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interrupted before Edward could ment。
“Speaking of college applications； Edward；” Charlie said； his tone even more sullen — he tried to avoid
addressing Edward directly； and when he had to； it exacerbated his bad mood。 “Bella and I were just talking
about next year。 Have you decided where you’re going to school？”
Edward smiled up at Charlie and his voice was friendly。 “Not yet。 I’ve received a few acceptance letters；
but I’m still weighing my options。”
“Where have you been accepted？” Charlie pressed。
“Syracuse 。 。 。 Harvard 。 。 。 Dartmouth 。 。 。 and I just got accepted to the University of Alaska Southeast
today。” Edward turned his face slightly to the side so that he could wink at me。 I stifled a giggle。
“Harvard？ Dartmouth？” Charlie mumbled； unable to conceal his awe。 “Well that’s pretty 。 。 。 that’s
something。 Yeah； but the University of Alaska 。 。 。 you wouldn’t really consider that when you could go Ivy
League。 I mean； your father would want you to 。 。 。”
“Carlisle’s always fine with whatever I choose to do；” Edward told him serenely。
“Hmph。”
“Guess what； Edward？” I asked in a bright voice； playing along。
“What； Bella？”
I pointed to the thick envelope on the counter。 “I just got my acceptance to the University of Alaska！”
“Congratulations！” He grinned。 “What a coincidence。”
Charlie’s eyes narrowed and he glared back and forth between the two of us。 “Fine；” he muttered after a
minute。 “I’m going to go watch the game； Bella。 Nihirty。”
That was his usual parting mand。
“Er； Dad？ Remember the very recent discussion about my freedom 。 。 。 ？”
He sighed。 “Right。 Okay； tenthirty。 You still have a curfew on school nights。”
“Bella’s no longer grounded？” Edward asked。 Though I knew he wasn’t really surprised； I couldn’t detect
any false note to the sudden excitement in his voice。
“Conditionally；” Charlie corrected through his teeth。 “What’s it to you？”
I frowned at my dad； but he didn’t see。
“It’s just good to know；” Edward said。 “Alice has been itching for a shopping partner； and I’m sure Bella
would love to see some city lights。” He smiled at me。
But Charlie growled； “No！” and his face flushed purple。
“Dad！ What’s the problem？”
He made an effort to unclench his teeth。 “I don’t want you going to Seattle right now。”
“Huh？”
“I told you about that story in the paper — there’s some kind of gang on a killing spree in Seattle and I
want you to steer clear； okay？”
I rolled my eyes。 “Dad； there’s a better chance that I’ll get struck by lightning than that the one day I’m in
Seattle —”
“No； that’s fine； Charlie；” Edward said； interrupting me。 “I didn’t mean Seattle。 I was thinking Portland；
actually。 I wouldn’t have Bella in Seattle； either。 Of course not。”
I looked at him in disbelief； but he had Charlie’s newspaper in his hands and he was reading the front page
intently。
He must have been trying to appease my father。 The idea of being in danger from even the most deadly of
humans while I was with Alice or Edward was downright hilarious。
It worked。 Charlie stared at Edward for one second more； and then shrugged。 “Fine。” He stalked off
toward the living room； in a bit of a hurry now — maybe he didn’t want to miss tipoff。
I waited till the TV was on； so that Charlie wouldn’t be able to hear me。
“What —；” I started to ask。
“Hold on；” Edward said without looking up from the paper。 His eyes stayed focused on the page as he
pushed the first application toward me across the table。 “I think you can recycle your essays for this one。
Same questions。”
Charlie must still be listening。 I sighed and started to fill out the repetitive information： name； address；
social。 。 。 。 After a few minutes I glanced up； but Edward was now staring pensively out the window。 As I bent
my head back to my work； I noticed for the first time the name of the school。
I snorted and shoved the papers aside。
“Bella？”
“Be serious； Edward。 Dartmouth？”
Edward lifted the discarded application and laid it gently in front of me again。 “I think you’d like New
Hampshire；” he said。 “There’s a full plement of night courses for me； and the forests are very conveniently
located for the avid hiker。 Plentiful wildlife。” He pulled out the crooked smile he knew I couldn’t resist。
I took a deep breath through my nose。
“I’ll let you pay me back； if that makes you happy；” he promised。 “If you want； I can charge you interest。”
“Like I could even get in without some enormous bribe。 Or was that part of the loan？ The new Cullen
wing of the library？ Ugh。 Why are we having this discussion again？”
“Will you just fill out the application； please； Bella？ It won’t hurt you to apply。”
My jaw flexed。 “You know what？ I don’t think I will。”
I reached for the papers； planning to crumple them into a suitable shape for lobbing at the trashcan； but
they were already gone。 I stared at the empty table for a moment； and then at Edward。 He didn’t appear to
have moved； but the application was probably already tucked away in his jacket。
“What are you doing？” I demanded。
“I sign your name better than you do yourself。 You’ve already written the essays。”
“You’re going way overboard with this； you know。” I whispered on the off chance that Charlie wasn’t
pletely lost in his game。 “I really don’t need to apply anywhere else。 I’ve been accepted in Alaska。 I can
almost afford the first semester’s tuition。 It’s as good an alibi as any。 There’s no need to throw away a bunch
of money； no matter whose it is。”
A pained looked tightened his face。 “Bella —”
“Don’t start。 I agree that I need to go through the motions for Charlie’s sake； but we both know I’m not
going to be in any condition to go to school next fall。 To be anywhere near people。”
My knowledge of those first few years as a new vampire was sketchy。 Edward had never gone into details
— it wasn’t his favorite subject — but I knew it wasn’t pretty。 Selfcontrol was apparently an acquired skill。
Anything more than correspondence school was out of the question。
“I thought the timing was still undecided；” Edward reminded me softly。 “You might enjoy a semester or
two of college。 There are a lot of human experiences you’ve never had。”
“I’ll get to those afterward。”
“They won’t be human experiences afterward。 You don’t get a second chance at humanity； Bella。”
I sighed。 “You’ve got to be reasonable about the timing； Edward。 It’s just too dangerous to mess around
with。”
“There’s no danger yet；” he insisted。
I glared at him。 No danger？ Sure。 I only had a sadistic vampire trying to avenge her mate’s death with my
own； preferably through some slow and torturous method。 Who was worried about Victoria？ And； oh yeah；
the Volturi — the vampire royal family with their small army of vampire warriors — who insisted that my heart
stop beating one way or another in the near future； because humans weren’t allowed to know they existed。
Right。 No reason at all to panic。
Even with Alice keeping watch — Edward was relying on her uncannily accurate visions of the future to
give us advance warning — it was insane to take chances。
Besides； I’d already won this argument。 The date for my transformation was tentatively set for shortly after
my graduation from high school； only a handful of weeks away。
A sharp jolt of unease pierced my stomach as I realized how short the time really was。 Of course this
change was necessary — and the key to what I wanted more than everything else in the world put together —
but I was deeply conscious of Charlie sitting in the other room enjoying his game； just like every other night。
And my mother； Renée； far away in sunny Florida； still pleading with me to spend the summer on the beach
with her and her new husband。 And Jacob； who； unlike my parents； would know exactly what was going on
when I disappeared to some distant school。 Even if my parents didn’t grow suspicious for a long time； even if I
could put off visits with excuses about travel expenses or study loads or illnesses； Jacob would kno