Edward's POV

A slight, cool breeze blew in my direction and I inhaled deeply. My senses told me that there was a herd of elk near the river , upstream, north of where I was. That was easy prey. Bounding upstream, I ducked behind a tree and carefully watched the elk. Sniffing the fresh, forest air again, I let my instincts take over. Immediately taking an offensive crouch behind the cover of the trees, I carefully eyed the elk. Pouncing, I leaped upon the largest elk, the evident leader, and sunk my fangs into its soft skin. Closing my eyes, I drank deeply, but couldn't help thinking how Bella's blood would taste better than this elk's. Argh! Why can't I keep her off my mind! I thought angrily. A low growl ripped from my throat. I'm hunting, letting my instincts take over and I'm still thinking about her. It's her scent, I just can't seem to keep away from her!

Another thing was bugging me. Some of our family had certain . . . powers. For example, Alice could tell the future, but it changed constantly, based on people's decisions. I could read people's thoughts if they were within a few miles of me. It was like, there was a constant buzz in my head, and I could just pick out one voice and listen to its thoughts. But Bella . . . I had picked her voice and listened, but, I had received nothing. That was when I realized I couldn't hear her thoughts. It was weird, and couldn't understand why. I had never experienced it before in my century of experience. It was kind of like, I was listening to some sort of radio and could only hear FM frequency, but Bella was AM frequency. It was like her whole mind was wired differently.

Bella's POV

Edward hasn't been to school for the past couple days. I thought, I wonder why. It's probably because of me. Jessica pointed out his adopted siblings to me, and they're all here.

"Bella, hey Bella!" Mike called, running to catch up with me as I went into the school building. "You wanna come to prom with me?"

"Do I look like I can dance?" I asked, gesturing to my wheelchair.

"Well," he said looking down, "We can just hang out?" I could literally feel his pity of my vibrating off him as he said that.

"Sorry, no thanks. But you could ask Jessica, I think she's been wanting to go with you." I said, imagining how happy Jessica would be when Mike asked her.

"Oh. Okay." he nodded.

After my last class of the day, boring Biology, with no sign of Edward, Jessica came up to me with an excited look on her face. 

"Guess what?!" she gushed, "Mike Newton asked me out to prom!!!!!"

Smiling, I responded with real enthusiasm, for I haven't had a real friend in years. "That's great! Wanna come with me to Port Angeles this weekend to shop for prom dresses?" I proposed.

"Sure! Are you going to prom too?" she asked.

"Well, I don't really want to, since I kinda won't have anything to do there besides just hang out." I confessed.

"C'mon, it'll be fun!" she exclaimed, brimming with enthusiasm.

"It's okay, I'll just settle for getting you all ready and beautiful for prom." I assured her. "You can tell me all about it after."

"Well . . . sure!" she replied.

"Pick me up on Sunday at 9:00, my house, right?" I asked.

"Yep." she confirmed.

----------------The next day ----------------

"Bella! Over here! Sit with us!" I heard. I turned to see Eric waving to me from across the cafeteria. Smiling, I wheeled myself over to their table.

"Salad again?" he asked. 

"Yep, don't wanna waste away on what you're eating." I joked, gesturing to his hamburger and fried chicken. He rolled his eyes, and then became serious again.

"Hey,  um . . . Bella, um . . . wanna come with me to prom?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper. His eyes sweeping over me in my wheelchair, I could once again feel the pity towards me starting to come off him in waves.

"Um . . . well, I can't really dance." I protested. "I mean, have you looked at me? I'm in a wheelchair . . . like forever. Hospitals and surgery can't heal paralysis."

"Well, we could just hang out." Eric suggested. 

"I don't think so. I think you'd rather be dancing. I'm really boring." I objected. I could feel his pity starting again as he looked at me with sad puppy eyes, so I quickly said my goodbyes and left. Rolling my wheelchair out to the front lawn, I heard the panting breaths that indicate someone running to catch up to me.

"If this is about prom, then no." I grumbled.

"But, I-" Tyler began.

"No. No buts, I can't dance. At all. I'm in a wheelchair and never gonna get better. I will bore you to death at prom. Nothing to do besides just hang around and watch people. There's absolutely no point in going. Ever. Now leave, unless there is something else you want to say?" I demanded.

"Bella, I-" Tyler pleaded.

"No prom." I repeated. Softening at his wounded expression, I added, "Please. I don't want to."