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CHAPTER THIRTEEN — THE GIRL WHO HAD HER FRIENDS BACK... OR SORT OF
THE CULLENS CAME BACK HOME AND SO DID Edward and Alice back to their lives. There they were at the cafeteria, inviting Claire and Trevor (yes, they were both now kind of a dynamic duo, always together) to take a sit in their table, and walking next to her in the school's halls. Alice had easily returned to her own schedule of visiting the Newton's home three days a week in order to help her with her clothes for the next day. Bella was still resisting to allow her make one or two suggestions about her wardrobe, Alice had explained her a long time ago, but she had Claire, who was always disposed to kindly accept her advices. The Cullen girl took her to Port Angeles in her first weekend in town, pleading that it had happened a while since the last time she went shopping with a friend.
It was like they were never gone, actually, with a happy Bella hanging around Edward's arm at school (she didn't care if she was grounded and couldn't leave her house except for school or job, because her boyfriend was finally back, charmer than ever), and the same Alice wrapping Claire with her plans and a cheerful attitude.
Except that it was far to be the same of before.
Claire could remember the exactly moment when she saw the small Cullen girl in her door, a few days ago, already speaking in a fast voice before she could even say a proper hello or express her bewilderment. It had already passed three days since Bella's departure, and when they sat at the couch (Claire wasn't dreaming, Alice was there for real!), Alice started to explicate about how Edward had believed that Bella tried to commit suicide practicing cliff diving (Claire didn't have any idea of it, as the girl never mentioned, so as many other subjects), and as the only way to prove him that she was still alive, she took Bella with her to Los Angeles.
It was a strange story, Claire had to admit, but Alice's golden eyes were full of an unknown feeling when she talked about Edward's reaction to the news, so she decided to believe her and remain her questions shut. She couldn't just invent it, for sure, and alas, why would her friend lie to her about an issue like that?
But the true problem was not in the fact that Alice could be lying too —like Jake and Bella once did. She had forgiven them, and if Alice did the same, she was sure she'd forgive her too—, but in the mere deed that she felt different around them. Like if she didn't belong there. Or worst, like she had never truly done it. Everything was so similar to that accident that Bella had last spring vacations: a mystery disappearing, Bella getting hurt (this time emotionally), the Cullens saving the day... But why was everything so different at the same time?
And it was so wrong and non-proper of Claire Newton; thinking about her friends in that way, when she should be glad that Bella's smile appeared longer, and that she had Alice back after months of missing her. Claire should have been the happiest person in the whole world, but she wasn't. Not with them.
