CHAPTER THIRTEEN
ᴛʜʀᴏᴡɴ ᴏғғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴀᴄᴋ

The good weather from the weekend continued into the week until the sun was strong in the sky from early morning. It was still cold, a bitter edge to the wind that drifted through the trees, but the sun could be seen, a brilliant halo in the sky, and that was a good enough excuse for the people of Forks to be sunbathing through the day.

Stepping out into the daylight felt wrong. Illegal or something similar. It didn't sparkle, though it tingled, almost feeling like a burn, as if it wanted to do nothing else but reflect the light like a thousand diamonds.

Days in the sun always made me feel anxious. There was an underlying feeling of dread that wouldn't go away. What if my skin suddenly decided to recoil against the light, outing me for what I was? Though it had never happened, and it was unlikely that it ever would, I still worried. But that day in school, the only thing to relieve me of the pile of stress on my shoulders, was the absence of the Cullens. I wouldn't have to feel their stare or avoid their questions.

They were out hiking or camping somewhere exotic, as they always would, according to Jessica's extensive knowledge of the family. Dr Cullen would take them out of school for the rare days when the temperature would climb up the scale.

The week after the trip to La Push brought the spring dance closer by the day, and though it was girl's choice, the boys didn't delay their asking or incessant flirting. But the girls were excited enough for the both of us, me and Bella, and we soon chatting all through lunch about dresses and hair and makeup, three things of which my opinion was probably far too old fashioned to be able to comment upon.

It took only a few evenings into the week before the dance for Bella to phone me.

"Mike finally asked Jess to the dance. She's ecstatic, but that means she needs to get the perfect dress," Bella said, her voice already dripping with a plead. "She wants us all to go to Port Angeles tomorrow after school, to go dress shopping. Jess wants our opinions, for some reason."

I laughed, imagining the annoyed shake of her head.

"Yeah, sure. I'll come."

Bella sounded surprised by my answer. "You will? I thought it would take more convincing."

"You've got to have someone with you to save from being bored to death," I said, earning a laugh. "Besides, I rather like dresses and things. And I'm nosey enough to want to see what they pick."

"Well, great. I won't complain anymore. See you in the morning, same time?" She asked.

"Same time," I said back.

The next day, after a long day school, in which Bella spent most of her time glancing over her shoulder, Jessica tailed Bella's truck in her white Mercury, so we could ditch out bags at her house. Angela was next to be picked up, and Bella and I stuffed ourselves in the back of Jess's old car.

She drove fast. Faster than Bella's truck and my old car would ever be able to go, with a human driver. It reminded me of the other day, when Alice had spun her way through the long, thin roads of Forks, bordered by trees older than the both of us. I glanced away from the window, pulling myself back into the dark insides of the car.

I leaned over, head sticking beside the two front seats so I could reach over to the radio. I flicked it over and turned it up, waiting as a song finally played through the crackly speakers.

"Oh my God! Elide, I didn't tell you about the dinner I had with Mike the other day!" Jessica squealed from the front seat, the steering wheel, slipping beneath her excited hands."

I chuckled, her happiness was starting to run off, even if sometimes it was a disguise for a sharp edged comment. "I take it went well!"

"More than well, honestly, I think by Saturday night, we might've had our first kiss! I'm so excited to go to the Spring dance, it's going to be so much fun," she said, turning to glance at us with rounded eyes. Bella glanced nervously to the road in front. "I wish you could come, we'll miss you. But Angel, at least you're going, and with Eric too."

Angela seemed happy enough just to be going to the dance, but was somewhat less pleased with the fact that Eric would be her date. A small and passive smile pulled at her face, as she turned to look out of the window.

"Oh, come on, Ange! If Eric isn't your type, then who is? Come on, spill," Jess urged her, a mischievous grin on her pink lips.

Angela blushed, her mouth forming a circle as she stuttered.

"You know Jess, I think a blue dress would look stunning on you," I interrupted.

"Yeah, definitely. It'll bring out your eyes," Bella agreed.

Jessica was buzzing after our comments on the dress, and for the rest of the speedy drive, she was happy enough to talk about nothing other than dresses or sing to the rock songs that played from the radio.

Thanks to Jessica's quick driving, we reached Port Angeles by four and the two dresses- a pretty, pink one for Angela and a knee-length blue dress for Jessica- were draped over their arms, ready to browse through the jewellery counters. I grew bored quickly, and Jessica had moved her point of conversation quite quickly to the topic of prom. Not only that, but her taste in accessories seemed to been quite opposite to mine.

