Mexican Americans Perspectives on Death and Dying Essay

Mexican Americans: Death and Dying Hispanics are the fastest growing minority in the United States, and the majority of them are Mexican in origin (Kemp, 2001). The Roman Catholic Church plays a vital role in the culture and daily life of many Mexican Americans. Consequently, healthcare personnel must become culturally competent in dealing with the different beliefs possessed by these individuals. Nurses must have the knowledge and skills necessary to deliver care that is congruent with the patient’s cultural beliefs and practices (Kearney-Nunnery, 2010). The ways that a nurse cares for a Mexican American patient during the process of dying or at the critical time of death is especially important. The purpose of this paper is to examine†¦show more content†¦Multiple family members gather together to give care to the loved one from far and near. The father or the oldest male relative holds the greatest power in most families to make health-related decisions for an ill loved one. Family members feel responsible for bathing, changing, and feeding their loved one daily even during hospital stays (Taxis, 2008). In addition, prayer and ritual are also critical components of the dying process. Family members may pray with the patient at the bedside, at a home altar, or at church. At times, candles are kept lit for 24 hours a day as a symbol of continuous worship. Clergy members may visit to offer spiritual support. As the ill loved one approaches death, the sacrament of anointing of the sick is administered by a priest or lay member (Kemp, 2001). Mexican American families use religious beliefs in the afterlife to help them cope with this emotional process. When death occurs, Mexican Americans are not uncomfortable with the presence of the body of a loved one. Frequently, family members desire to assist with cleaning and arranging the body before the funeral. However, the most important part of this process is to ensure that the body is shown respect b y everyone involved. Although autopsy and organ donation are allowed in Mexican American culture, many families prefer that neither occur. Also, stoicism is no longer expected at the funeral;Show MoreRelatedRacism: The Root Of All Evil1022 Words   |  5 Pagespeople of color or of different beliefs. In the United States, Native Americans, the indigenous people, were the first to experience this violence, followed by black Africans, and later to various degrees, other people of color as they immigrated to the United States (Ponds, 23). Thousands of Latin-Americans immigrate to the United States every year. Besides the risk of dying in the process of crossing the border, Latin-Americans migrants deal with many other problems, such as violence, socio-economicRead MoreThe Great Stories By Edgar Allan Poe1238 Words   |  5 PagesHaving seen death and understanding the feeling it brings, Poe had an easy time writing the great stories/poems that we know today. In the years of 1835-1845 the United States was in the process of expanding their nation and fixing the economy. The expansion of the United States continued with the annexation of California and the annexation of the Republic of Texas. In 1845 the annexation of Texas from Mexico finally took place after the Texas Revolution. Then in 1848 the Mexican-American war endedRead MoreSylvia Plaths Lady Lazarus1281 Words   |  6 Pagesin London, England due to her battle with suicide. The poem relates to her life and also her perspective of the world. As a matter of fact, critics often characterized her as â€Å"extreme,† due to the deep emotional issues that she would write about. As time has passed, Plath is often referred to as a â€Å"cult figure.† â€Å"Lady Lazarus† is one of Plath’s most popular works. To make it simple this poem is about death and her suicidal experiences. (Sanazaro) â€Å"Lady Lazarus† by Sylvia Plath is a very complex poemRead MoreAn Allegorical Reflection on the Mexican Revolution4344 Words   |  18 PagesReflection on The Mexican Revolution Gender, Agency, Memory, and Identity in Like Water for Chocolate Leah A. Cheyne, barwench99@hotmail.com April 30, 2003 Alfonso Arau’s Like Water for Chocolate (1993) can be read as an allegorical examination of the Mexican Revolution, tracing the effects of the conflicting ideologies underlying the revolution through the displacement onto the family structure. At once removed and central to understanding the narrative, this portrayal of the Mexican RevolutionRead MoreNorth Asi A Relationship With The Western Countries1487 Words   |  6 Pagescountries find a new good to trade with China, opium, the Chinese people realize that the â€Å"the wicked barbarians beguile the Chinese people into a death trap† on account of opium killing so many of the Chinese. Fig. 9 shows the effects that opium can have on a person through the man laying down, which could represent