I glared at him fiercely. "No, Emmett. I punched a werewolf in the face."

Emmett blinked, and then burst into a roar of laughter.

"See... I didn't disappoint," Emmett smirked.

"No one thought you would," Edward said.

As Edward led me past them, Rosalie spoke from under the car.

"Jasper's going to win the bet," she said smugly.

"What bet?" Emmett asked in anticipation, looking at Jasper.

"How should I know?" Jasper shrugged. "But I'm sure Bella is going to find out soon enough."

Emmett's laughter stopped at once, and he studied me with appraising eyes.

"What bet?" I demanded, pausing.

"Let's get you to Carlisle," Edward urged.

"It must be good if Edward doesn't want her to know," Emmett smiled.

"I have a feeling I know where this is going," Edward said, frowning.

"Where?" Emmett asked, but of course Edward didn't answer him.

He was staring at Emmett. His head shook infinitesimally.

"What bet?"I insisted as I turned on him.

"Thanks, Rosalie," he muttered as he tightened his arm around my waist and pulled me toward the house.

"Edward!" Rosalie growled. "Stop reading so slowly."

Edward was trying to read as slowly as possible as she smirked at Emmett who was now trying his hardest not to show his impatience, though why he bothered when Edward could read his mind was anyone's guess. Edward shrugged and started to read at his normal pace.

"Edward . . . ," I grumbled.

"It's infantile," he shrugged. "Emmett and Jasper like to gamble."

"Emmett will tell me." I tried to turn, but his arm was like iron around me.

He sighed. "They're betting on how many times you . . . slip up in the first year."

"Oh," Emmett chuckled. "It looks like we think the same way as we do now."

"Did you really think that we would have changed that much in a year?" Rosalie asked.

"I don't know. I think we might have changed a little," Jasper smiled.

"What do you mean?" Emmett asked.

"Well, we might come up with the same bet, but it seems like we may have picked different sides," Jasper said.

"You mean I'm betting small and you big?" Emmett asked. "Yeah, that would make sense after what my book Rose said... I guess this means that either way she reacts, I still win."

"Sorry, but not quite," Jasper smirked. "Seeing as it's never going to happen the book way, only our bet matters."

"Whatever," Emmett shrugged, smiling too this time, still obviously thinking that he was going to win.

"Oh." I grimaced, trying to hide my sudden horror as I realized what he meant. "They have a bet about how many people I'll kill?"

"Yes," he admitted unwillingly. "Rosalie thinks your temper will turn the odds in Jasper's favor."

I felt a little high. "Jasper's betting high."

"It will make him feel better if you have a hard time adjusting. He's tired of being the weakest link."

"Gee, thanks Edward," Jasper grumbled.

"Sorry," Edward said.

"Sure. Of course it will. I guess I could throw in a few extra homicides, if it makes Jasper happy. Why not?" I was babbling, my voice a blank monotone. In my head, I was seeing newspaper headlines, lists of names. . . .

"And keep doing that... it will help you stop," Jasper coached.

He squeezed me. "You don't need to worry about it now. In fact, you don't have to worry about it ever, if you don't want to."