"You and Bella should come with us to Port Angeles." Angela suggested regarding her and Jessica's plan of dress shopping.

"I didn't really plan on going to prom." I told them.

"Why not?" Jessica asked urgently.

"It's gonna boring espically when if you're going alone, like I am." I stated. Mike had finally asked Jessica, with Bella's suggestion. Angela actually asked Eric and he said yes. Of course, I was happy for them both. I just don't like to be alone when everyone else isn't.

"You don't have to go with someone. We're gonna be there to keep you company."

"Yeah, definitely." I say sarcastically with a roll of my eyes. "Out of support I'll go with you guys. Just know I'm no fashionista."

"You said you were going to Port Angeles?" Bella asked.

"Yeah." Angela responded.

"I'll go then." Bella informed them. She must be planning something if she's only going because of Port Angeles.

...

When the day was over and I met up with Bella I had to ask her what had been on my mind since lunch.

"Bella, no offense but, why are you going dress shopping with them? I feel like you'd rather do anything else than go dress shopping. Like anything."

"At least I'm not going 'out of support.' There's a book store in Port Angeles that sells a spefic book I'm looking for about Quileute legends."

Oh, it's about the Cullens thing. Of course it's about the Cullens. "Bella, I don't think a book is gonna answer your questions about the Cullens."

"It wasn't normal, Avery. I've been coming up with theory after theory. This is the only real lead I have. You know Edward was no where near me. You saw him!" She said full of passion.

"Okay, okay. I get it, you wanna know. It's just- what if don't find what you're looking for."

"Like what?" I felt Bella's suspicion towards me rise.

"What if it just says the Cullens were descended from...frogs or something stupid like that?"

"I doubt it." She smiled. "I just want an answer, that's it."

...

"What about this one?" Jessica asked for about the thousandth time.

"Don't wear gloves. You're not going to prom in the 1930s." I responded.

Bella seemed distant, her mind was somewhere else completely. A couple of guys knocked on the window we were by and began catcalling Jess and Angela. I was immediately disgusted. Do people not have any respect nowadays?

"I'm gonna head to a bookstore. I'll meet up with you guys at the restaurant." Bella said quickly, grabbing her things and leaving. The girls were too distracted to even pay attention, they simply nodded.

"You mind if I go with you?" I asked Bella before she left. I wasn't about to let her go anywhere alone with scum like those catcalling dudes nearby.

"I don't mind."

I grabbed my bag and basically ran away from that store.

...

"Did I ever tell you I'm half Quileute?" I asked Bella while looking around the bookstore.

"No. Why didn't you tell me? You could've told me the Cullen legend sooner."

"I actually didn't know about that one till Jacob told me. It was a surprise to us all."

"Found it!" Bella said. I just barely heard the excitement in her voice. She really did want some answers. I'd hate to be in an interrogation with her.

We went up to the cashier and she rung Bella up. After Bella paid then the cashier began to talk to me.

"I overheard you were half Quileute." The female cashier asked. "If you don't mind me asking, what's the other half?"

"French." I told her. "My mother she has the light eyes and the really pale skin. My father had the dark hair. I definitely did not get his skin tone." I laughed and the cashier joined in.

Our conversation got more in depth and I could sense Bella's urgency to leave.

"Avery, I'm gonna start walking to the restaurant." Bella said

"Alright, I'll catch up in a bit." A few minutes can't hurt, right?

The cashier and I talked about the area and a couple of legends. Forks was basically the Quileute epicenter. I remember my Dad telling me that when he told me we were moving here. He believed it would be good to learn more about our culture and be surrounded by it.

"I better catch up with my friend. It was nice talking to you." I said as I left the store. The cashier waved at me followed by a smile.
A few minutes into walking I felt a pang of panic. Bella, not again. I began running towards where I estimated she should be by now. While running I heard commotion come from an alley. I followed the noise. When I arrived a car was speeding off and some guys were lying on the ground. When I looked at them closely I realized they were the creeps from the dress shop.

My next idea was to use the connection. I put my hands on my knees and took a deep breath before I focused. I heard Edward's voice but it was too rapid and I couldn't understand anything. How did he even know where she was? He must've used some stupid vampire powers.

I groaned loudly. I began noticing sweat forming on my temples. I need to calm down before things get out of hand and I lose it.

At least Bella is safe with Edward. He can't hurt her he would risk too much if he did that. Bella is supposed to meet us back at the restaurant. She must've told Edward that and he might take her there. I should go to the restaurant myself, it's the safest and most reasonable place to be.

