she replied. "And maybe some extra stuff."

I shrugged and clipped on my seatbelt. "Sure. I need to get more tampons, anyway."

The engine ignited, roaring like a pride of lions; like yesterday, it earned us quite a few heads to turn. We had no choice but to ignore them. Bella pulled us out of our space into the growing line of cars waiting to be released onto the highway.

As we waited, I couldn't help but look toward the shiny silver Volvo across the lot. I had to look around Bella, but the two Cullens and the two Hales stood near the vehicle, just about to get in. A frown curved my lips, for what felt like the thousandth time today. I know he hadn't been present all day, but the disappointment still washed over me not seeing Zain there. I wanted to confront him, ask, or demand, to know what his problem was.

Somehow, deep inside, I knew I'd be disappointed. Surely, he wouldn't me the answers I wanted so easily. It was merely wishful thinking and selfish. I spotted Alice again, Jasper behind her. She waited, wedged between the door and the vehicle itself. As if she heard my thoughts, she looked toward our noisy truck.

Maybe I'll ask her tomorrow.

Zain,

What happened in class Wednesday?

I looked at my handwriting, perturbed. Unsatisfied, my face scrunched up by the horrendously, ridiculously lame question. The index card I'd written on was soon torn apart by my fingers and tossed into the metal waste bin beside my desk. I leaned onto the hard surface and wrung my fingers through my scalp.

"Why is this so difficult?" I ponder aloud miserably. "Ugh, I'm such a loser!"

I moped for another minute or two and then forced myself to finish my homework, though my mind wouldn't switch to focus. Zain's expression seemed to temporarily be embedded into my mind. The chills came so quickly as I recalled those obsidian eyes. It wasn't something I could just shake off. It was too weird to not think about it. I had a dozen or so questions for him, but the one that was most prominent was wanting to know about that forty-one-minute class and how he practically stormed out of the class the second the bell rang. His contorted and near-agonized expression haunted me. The words that would be written are the ones I ceaselessly inked onto the card. I had so many questions, limitless digits that could have been embedded onto the paper, and yet, "What happened in class Wednesday", were the only words to accumulate. It's not what I wanted to write, but apparently whatever God out there wanted me to. It seemed more appropriate than, "What's your problem with me?"

Why did this bother me so much? I bit down on my lips. My conclusions came to a dead end, and my energy seemed to be sucked from my body.

I leaned on my palm in defeat and sighed. This should not be a topic to obsess over. For all I know, he was already having a bad day. Although my mind tried to let go, my anxiety wouldn't.

Neither Alice nor Jasper seemed off-put by me when they approached me in the hall, in fact, Alice was elated to have talked with me. Jasper, well, he was...Jasper. Not at all talkative. He was mostly indifferent the whole while. There was no way to tell if he was abhorred by my presence or not - he kept the same expression as always, the constipated look of everlasting agony.

Three out of six of the Cullens met and physically spoke with. I should keep tallies with me. I should make plans to ask Alice tomorrow about what happened with Zain, and why he's missed the last two days. Despite having been scared near shitless, I wanted to know if he was okay. She is his sister, after all. She ought to know something. The thought of Zain's whereabouts consumed me, and I found myself wondering why I was so hung up on him. We weren't close, per se, nor were we friends. Why did I care so much about what he thought of me, and I of him?

I rubbed my temple. So many questions, and so little time.

"Something smells good!" I obnoxiously whiffed the air; a delicious meaty aroma stained it as I hopped the last step.

In the kitchen, Bella had just placed something into the oven and then turned to me. She didn't say anything, but she looked at me and then away.

Okay...now it's awkward. "What's for dinner?"

"Steak and potatoes." She answered softly.

Oh, I guess that answered that. Steak and potatoes did sound more appetizing than school district-provided meals. It certainly smelled more appetizing. My stomach did a low growl, crying out for substance. I realized how hungry I was from not eating lunch today.

"The steak is marinating right now. I'll put them in after the potatoes are done." She added while she slipped past me, heading upstairs to her room.

