2 new+moon新月- 第3部分

〃I　didn't　know　I　had　plans　to　be　there。〃　

〃Oh；　be　fair；　Bella！〃　she　plained。　〃You　aren't　going　to　ruin　all　our　fun　like　that；　are　you？〃　

〃I　thought　my　birthday　was　about　what　I　want。〃　

〃I'll　get　her　from　Charlie's　right　after　school；〃　Edward　told　her；　ignoring　me　altogether。　

〃I　have　to　work；〃　I　protested。　

〃You　don't；　actually；〃　Alice　told　me　smugly。　〃I　already　spoke　to　Mrs。　Newton　about　it。　She's　trading　your　
shifts。　She　said　to　tell　you　'Happy　Birthday。'〃　

〃I—I　still　can't　e　over；〃　I　stammered；　scrambling　for　an　excuse。　〃I；　well；　I　haven't　watched　Romeo　
and　Juliet　yet　for　English。〃　

Alice　snorted。　〃You　have　Romeo　and　Juliet　memorized。〃　

〃But　Mr。　Berty　said　we　needed　to　see　it　performed　to　fully　appreciate　it—that's　how　Shakespeare　
intended　it　to　be　presented。〃　

Edward　rolled　his　eyes。　

〃You've　already　seen　the　movie；〃　Alice　accused。　

〃But　not　the　nieensixties　version。　Mr。　Berty　said　it　was　the　best。〃　

Finally；　Alice　lost　the　smug　smile　and　glared　at　me。　〃This　can　be　easy；　or　this　can　be　hard；　Bella；　but　one　
way　or　the　other—〃　

Edward　interrupted　her　threat。　〃Relax；　Alice。　If　Bella　wants　to　watch　a　movie；　then　she　can。　It's　her　
birthday。〃　

〃So　there；〃　I　added。　

〃I'll　bring　her　over　around　seven；〃　he　continued。　〃That　will　give　you　more　time　to　set　up。〃　

Alice's　laughter　chimed　again。　〃Sounds　good。　See　you　tonight；　Bella！　It'll　be　fun；　you'll　see。〃　She　
grinned—the　wide　smile　exposed　all　her　perfect；　glistening　teeth—then　pecked　me　on　the　cheek　and　
danced　off　toward　her　first　class　before　I　could　respond。　

〃Edward；　please—〃　I　started　to　beg；　but　he　pressed　one　cool　finger　to　my　lips。　

〃Let's　discuss　it　later。　We're　going　to　be　late　for　class。〃　

No　one　bothered　to　stare　at　us　as　we　took　our　usual　seats　in　the　back　of　the　classroom　（we　had　almost　
every　class　together　now—it　was　amazing　the　favors　Edward　could　get　the　female　administrators　to　do　
for　him）。　Edward　and　I　had　been　together　too　long　now　to　be　an　object　of　gossip　anymore。　Even　Mike　
Newton　didn't　bother　to　give　me　the　glum　stare　that　used　to　make　me　feel　a　little　guilty。　He　smiled　now　
instead；　and　I　was　glad　he　seemed　to　have　accepted　that　we　could　only　be　friends。　Mike　had　changed　
over　the　summer—his　face　had　lost　some　of　the　roundness；　making　his　cheekbones　more　prominent；　and　
he　was　wearing　his　pale　blond　hair　a　new　way；　instead　of　bristly；　it　was　longer　and　gelled　into　a　carefully　
casual　disarray。　It　was　easy　to　see　where　his　inspiration　came　from—but　Edward's　look　wasn't　
something　that　could　be　achieved　through　imitation。　

As　the　day　progressed；　I　considered　ways　to　get　out　of　whatever　was　going　down　at　the　Cullen　house　
tonight。　It　would　be　bad　enough　to　have　to　celebrate　when　I　was　in　the　mood　to　mourn。　But；　worse　than　
that；　this　was　sure　to　involve　attention　and　gifts。　

Attention　is　never　a　good　thing；　as　any　other　accidentprone　klutz　would　agree。　No　one　wants　a　spotlight　
when　they're　likely　to　fall　on　their　face。　

And　I'd　very　pointedly　asked—well；　ordered　really—that　no　one　give　me　any　presents　this　year。　It　
looked　like　Charlie　and　Renee　weren't　the　only　ones　who　had　decided　to　overlook　that。　

I'd　never　had　much　money；　and　that　had　never　bothered　me。　Renee　had　raised　me　on　a　kindergarten　
teacher's　salary。　Charlie　wasn't　getting　rich　at　his　job；　either—he　was　the　police　chief　here　in　the　tiny　town　
of　Forks。　My　only　personal　ine　came　from　the　three　days　a　week　I　worked　at　the　local　sporting　
goods　store。　In　a　town　this　small；　I　was　lucky　to　have　a　job。　Every　penny　I　made　went　into　my　
microscopic　college　fund。　（College　was　Plan　B。　I　was　still　hoping　for　Plan　A；　but　Edward　was　just　so　
stubborn　about　leaving　me　human…）　