a long-time user growing weak and dying. Instead of stopping trade, some Chinese want to be isolated and stop foreigners from coming into their country. When Japan isolated itself fromRead MoreUncle Tom s Cabin, By Harriet Beecher Stowe1494 Words   |  6 Pagesthe Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, Stowe was set on displaying the wrongs of slavery, and Americans in the south. Uncle Tom’s Cabin is a tragic story that displays the life of Uncle Tom, a man of Christian values, honest integrity, and unfailing kindness, taken away from his â€Å"cabin† / family, dying as a result of a slave owner’s menacing behavior. Stowe’s novel is a master of influence. Her novel changed the American public view of slavery. Her impactful statements showed the public how they â€Å"stand hereRead MoreThe Texas Revolution: Its Many Faces3195 Words   |  13 Pagestheir opinions on the events which led, maintained and finished this historical event. In the Texas Revolution of 1835-36, American colonists in Texas secured the independence of that area from Mexico and subsequently established a republic. Since the 1820s many settlers from the United States had colonized Texas; by the 1830s they far outnumbered the Texas Mexicans. Mexican dictator Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna attempted to reverse this trend by such measures as abolishing slavery and enforcingRead MoreDeath Anxiety2491 Words   |  10 Pagesare all bound to encounter, stress and death. Stress is something that affects each and every human, each and every day. Some of us may have higher levels of stress than others. One reaction to stress m ay be anxiety. Anxiety is a physiological, as well as a psychological state. Anxiety may be viewed as a â€Å"more intense† form of stress. Each person will differ when it comes to their own personal causes of anxiety but quite a common worrisome form is that of death anxiety. Every living human being willRead MoreThe Death Of An Individual2107 Words   |  9 Pagesthis semester, for many cultures and religions, the death of an individual is not quite the end. There are still many things done after the death, from preserving the body to never even mentioning that deceased individual’s name again. Life styles tend to influence death styles. Religious beliefs are the primary way to understand how societies frame the explanation, grief management and societal impact of the loss of an individual. In the case of death, although the focus is on the dead individual -Read MoreCrash Review2551 Words   |  11 Pagessensitivity. The film alludes to the possibility Rick might b e having an affair with his black assistant. Jean Cabot (Sandra Bullock) is Ricks wife, whose racial prejudices escalate after she and her husband experience a carjacking. When a tattooed, Mexican-American locksmith changes the locks to her house, she insists that the locks be changed again in fear that he is keeping an extra copy of their house key. Following an accident in her home, she comes to the realization that the person who is her only

Essay about Why Do Juveniles Do Bad Things - 842 Words

There are many individual-level variables that can explain why juveniles become involved in delinquent acts. One important variable that plays a major role in this is the major affect that family context has on the role of child development. More specifically, the idea of child abuse comes into play that has always been researched and focused on as a major part as to why some juveniles become involved in delinquent acts. Child abuse involves important family characteristics that affect the growth of a child and will ultimately damage them both physically and mentally. If a child is damaged at a young age, then they way they think and perceive the world changes, especially if help is not given to them in their time of need. Child abuse is a†¦show more content†¦With this problem of substance abuse, this will affect their state of mind even more and will cause them to act out and think differently than those children who have not been abused. All of these issues affect their m ental state of mind and will ultimately affect their judgment and whether or not they become seriously involved in delinquent acts or not. To further discuss how child physical abuse plays a major role in juvenile delinquency, Kerig, Ward, Vanderzee, Moeddel (2009) researched the traumas between juvenile offenders and how physical abuse affected their lives and caused them to be placed into correctional facilities. Kerig et al. (2009) stated that child physical abuse most commonly comes from a child’s caregiver. As this plays an important role in the outcome of a child’s mental state, it is important to realize that abuse in the home can have major negative impacts on a child’s mental state and will affect how they live their life and how they make the decisions, distinguishing between right and wrong. Kerig