Well...that was a big bust too. I pursed my lips and stiffly glanced around the kitchen. I suppose Bella wasn't comfortable with me yet. Maybe it was just as weird for her as it was for me to be around someone who shared the same face. Rekindling that bond would have to wait a while, Anais.

I trudged to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water, sipping the cold liquid. My cotton-felt throat ached, the water soothing the dryness some. I sigh in relief, glancing around the kitchen, the boredom already set in.

The rest of my homework cried out for me from upstairs. Though homework was the first thing I did when getting home from school, I dreaded having to write formulas and equations. It made me not want to finish the work. But I needed to keep my grades up, so Dad wouldn't worry about my studies and focus on his work, and that's what I was doing when he got home. I'd just finished the last of my homework when he bustled through the front door.

"Bella? Faye?"

Who else? I giggled inside and exited my room to go greet him, almost barreled down by Bella as she raced from her room and down the stairs.

"Slow down, Speedy Gonzales!" I called after her, descending the stairs. "Welcome home, Dad."

"What's for dinner?" He sniffed the air, looking between Bella and me.

"Bella's making steak and potatoes."

Dad seemed skeptical as he shuffled awkwardly and looked just as awkward; he shook off his coat and gear, and finally shuffled off into the living room, probably to watch TV while Bella worked. I took note of the tense-ish atmosphere, so I bumbled after Dad, plopping onto the couch next to him as he flicked on the TV, flipping through the channels.

"How was work?" I leaned against him, immediately embraced by him and his comforting warmth.

"Oh, you know," Dad scratched at his chin. "Same old, same old."

"Really? It's that boring?" I joked lightly. "I thought cop duty was busy and all -"

"I want you and your sister to be careful." He interrupted me suddenly, tilting his head to peer down at me.

"Pssh! I'm always careful -"

"This is different, Faye. I meant," he put the remote on the coffee table. "There's been animal attacks and disappearances around Seattle and just around Forks."

Animal attacks? Disappearances? I furrowed my eyebrows. That was strange. I knew we've had reports of cougar and wild cat attacks, but the disappearances? That was new. The tone in his voice concerned me as if he meant to say too many vanished in one day.

"Is everything okay, Dad?" I sit up, twisting to meet his gaze.

"I'm not sure, Faye," he shook his head and met my eyes. "But whatever it is that's going on, I want you and Bella to stick together, be aware of your surroundings, and have each other's backs."

A blimp of stronger worry tingled in my stomach. Having heard that, it ushered my anxiety to an all-time high. If Dad was serious about these disappearances, then I should be too. It wasn't uncommon for hikers to be attacked by wild animals, but they often survived with a couple of scars and a few months of physical therapy. I wasn't one to go into the city, and I don't read up on the news there, so my knowledge about the oddities that go on there, stayed ignorant. In movies, when someone vanishes in a city, it usually was a teenager running away from home. But the way Dad was expressing it, the situation seemed far more concerning than a mere disappearance. I knew cities were full of crime, no matter how safe the public made it seem. People disappeared every day, and there was nothing anyone could do about it because, by the time they caught on, the person already had gone missing. The fact that our father addressed this to us in person, made it all worrisome.

Biting my lip, I nod. "Okay."

"And do me a favor," he raised his voice so Bella could hear him too. "Stay out of the woods. There have been sightings of mountain lions within the area."

"No surprise hiking trips," Bella hummed. "Got it."

"Is dinner done yet?" I asked, looking past Dad and into the kitchen where Bella maneuvered around.

"Not yet."

I inwardly grumbled and sunk back into Dad's side, watching the sports channel with him. I never really got into sports; he was okay with that. Admittedly, I wished I could be more...burly? Or maybe the word I'm looking for is sporty. At least interested in the messier subjects like mechanics or hardware. I couldn't hammer a nail in the wall without bruising my fingers, and if I dared to tinker with an engine, I'd probably blow myself off the face of the earth.

The bright screen flickered and the players on the field dribbled their ball in fast motion, struggling to maintain dominance with the opposing team and attempting to avoid their tactics. One of the opposing team's players managed to swipe the ball before it could be shot into their goal. It was like watching a bunch of people play hot potato. I tried too hard to keep up with their pace.

