I slammed my door and stomped toward the house. She danced along next to me, still unrepentant.

"Alice, don't you think this is just a little bit controlling? Just a tiny bit psychotic, maybe?"

"Yes," Rosalie said.

"Not really." She sniffed. "You don't seem to grasp how dangerous a young werewolf can be. Especially when I can't see them. Edward has no way to know if you're safe. You shouldn't be so reckless."

"But she does have a point there," Rosalie admitted. "She already knows how important she is to Edward and it's bad that she's 'risking her life' like that."

"Whose side are you on, anyway?" Edward smirked.

"Not yours," Rosalie answered.

"You two really need to sit down and talk about this," Esme said, frowning. "Edward, you have to listen to her, and not just force you ideas onto her like you have been. And she needs to explain herself better and understand your worries."

"I'll try to work on that," Edward said.

My voice turned acidic. "Yes, because a vampire slumber party is the pinnacle of safety conscious behavior."

Alice laughed. "I'll give you a pedicure and everything," she promised.

It wasn't so bad, except for the fact that I was being held against my will. Esme brought Italian food - the good stuff, all the way from Port Angeles - and Alice was prepared with my favorite movies. Even Rosalie was there, quietly in the background. Alice did insist on the pedicure, and I wondered if she was working from a list - maybe something she'd compiled from watching bad sitcoms.

"Not bad sitcoms...bad romance movies," Alice corrected, laughing.

"Do you already have a list?" Edward said.

Alice eyes went blank the second that she decided to make a list of everything she wanted to do with Bella and she was able to see the end product. "I do now."

"I don't think she's going to like most of those things," Edward frowned.

"She'll live," Alice shrugged.

"How late do you want to stay up?" she asked when my toenails were glistening a bloody red. Her enthusiasm remained untouched by my mood.

"I don't want to stay up. We have school in the morning."

She pouted.

"Where am I supposed to sleep, anyway?" I measured the couch with my eyes. It was a little short. "Can't you just keep me under surveillance at my house?"

"Oh, come on, that wouldn't be fun," Alice pouted.

"Don't worry. I'm sure I got her a bed to sleep on," Edward smiled.

"I'm sure you did," Emmett said, smirking, and Edward rolled his eyes at whatever he was thinking.

"What kind of a slumber party would that be?" Alice shook her head in exasperation. "You're sleeping in Edward's room."

I sighed. His black leather sofa was longer than this one. Actually, the gold carpet in his room was probably thick enough that the floor wouldn't be half bad either.

"Honestly," Edward sighed, shaking his head smiling. "As if I would let her do that."

"Can I go back to my place to get my things, at least?"

She grinned. "Already taken care of."

"Am I allowed to use your phone?"

"Charlie knows where you are."

"I wasn't going to call Charlie." I frowned. "Apparently, I have some plans to cancel."

"Oh." She deliberated. "I'm not sure about that."

"Alice!" I whined loudly. "C'mon!"

"Okay, okay," she said, flitting from the room. She was back in half a second, cell phone in hand. "He didn't specifically prohibit this . . . ," she murmured to herself as she handed it to me.

"But he definitely wouldn't want this," Alice added.

I dialed Jacob's number, hoping he wasn't out running with his friends tonight. Luck was with me - Jacob was the one to answer.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Jake, it's me." Alice watched me with expressionless eyes for a second, before she turned and went to sit between Rosalie and Esme on the sofa.

"Hi, Bella," Jacob said, suddenly cautious. "What's up?"

"Nothing good. I can't come over Saturday after all."

It was silent for a minute. "Stupid bloodsucker," he finally muttered. "I thought he was leaving. Can't you have a life when he's gone? Or does he lock you in a coffin?"

"Well, it's much nicer than a coffin," Emmett laughed.

I laughed.

"I don't think that's funny."

"I'm only laughing because you're close," I told him. "But he's going to be here Saturday, so it doesn't matter."

"Will he be feeding there in Forks, then?" Jacob asked cuttingly.

"No." I didn't let myself get irritated with him. I wasn't that far from being as angry as he was. "He left early."

"Oh. Well, hey, come over now, then," he said with sudden enthusiasm. "It's not that late. Or I'll come up to Charlie's."

"No such luck, pup. Eddy's already a few steps ahead of both of you," Emmett laughed.

"I wish. I'm not at Charlie's," I said sourly. "I'm kind of being held prisoner."

He was silent as that sunk in, and then he growled. "We'll come and get you," he promised in a flat voice, slipping automatically into a plural.

"Argh... there's nothing like that pup," Edward groaned.

"So ready to fight," Carlisle sighed.

A chill slid down my spine, but I answered in a light and teasing voice. "Tempting. I have been tortured - Alice painted my toenails."

"I'm serious."

"Don't be. They're just trying to keep me safe."

He growled again.

"You know, you and the pup are really a lot alike," Jasper said. "You both want to protect her from the dangerous monsters."

"And neither one is a danger to her," Esme added.

"I know it's silly, but their hearts are in the right place."

"Their hearts!" he scoffed.

"We have hearts... they just don't beat anymore," Carlisle chuckled.

"Sorry about Saturday," I apologized. "I've got to hit the sack" - the couch, I corrected mentally - "but I'll call you again soon."

"Are you sure they'll let you?" he asked in a scathing tone.

"Not completely." I sighed. "'Night, Jake."

"See you around."

Alice was abruptly at my side, her hand held out for the phone, but I was already dialing. She saw the number.

"I don't think he'll have his phone on him," she said.

Emmett grinned in anticipation.

"I'll leave a message."

The phone rang four times, followed by a beep. There was no greeting.

"You are in trouble," I said slowly, emphasizing each word. "Enormous trouble. Angry grizzly bears are going to look tame next to what is waiting for you at home."

Everyone was laughing at that, especially Emmett, who seemed to really like the grizzly comment.

Edward might only have been chuckling at this, but his eyes were brighter than they had been in a while. "That's my Bella."