It took quite a lot of motivation to get me to go to the restaurant. I kept checking up on Bella every five minutes. She was still alright but I couldn't help but worry.

I got to the restaurant and basically ordered everything on the menu. When I worry I eat. It's a bad habit. I saw Jessica and Angela give each other a couple of glances when they saw how much and how fast I was eating. After I finished eating and paid for my meal I began the drive back to Forks. Even while driving I was checking up on Bella. I only saw flashes of where she was at and what was going on around her. I didn't bother listening to conversations, it would require more concentration.

My dad had asked how my day was when I got back home. I didn't tell him about the creepy guys or the bookstore. There were a lot of things I didn't tell him. A couple of years ago it wasn't like this. A couple years ago I would've told him everything. Now there's too much to tell and it's all too complicated.

...

It was about three in the morning when I heard my phone ring. Who is calling now? It was a Saturday but still I want some sleep. I looked at the caller ID and saw Bella's name. I immediately answered it. If she was calling this late it must be important.

"What's up?" I asked in a groggy voice.

"Did you just wake up?" Bella sounded antsy and wide awake.

"Yeah, but that doesn't matter, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I just-I found something. It was in the book." She went on and on and I finally stopped her.

"Okay, okay Bella calm down. Explain it slower."

"I can't-I just. Can you come over?"

"...Like right now?" I asked.

"Yeah, just be quiet and Charlie won't wake up."

"Okay, I'll be right there."

...

I arrived at Bella's house about fifteen minutes later. I went to the window near her room. I threw a couple of small rocks at it.

"Hello, fair Bella. I have come to ask for thou hand in marriage." I joked when she finally opened the window.

She must've been really focused because she didn't even laugh at the joke. In my opinion it was pretty good. The timing was perfect. Bella went to go find something to help me get up to her room. Unfortunately, Charlie was asleep in the living room and it would be hard to slip past him. I could get up to her window easily but if Bella saw me it would be a lot to explain. I waited a few more seconds before I decided to go up.

I took a few steps back and ran towards the side of the house. I jumped as high as I could, then grabbed onto certain parts and lifted myself up quickly. In just a couple seconds I was in Bella's room. All this done in my pajamas. I deserve an award for that.

"How did you...?" Bella asked me in complete shock.

"I found an old rope outside and used that." I lied effortlessly. It was almost normal for me to lie to everyone. I wonder if there would ever be a person I wouldn't lie to.

"Oh, alright then."

"What was it that you needed to tell me?" I asked, returning to the point.

She grabbed the book we got earlier and flipped to a certain page. On the top of the page it said 'The Cold One.'

Bella went on to say that Cold Ones have extreme strength and speed. Both of those Edward would have needed to stop the car from hitting Bella the other day.

"He saved me in Port Angeles and I felt his hand and it was cold. Extremely cold. That's why they're called the Cold Ones." She explained.

I grabbed the book from her hands and skimmed over it. I pretended to be confused. This book made it so obvious but Bella still hadn't said the word. She hadn't said 'vampire.'

"So you think Edward's a Cold One? It's just legend. These things aren't meant to be taken seriously." I told her.

"Well I believe it has some truth to it."

"Edward is definitely a mythological Quileute creature." I tried swaying her away from the truth. If Bella came up with this conclusion then she was going to question Edward about it.

"I'm not crazy, Avery!" She began raising her voice but quickly calmed down. "I really think he's a vampire. It's the only thing that adds up."

She used the word. The word that I was afraid of. The word that was extremely dangerous just from being said. The word that could change her whole life if she let it.

I actually felt bad for Bella. She sounded so defeated, she wanted the truth more anything. I just worried about her. She would be sucked into a world that no one wants or deserves. I knew what would happen to her. Humans weren't supposed to know.

"Okay Bella," I decided to give in. I essentially pushed Bella into it. If I needed to I would dive head first into this with her then I would do it. I would protect Bella if the Cullens didn't. "I trust you."

She sat down on her bed and ran her hands through her hair. "Thank you for not thinking I'm insane." I sat next to her and gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder. "You can't tell anyone about this though. It's just between us."

"Are you going to ask him about it?" I inquired.

"Yeah. It's the only way I'll find out the truth."

A/N

You could say Avery has developed protective feelings towards Bella, and you'd be right. Avery knows so much though...too much. That climbing to Bella's window though! It was very un-humanlike...Anyways, thanks for reading!