"Dinner's done!" Bella called.

"Food!" I beamed and practically leaped from the couch. "I'm starving!"

I was overexaggerating, but my stomach yearned for the delicious-smelling substance. It was growling like a wild animal as I sat at the square-shaped table.

"Smells good, Bells." Dad praised her as she mixed together a salad.

"Thank you, Bella!" I nod at my sister.

We piled our plates with dinner. I munched with the eagerness of a cavewoman. The silence around us wasn't uncomfortable, we seemed to enjoy the quiet.

"So, how was school?" Dad asked. "Make any friends?"

"Well," Bella paused her fork. "I've got a few classes with a girl named Jessica. I sit with her and Faye at lunch. And there's this boy, Mike, who's friendly. Everybody seems nice so far."

Dad chuckled. "That must be Mike Newton. Nice kid - nice family. His father owns the sporting goods store just outside of town. Makes a living off all the backpackers who come through here."

"Do...do you know the Cullen family?" Bella asked hesitantly.

I stopped my devouring and glanced between her and Dad. It wasn't a secret that Dad felt protective of the Cullens, because of how the rest of Forks tends to gossip about them.

"Dr. Cullen's family? Sure. Dr. Cullen's a great man."

"Their...kids...are a little different. They don't seem to fit in very well at school."

Oh boy.

"People in this town." Dad muttered almost bitterly. He went on with a speech about how Dr. Cullen was a godsend and an asset to Forks; how unfair its residents were to him and his family for being so reserved and withdrawn. I was sure his blood pressure had gone up with each word he said, voice raising with another sentence.

Whew. Dad breathed out and cut more of his steak to eat. In all my life, I think that was the longest speech I'd ever heard him make. I glanced at Bella, she was shocked, to say the least, but she snapped back into it.

"They seemed nice enough to me. I just noticed that kept to themselves. They're all very attractive."

Dad laughed a bit, in a better mood now. "You should see the doctor. It's a good thing he's happily married. A lot of nurses at the hospital have a hard time concentrating on their work with him."

Dr. Cullen was the embodiment of beauty. I'd seen him from time to time in the past few years. I once sprained my ankle; he took great care of me. Dad trusted him more than any other surgeon in the hospital, which said a lot.

The conversation died down, back into a comfortable silence while we finished our food. Dad and I cleared the table and Bella started the dishes. I offered to help, but she declined my offer with an "it's fine, I've got it." I took her word for it and went upstairs to take my nightly shower and go to bed.

The wind was still, and no rain pelted the roof or the sides of the house. It was nothing but quiet. I fumbled with my blanket as I tried to get comfortable with my cramps.

The rest of the week stayed uneventful. Bella fell into her routine of classes, or so she told me. Anais and I worked out a schedule where we could hang out before school, between classes, and sometimes after school before leaving for home. I never got the chance to ask Alice about Zain. The tiny girl would disappear from my sight. I didn't how someone so tiny could move so quickly.

Neither Zain nor Edward came back to school.

I nearly bit my fingernails down to the point of my fingertips bleeding, hoping to see him in English. They were shot down when his seat stayed empty. Maybe I wanted to demand what his problem was, maybe I wanted to apologize for being...well, I don't know. I didn't have anything to apologize for, but just in case, I would.

On Monday, the rain from the weekend iced. It was fairly colder than the last few days, so much so, it began to snow a bit. The roads were slick, but thankfully, we made it to school in one piece.

I waved farewell to my sister and went to meet Anais; I saw her practically dancing on her toes from her car. She was bundled snuggly in her dark red parka and favorite black jeans. I carefully trudged toward her, the slush under my feet crunching and splish-splashing under my shoes.

"Morning, Anais - ACK!" Something cold, wet, and slushy hit me directly in the face. The impact of the slushy snowball put me on my ass. The sludge seeped into my jeans immediately.

