CEASELESSLY (J. HALE)

1.11

This is the last chapter that will shift around a lot, I must warn you from Alice to Allison there is a significant time lapse, about six months goes by.

Alice

"She's so close." Edward murmurs next to me, leaning in to avoid nosey ears from our peers as we sit at lunch.

"I had no idea it would happen so soon. When I saw, I thought for sure it would be a while." I sigh, stirring my uneaten soup, more interested in our conversation than pretending to eat.

"I can't even get a clear read on him. His thoughts are bouncing around more than I've ever encountered. It can't be healthy." Edward muses.

"Well I can't imagine she's better off knowing that they can run into each other so easily."

"He's so worried he scared her off for good. Kate keeps saying she will come back, and I trust her, but Jasper doesn't." Edward's voice drops lower as the rest of our family approaches us.

Jasper straggles behind Rose and Emmett, desperately trying not to make eye contact with any of the people around us. He looks worse than worse, and I wince when I see how dark his eyes are. Since that day they saw each other he has been refusing to hunt, afraid that he will see her again and really scare her off.

"Hey." He mutters, sitting stiffly in the chair next to me.

"Hey." I respond, watching him pick apart an orange as though he may hurt it as well.

"We have to leave." He finally addresses everyone, looking at each of them shortly.

"Bro, we just moved here." Emmett states, looking at him as though he's lost his mind.

"I messed up bad, and I can't stay here and ruin things more. She doesn't deserve that, and I don't know how many more times I can pass her sister on the street knowing that I'm the cause of her pain. There's so much pain here, and I can't take it anymore."

Jasper looks to be on the verge of tears he can't cry, and I reach out to soothe him thinking that no one else will.

"Jazz, we can't just pick up and leave," I start, trying to be a voice of reason, but I'm interrupted.

"No, he's right, we've done enough damage. If we ever want her to come back to us, we can't stay here and breathe down her neck. She needs space, we give her space, and in time I have no doubt that she will come back." Rose sighs, flipping back her hair as she looks out over the mass of students.

"We should talk to Carlisle, he will know what to do." Edward nods, eyeing me across the table.

I lean back again, watching as Kate and Tanya approach us. Neither have been incredibly worried about Calina's disappearance, not that I expected them to be. They know her better than anyone, and if we leave they will no doubt take care of her if trouble comes her way.

"He will." I agree.

. . .

Allison

"She'll be back, she'll be back." I repeat to myself like some kind of sick mantra as I fumble with another poster.

The sheriff's office stopped coming around after the seventh month. Most all of them have written Calina's disappearance as another attempt to escape, and a successful one at that. Since she ran away the day after I got there to take care of her, they think she is a 'troubled girl' at least that's what the last one to visit said.

I feel like if I just hang another poster, if I just search a little farther into the woods, I will find her. My only hope is to find her well.

Her friends held vigils when we first found out she was missing, but since then their support has dwindled to nothing as well. Only two kids bother to really check up on me weekly. Tanya, and another girl, Marlee are around like clockwork each week, helping me hand out flyers or put up signs.