Chapter Six: Bella votes to ban minarets.

Bella feels great. She got to see her best friend, and he really needed some support right now. All is right with the world, except for the silver Volvo following right behind her as she drives over to Angela's to help her with graduation announcements.

Ooooh, right. The vampires. They're not going to be happy.

Bella goes directly to Angela's without passing Go. She runs inside to help write addresses on envelopes, a task much easier than talking to her boyfriend or his family about how she sneaked away to hang out with a werewolf. Of course, the whole situation is weighing on her mind, so she decides that Angela's as good as anyone to talk about this with. Of course, Angela knows nothing about vampires, werewolves, or blood feuds...none of which are at all relevant to Bella's situation, right?

But Angela's pretty perceptive. She knows that Jacob clearly wants Bella, and bad; she knows Jacob and Bella are close, and that Edward doesn't like Jacob. Really, isn't that enough? The whole supernatural overlay might complicate things, but this is all pretty simple at its core. See, Bella? Humans can be your friends too! They have thoughts and feelings and add value to your life!

Don't worry, she won't listen to me.

Alas, all good things must come to an end, and Bella eventually has to go home. After a quick chat with dad (who is very happy that Bella spent some time with non-vampires for a change), she heads up to her room...where, of course, a certain pissed off vampire boyfriend is waiting.

And Edward is pissed. Uh-oh, I think the world's most perfect sparkly couple is about to have their first big fight! Bella expects Edward to treat her like a big girl who can pick her friends for herself. Edward refuses to let her do that, because Jacob is really dangerous...based on the fact that Bella has consistently hung out with him for the last year and he's never come close to hurting her. Sorry Edward, but I'm with Bella on the one.

Bella makes her stance clear to Edward, just as she did to Jacob. She doesn't care about supernatural rivalries and what species each being in her life belongs to. She's Switzerland: neutral and extraordinarily xenophobic, but willing to make exceptions for the "good" supernatural creatures who "aren't like all the rest of them." Just like the Swiss.

Edward takes this well. So well, in fact, that when he goes away to hunt again the next weekend, Bella gets invited over by Alice for a slumber party that Thursday night. That last sentence is accurate, if by "invited" you mean "kidnapped," and by "slumber party" you mean "forced imprisonment." Nice, Edward, nice.

The problem is, Bella had already made plans to chill with Jacob on Saturday. She manages to convince Alice to at least let her call Jacob to cancel (seriously, Cullens? You weren't going to let her TALK to a werewolf on the phone? Jesus!), which Jacob takes about as well as you'd expect. Edward also gets a call, because Bella isn't a fan of being held prisoner by his sister either.

Bella spends the night in Edward's room, which now has an enormous bed for Bella to use, since she has stupid human needs like sleep. Bella, irritated, chooses to sleep on the couch instead. As she drifts off to sleep, she's awakened by a knock at the door. It's Rosalie, and she wants to talk.

What does Rosalie want? Will she try to eat Bella? Just continue being a bitch? No, it's something else entirely. If you liked reading about Bella nearly getting attacked in Port Angeles, you'll love the next chapter!