"Holy - are you okay?!" Anais hurried toward as a few other students laughed, their slush ball fight now threatening the lives of others.

"Are you alright?" A familiar velvety deep voice seeped into my ears, and all the while a large hand took my elbow, pulling me to my feet.

"Hot damn!" Anais' jaw dropped. "Gee, thanks Zain!"

"Are you alright?" I looked up at him, greeted by his beautiful golden eyes. The surprise hit me head-on. When did he get back? More importantly, why was he back? I was under the impression he was gone for good.

"Thanks." I tore my arm from his gentle hold.

"You've got snow in your hair." The bronze-skinned boy moved his hand to my face, as to pat out the said snow.

"I got it, thanks." I smacked his hand away and ruffled my hair.

"May I speak with you, Faye?" Zain pressed his lips together.

"Actually, I have class. Come on, Anais." I patted my bottom; it wasn't too wet.

I left him there in the slushed snow.

Classes, as usual, were sleep-inducing. Not that I slept in any of my classes, but I've seen several students snooze away while the teachers lectured. I walked with Anais to lunch, she was hopping on her heels and doing a little dance she always did when she was about to get food. We were in front of Jessica and Bella. Nothing looked appetizing. Was I offset by Zain's approach this morning?

"Hello? Faye?" A hand waved in front of my face.

"What?"

"Food. You want?" Anais gestured to the inedible-looking prison gop that looked like mashed potatoes and green beans with bacon mixed in it. Strange food, hideous stomachache.

"Ah, I'll just get water today." I rejected the idea of food.

"That's the fourth day you're skipping lunch," Anais frowned at me and then grabbed a second apple. "You'd tell me if you're starving yourself, right?"

"I am not starving myself," I pay for my water, and she pays for her food. "I'm just not feeling well today."

"Wow, you and Bella both," Jessica caught up to us with a tray of her own. "Do you guys have some sort of twin telepathy?"

"Ooh!" My friend grinned. "That'd be so cool!"

I rolled my eyes.

The hour I dreaded came to pass. When I entered my sixth-period English class, Zain was sitting in the seat next to mine, as if he hadn't disappeared for a week. We weren't the only ones in the classroom. A few students settled in their chairs and got out their things.

"Faye." Zain's piercing golden orbs focused on me when I took my seat. I almost wanted to find another seat for today.

"I don't want to talk to you."

"Let me explain myself," he pleaded softly. "Please."

I looked at him and my heart squeezed. He looked so remorseful, like a puppy that'd been kicked but still followed after the one that kicked it. His inky brows knitted together and seemed rather eager to beg for his case.

"What happened last week?" I released the question that flew about my mind for five and a half days.

"I was having an episode," he responded just above a murmur. "It happens every so often. I try to handle it myself."

An episode? So, were the rumors true? Did he really have PTSD? Now I felt a million times worse. I'd been so furious about our previous encounter, I didn't stop to consider him or his trauma, whatever his trauma was.

"O-oh...I'm so sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" He seemed confused.

"I had thought it was something I done." I admitted sheepishly.

"Trust me, Love, it was not your fault." My heart skipped a beat. Love? Surely, it was just something he said to everyone, regardless of gender.

"Then...we're okay?" I shyly make eye contact with him.

A cute, lopsided grin upturned his seemingly perfect lips. "Yes, we are okay."

I nodded, an ecstatic burst flowing through me. Mostly, it was the relief I felt, knowing I hadn't been the cause of his pain. The burdened thoughts lifted off my shoulders, and my body felt all the lighter.

"So, you'd be willing to be my friend?" I quipped hopefully toward him, only making his boyish grin broaden.

"Of course."

Yes! My soul left my body for a split second, doing a snoopy dance. No words could describe how elated I was feeling. Being Zain's friend was a dream come true. Anais will love him too; I just know it.

A few minutes later, the bell rang obnoxiously as the last of the class filed in. Mr. Mason approached his desk, having a thick wad of packets in his hands.

"Alright, children," he cleared his throat. "Get your books out, your homework, your pens, or whatever utensil you use to write with. We'll be pairing everyone into groups of two."