It was by the back of the shop, in a section which Jess had easily dismissed as the 'old ladies area', that I found a dress that had caught my eye. It was a deep red, one of those 50s styled dresses that draped off the shoulders and cinched in at the waist. It was nothing like the real thing- nothing could beat those dresses- but this was close.

"Would you like to try it on?" The shop lady appeared by the mannequin.

I glanced to my three friends, who were now trying shoes on by the back wall.

I nodded. "Please."

The lady returned with the dress on a hanger and showed me toward the dressing rooms. I somehow managed to zip myself up, smoothing the fabric over my body. I exhaled out. It fitted well, cutting off at the right angles and reaching just below the knee. The red fabric, the colour of blood, sat starkly against my pale skin, matching well with my dark hair. I felt beautiful- until I looked deeper.

But as I stepped out of the dressing room and toward the large mirror on the wall, all I could see was my face. The dark shadows around my eyes, the thin, almost translucent skin that trailed into the dress that hung around my body. I looked fake: just like my eyes, just like my skin, able to step into the sun.

I pulled it off quickly, leaving it on the hanger in the dressing room before I hurried back to my friends who were standing in front of mirrors in their heels. On Angela's feet, we're a pair of pink heels to match her dress, tiny bows on the backs.

"I like those," Bella commented from the side, I smiled, nodding in encouragement.

"I think I'll get them- though they'll never match anything but the one dress," Angela said quietly, removing the shoes and placing them back in the box with care.

"Oh, go ahead. They're on sale," Bella said, moving to my side. She leaned in. "You looked beautiful, in the dress."

My head switched to glance to her. "You saw?"

"You won't get it?"

I shook my head. "No."

"It looked like it was made for you. You looked beautiful."

"I felt beautiful." I shook my head for the second time. "I'm not getting it."

Early in the day, we'd decided to get food after shopping, but we'd finished early and chosen to walk down to the bay after taking the bags of clothes to Jessica's car. We started out for the door after paying, but Bella hesitated.

"Hey guys, there's a bookshop I've been wanting to take a look at, why don't you go ahead? I'll meet you at the restaurant in an hour," she called out.

Jessica and Angela stopped. We were all willing to go with her.

Bella shook her head. "It's fine. I get pretty carried away while book shopping. You guys go have fun."

Bella headed off in the direction Jess had pointed out, and I resumed to follow the two back to the car. By the time the bags were safely tucked out of sight in the boot, Jess was already rethinking her choice of colour.

"I just don't know," she prattled. "What if Mike doesn't like it."

As much as Jess sometimes annoyed me with her constant talkative moods, the thought of her insecurities made me frown. Angela and I took her by the arm, walking toward what I assumed was the direction of the bay.

"If Mike doesn't think you're gorgeous in that dress, then he's as good as blind," I said, tugging her forward as her speed lagged.

"Exactly, you looked amazing, Jess," Angela smiled, hugging her close.

"Thanks girls," she giggled, chin suddenly gravitating to the usual place it was, high up in the air.

The walk around the bay was rather boring, and by the time we got there, it was time to turn back in time for our reservation at La Bella Italia. When we got there, Bella hadn't yet arrived, and we stood outside the restaurant for a total of fifteen minutes until Jess grew too impatient to wait and I grew worried.

"Why don't you go in and eat? I'll go look for Bella," I suggested.

"You don't want to eat?"

"I'm not that hungry," I said, and they didn't budge. "Seriously, don't starve yourself, go."

The two of them hurried into the restaurant, arms crossed to protect themselves from the cold. I turned, heading in the direction of the bookshop.

The night had darkened considerably since we'd left the bay for the restaurant, and the moon was now peaking out from behind sullen clouds, emerging from behind the tops of the hall buildings along the street. It was quiet everywhere I went. I looked in the bookshop, avoiding the old lady with the long, grey hair and sixties dress, and searched around the shopping centre. No Bella.

It was half an hour before I decided to head back to the restaurant to meet Jess and Angela. I could see them talking with two others by the time I reached it: Bella and Edward. They began to walk away, splitting into two pairs.

"Hey!" I shouted, gaining attention from them all. "I was looking for you."

I cringe at the sound of my own words. They sounded so forceful.

"Sorry, I got lost and ran into Edward," she said, side glancing his way.

I felt Jess slide up to me, taking me by the elbow so she could tug me away.

"Since you weren't hungry and we already ate, Edward's going to take Bella in for dinner. We're going to drive home now," she said with a sharp hint. "Come on."

I glanced back. Bella was smiling up at Edward, her face flushed with warmth. And even Edward's face, stone-like and cold, seemed different, creased with happiness as he lead her up the lit steps to the restaurant. For once, since meeting the Cullens, I was sure of one thing: I didn't have to fear them, perhaps I could even trust them. We drove home with little worry.

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