Edward　had　a　lot　of　money—I　didn't　even　want　to　think　about　how　much。　Money　meant　next　to　nothing　
to　Edward　or　the　rest　of　the　Cullens。　It　was　just　something　that　accumulated　when　you　had　unlimited　time　
on　your　hands　and　a　sister　who　had　an　uncanny　ability　to　predict　trends　in　the　stock　market。　Edward　
didn't　seem　to　understand　why　I　objected　to　him　spending　money　on　me—why　it　made　me　
unfortable　if　he　took　me　to　an　expensive　restaurant　in　Seattle；　why　he　wasn't　allowed　to　buy　me　a　car　
that　could　reach　speeds　over　fiftyfive　miles　an　hour；　or　why　I　wouldn't　let　him　pay　my　college　tuition　（he　
was　ridiculously　enthusiastic　about　Plan　B）。　Edward　thought　I　was　being　unnecessarily　difficult。　

But　how　could　I　let　him　give　me　things　when　I　had　nothing　to　reciprocate　with？　He；　for　some　
unfathomable　reason；　wanted　to　be　with　me。　Anything　he　gave　me　on　top　of　that　just　threw　us　more　out　
of　balance。　

As　the　day　went　on；　neither　Edward　nor　Alice　brought　my　birthday　up　again；　and　I　began　to　relax　a　little。　

We　sat　at　our　usual　table　for　lunch。　

A　strange　kind　of　truce　existed　at　that　table。　The　three　of　us—Edward；　Alice；　and　I—sat　on　the　extreme　
southern　end　of　the　table。　Now　that　the　〃older〃　and　somewhat　scarier　（in　Emmett's　case；　certainly）　Cullen　
siblings　had　graduated；　Alice　and　Edward　did　not　seem　quite　so　intimidating；　and　we　did　not　sit　here　
alone。　My　other　friends；　Mike　and　Jessica　（who　were　in　the　awkward　postbreakup　friendship　phase）；　
Angela　and　Ben　（whose　relationship　had　survived　the　summer）；　Eric；　Conner；　Tyler；　and　Lauren　（though　
that　last　one　didn't　really　count　in　the　friend　category）　all　sat　at　the　same　table；　on　the　other　side　of　an　
invisible　line。　That　line　dissolved　on　sunny　days　when　Edward　and　Alice　always　skipped　school；　and　then　
the　conversation　would　swell　out　effortlessly　to　include　me。　

Edward　and　Alice　didn't　find　this　minor　ostracism　odd　or　hurtful　the　way　I　would　have。　They　barely　
noticed　it。　People　always　felt　strangely　ill　at　ease　with　the　Cullens；　almost　afraid　for　some　reason　they　
couldn't　explain　to　themselves。　I　was　a　rare　exception　to　that　rule。　Sometimes　it　bothered　Edward　how　
very　fortable　I　was　with　being　close　to　him。　He　thought　he　was　hazardous　to　my　health—an　opinion　I　
rejected　vehemently　whenever　he　voiced　it。　

The　afternoon　passed　quickly。　School　ended；　and　Edward　walked　me　to　my　truck　as　he　usually　did。　But　
this　time；　he　held　the　passenger　door　open　for　me。　Alice　must　have　been　taking　his　car　home　so　that　he　
could　keep　me　from　making　a　run　for　it。　

I　folded　my　arms　and　made　no　move　to　get　out　of　the　rain。　〃It's　my　birthday；　don't　I　get　to　drive？〃　

〃I'm　pretending　it's　not　your　birthday；　just　as　you　wished。〃　

〃If　it's　not　my　birthday；　then　I　don't　have　to　go　to　your　house　tonight…〃　

〃All　right。〃　He　shut　the　passenger　door　and　walked　past　me　to　open　the　driver's　side。　〃Happy　birthday。〃　

〃Shh；〃　I　shushed　him　halfheartedly。　I　climbed　in　the　opened　door；　wishing　he'd　taken　the　other　offer。　

Edward　played　with　the　radio　while　I　drove；　shaking　his　head　in　disapproval。　

〃Your　radio　has　horrible　reception。〃　

I　frowned。　I　didn't　like　it　when　he　picked　on　my　truck。　The　truck　was　great—it　had　personality。　

〃You　want　a　nice　stereo？　Drive　your　own　car。〃　I　was　so　nervous　about　Alice's　plans；　on　top　of　my　
already　gloomy　mood；　that　the　words　came　out　sharper　than　I'd　meant　them。　I　was　hardly　ever　
badtempered　with