Most of the students let out loud groans.

Over the weekend, it rained some. Not heavy, like it usually did. It stayed light, however, the water on the roads had turned into black ice overnight from the temperature drop. Getting to school seemed a bit hairy, but thanks to the tire chains Dad placed on them, we made it. He wasn't aware of me being awake when he pulled up this morning with the "new" and improved tires.

The snow chains made the trip a little less hairy than I originally thought. We parked off to the side of the lot, probably the furthest away from the school.

I met Bella at the back of the truck as she inspected the tires. I kicked the side of the back tire, the chain remained unmoved by my boot; Bella seemed teary-eyed at the kind and fatherly gesture of Dad's caring act. As I opened my mouth to say something, I'm cut off by an odd sound.

It was a high-pitched screech, and it was quick to become painfully deafening. I give myself whiplash looking up. I don't know who screamed, Bella or me. Maybe it was someone else. Tyler Crowley's van spun wildly across the ice of the parking lot, the tires locked and squealing against the brakes. Everything happened too fast, yet so slowly, like in the movies. It was going to hit the back end of our truck, and we were standing between them. My eyes locked on the van as it came closer. For a second, I thought I felt a hard tap on my shoulder blade.

And then everything went black.

When I came to, I saw bright lights. I feared the worst, but then felt the gentle prodding of ice-cold fingers, or at least I hoped those were fingers. The cold fingers pressed a part of my forehead that caused me to flinch away from their touch.

"You're awake." A gentle voice spoke.

Blinking rapidly, I look for the owner of the fingers. Dr. Cullen. He looked lovely, as always. He grabbed something that was out of my sight, it was metallic and small, clicked it on with one hand, and hovered his other over my face. His fingertips brushed over my eyebrow and cheekbone as he flashed the light into my eyes. The intruding light burned my retinas and I try to squint to protect my eyes.

"Welcome back, Miss Swan." The beautiful doctor smiled down at me.

I groaned and tried to me, but he places his free hand on my right shoulder to keep me down. "You shouldn't try to move; you took quite the spill."

"What?" I was confused and looked around. I was in a hospital bed, still in my jeans and Nirvana long-sleeve tee, I was missing my coat, gloves, and boots. The moment I moved my head, this terrible pain rummaged through my brain, throbbing at my temple.

"What do you remember?" Dr. Cullen put the flashlight into his white's coat breast pocket.

"Uh..." I cringed, reaching to touch my forehead, only to feel prickly, wire-like things poking out of my skin. "The van. It was skidding across the lot. And then nothing."

The blond man nodded, taking in my words.

I tried to sit up; this crippling pain shot through my left wrist. Something left my throat, whether it be a cry or what, I couldn't tell. Dr. Cullen took my shoulder and carefully helped me sit up the rest of the way while I cradled my now-hurting arm.

"You hit your head on the concrete," he began. "But not before fracturing your wrist. You split your head open after you fell, we had to give you some stitches.

Oh, well. That explained it. Worst headache ever. I glanced at the wrist brace on my hand and arm. I wiggled my fingers only to wince from the abrupt, sharp tingles. Okay, let's not do that. How hard did I hit the ground to fracture my wrist and give me a concussion?

"Bella!" I shoot my focus to Dr. Cullen. "My sister! Is she okay?!"

"She's alright," he responded, possibly amused, but still concerned. "She just bumped her head. She's in another part of the ER."

"That's a relief," I sighed. "Hey, Doc, is my dad here?"

Dr. Cullen chuckled at the nickname. "He's with Bella as we speak, however you do have other visitors."

Before another word is spoken, someone burst through the doors. That someone being Anais. She was frantic, blackened tears streaked her face as she hurried to me. The doctor stepped away before my friend could barrel him over.

"Oh my God, you freakin' scared me!" Her voice was loud and hoarse. "You so owe me lunch!"

I laugh, but my head pounded. She pulled me into a hug at once.

"Sorry."

"If you weren't hurt, I'd punch you!"

I scoffed. "Doc, you hear this?"

"Don't give your friend too much grief, Miss Fletcher," Dr. Cullen grabbed his clipboard. "I'll inform Chief Swan you're awake."

We watched him walk away and out of the doors. Anais returned her gaze to me and huffed. "That was scary."

"Yeah, I wish I could've remembered it."

She wiped her face, smearing the mascara more. "How do you feel?"

"Uh, like I hit my head on concrete."

"Don't sass me! For the past hour, I sat in that horrible waiting room with a bunch of other randos! I deserve to be a tad bit upset!"

"Okay, okay," I hold my hands up in surrender "Sorry. Wanna help me up?"

She gave me a weird look. "We should wait for Dr. Cullen to get back."

"What? There're other nurses around," I gestured toward the other staff making their rounds. "If I pass out, they'll rescue me."

"Ha, ha, very funny," she glowered. "Scooch."

I shifted over some so she could sit on the bed with me. The mattress dipped under her weight, and she leaned her head on my shoulder. She sniffled some more and wiped her nose with her coat sleeve. I suppose I did scare her, unintentionally though. If I were being honest with myself, I didn't fall. Or at least I don't think I did. There was this hard push on my back and then...lights out.

"So, what happened?"

"Tyler's van took up ice skating."

I nudged her with my shoulder. "Be serious."

"Okay, fine, um, so after Tyler sped out of control, it collided with your truck. I didn't see you and got scared, but when I got to the crash, you were on the ground, head bleeding. Bella was pinned between the van and the truck with Edward -"

"Edward?" I stared at the curtain in front of me.

"Yeah, apparently he pushed you out of the way and saved Bella from being crushed."

"Really?" I had no recollection of Edward being with us before the crash.

"Yeah."

"Well, I hope he doesn't expect me to get him lunch too."

Anais giggled. "That's just me."

"Oh, thank God!" Dad's worried voice boomed throughout the ER, and we twisted to look at the doors he flew through. Dr. Cullen wasn't too far behind him. The relief in his eyes was evident enough to know he was glad I was okay. He practically trotted over to my bed.

"Dad." He embraced me gently, but tightly. His arms were warm through his coat and comforting. I felt like a kid again, safe in the arms of my father. "I want to go home."

"I know you do, but you're going to be staying here tonight." He pushed away my bangs from my stitches.

"Why?"

"Well, Miss Swan," Dr. Cullen spoke up, his amber eyes focusing on me. "I want to keep you under observation until I know for sure you don't have a bleed; you hit your head considerably hard. I've already explained this to your father, and I would like to admit you as my patient."

"Is that okay?" Dad asked me, his lips thin as he watched me contemplate.

"Is it possible for me to use the bathroom?"

Dad and Dr. Cullen glanced at each other, unsure. "Anais?"

"I'll take care of her, Mr. Swan, Dr. Cullen." My pink-haired friend saluted the older men, hopped off the bed, and then helped me down.

Being on my feet made me a bit light-headed. For a second, I thought I'd pass out. It lasted a second, though. False alarm, I guess. My friend and I locked elbows and traveled to the restrooms.

"You could have seriously hurt her."

We nearly rounded the corner when we heard an angry hushed voice. I peeked, seeing Zain towering over Edward, though I couldn't see his face, I saw that his fists were curled into tight balls, not only that, but he also sounded beyond furious.

"She's alive, isn't she?" Edward's voice answered back blatantly.

"That is not the point!"

"What are they talking about?" Anais whispered to me, though I hadn't a clue either.

They obviously were arguing about someone. But, who? Me or Bella? Their conversation sounded pretty heated...or that is until they suddenly stopped talking. A pair of amber eyes focused on Anais and me. Edward saw us but refocused on Zain with narrowed eyes.

"She's alive, that's better than nothing." Edward pressed past Zain and disappeared down the hallway.

Zain released this annoyed and frustrated sigh before he turned around. His golden eyes spotted us leaning around the corner, watching the argument take place. His anger flushed away, and an inky brow piqued upward. "You're up."

"I wish I wasn't." We stepped out of hiding and he approached us, his eyes observing my form.

"How are you?"

"I think I've been better." I chuckled, but the vibrations made me grimace.

"Where are you headed?" His golden orbs flickered between Anais and me.

"Bathroom," Anais answered. "She's staying here for tonight."

"I see," Zain's gaze fell to the floor. "Take care of her."

He directed that toward Anais, but my friend agreed. And that was that. He gracefully walked around us.

"That was weird." Anais commented as she peered over our shoulders.

I silently agreed with her. That was beyond weird. Their conversation seemed tense. Though we didn't see much, Zain really looked like he was about to knock Edward's lights out. However, the bronze-haired boy didn't seem bothered by Zain's fury. Whatever had gone on between them, it felt as intense as war.

"C'mon, Chica." Anais pulled me from my thoughts and helped me to the restrooms.

After I've relieved myself, I wipe and flush. Exiting the stall, I head for the sinks, where Anais is desperately washing off the streak marks of her mascara with a wet paper towel. Her cheeks were smudged gray with red.

"Now you don't look so bad." I joked lightly and went to wash my hands, careful to avoid getting the brace on my wrist wet. I got a good look at myself, more or less, my face. Dark stitches laced through the middle of my left forehead, drawing upward into my hairline. The skin that was split open was red and a bit swollen, stained with faint blood.

"Oh, har, har." Anais glared at me through the mirror.

"What? I'm just saying - augh...!" My body erupts with razor-sharp pain, mostly my back. For a second and a second only, I buckled. I lean against the porcelain sink.

"Faye! Are you okay?" Anais lurched for me, placing her palms on my lower back and left arm. "Do I need to get Dr. Cullen or a nurse?"

"My back..." Ignoring that my hands are wet, I pulled my shirt collar away from the back of my neck as much as I could. A sick feeling bubbled in my stomach. What the hell? Thin, finger-like purple and black marks lined my right shoulder, leading to a broader bruise on my spine.

"Is that...a handprint?" Anais was mortified as her cool fingers grazed my tender flesh.

"Holy crap..." I twist a little to get a better look in the mirror. "Are you seeing this?"

"Did you always used to bruise so badly before?" She looked at me, not my reflection.

"I don't think so." I couldn't stop staring at the bruise mark. The more I stared, the more I felt the stings of pressure even if I wasn't being touched. A bruise for me, I would have to ram into something, a sharp knock on the end of a table, or fall onto something solid. But this? I've never seen my body do this.

I was shoved before blacking out, and the bruise just so happened to be where I felt pressure when Tyler's van came skidding across the lot.

What the hell did this? Didn't Anais say Edward was the one that knocked me out of the way? Is that what he and Zain were arguing about? My brain was on the verge of imploding. I couldn't wrap my head around this. I'm one hundred percent positive Bella and I was the only ones by our truck when everything went downhill.

Still...the pit in my stomach stirred and couldn't fill itself with enough dread. The hand mark was like black ink on my skin.

And then I realized.

Edward did this...and that's what Zain was so pissed about.

"Faye?" Anais brought me back, lowering her voice when a woman entered the bathroom.

"It's probably nothing!" I tell myself, and her, pulling up my collar to cover the mark. "We should get back before my dad and Dr. Cullen sends out a search party."

"We should tell him about this," Anais said, her eyes latching onto me as a concerned mother would her child. "He's your doctor, he'll want to know."

"No," I say stubbornly. "It's just a bruise, it'll heal."

"But Faye -"

"Please." I turned to her, pleading. "Let's just get back."

She wanted to say something, protest against me. Her lips thinned, "Okay, but if you start hurting, you let Dr. Cullen know."

"I will."

"Promise me."

"Okay, I promise I'll go to Dr. Cullen if the bruise starts hurting."

She seemed somewhat satisfied by my words and let me off. I knew her prying wouldn't be the end of it, but I couldn't blame her, nor could I kick her to the curb. She was worried about me; I did give her the scare of her life. I probably took twenty years out of her.

I wiped my hand and fingers dry with paper towels and we left the bathroom in silence.