et al. (2009) state that child physical abuse can ultimately lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and will affect a child’s judgment and affect th e course of their life. Included in this chronic trauma, children will result with symptoms such as guilt, impaired relationships, and disassociation. With theseShow MoreRelatedWhy Juveniles Should Be Legal1649 Words   |  7 Pagesany kind of human being, crimes are committed everyday by people who look like a bad influence or others that look innocent walking down the streets who have never committed a crime before. Juveniles ages 7-15 should not be sentenced to life without parole for crimes they commit because it would not be fair for them to spend the rest of their lives in jail for committing a mistake. Reasons can be found on why juveniles should be left inside a cell and arguments can build up if people disagree withRead MoreContributing Factors to Juvenile Delinquency1620 Words   |  7 PagesJuvenile delinquency, according to Agnew and Brezina, is the violation of the law by a minor which is any persons under the age of 18 in most states. There are many contributing fac tors to juvenile delinquency such as domestic issues or stress at school, and there are also four different theories, strain, social learning, control, and labeling, to explain the different prospective of why it is thought that juveniles commence in delinquent behavior. This particular discussion however, is going toRead MoreJuvenile Prisons And Its Effects On Youth1204 Words   |  5 PagesJuvenile Jails and its Effects on Youth Whoever commits a crime, must be punished. This is one of the common notion in human nature from time immemorial. Scientifically, we can say that, every reaction has an equal and opposite reaction. So, when punished, they learn that what they did was wrong and in most cases would never repeat it again. Among punishments, the most prominent one is imprisonment. People are confined inside bars for their acts, including children. They are given the name calledRead MoreIs Incarcerating Youth As Justice? Essay1322 Words   |  6 PagesResearch Question: Which are the main reasons why teenagers become â€Å"Juvenile Offenders† and how does Incarcerating them can help? Entry #1: Maynard, Robyn. Incarcerating youth as justice? An in-depth examination of youth, incarceration, and restorative justice. Canadian Dimension Sept.-Oct. 2011: 25+. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 24 Oct. 2016. Summary Evaluation: In the article â€Å"Incarcerating Youth As Justice? An In-depth Examination Of Youth, Incarceration, And Restorative JusticeRead MoreThe Legal Age Of Juvenile Justice1648 Words   |  7 PagesJuvenile justice is the area of criminal law applicable to persons not old enough to be held responsible for criminal acts (Juvenile Justice. (n.d.). Retrieved September 3, 2014)[1]. A â€Å"crime† is any act or omission of an act in violation of a public law forbidding or commanding it (Criminal Law. (n.d.). Retrieved September 3, 2014)[1]. The legal age limit for who is considered to be juvenile varies from state to state, although many states have set the legal age limit at 18. Once a child hasRead MoreJuvenile Offenders And The Criminal Justice System1307 Words   |  6 Pagesis and how do we define it. According to The Free Dictionary recidivism is defined as â€Å"The behavior of a repeat or habitual criminal.† Juvenile offenders are studied on the re-offense that wil l occur and it is said that from 70% to 90% of offenders will re-offend. In the light of the criminal justice system and recidivism there is not actual consensus on what a criminal recidivism counts as, for example whether it counts as a repeat probation violation. National data that exist proves that 6 outRead MoreShould Juveniles Be Tried as Adults?1017 Words   |  4 PagesKids seem to be growing up earlier as the years go by. Serious crimes committed by juveniles have stayed pretty much the same in the last twenty years, but that is not to say people have not concluded differently. A thanks to laws passed in the ninety’s and more specifically between ninety two and ninety seven, It is easier to try juveniles as adults in the court system. There are multiple pros and cons to juveniles being tried as adult. These arguments range from a crime is a crime to they are notRead MoreThe Self-Control Theory of Crime Evaluation Essay1427 Words   |  6 Pagesexamine the social wor ld, with each other these theories have the great point of view, which one of them might deem. To be the main reason for any situation although people, have to consider it not the matter of theory over the other one the reason. All things surrounding people shared, in how the public will take it (Franklin P. Williams III and Marilyn D. McShane.2014).As a result, the criminologist would advise, which it is a theory base cause to figure out. The reason criminal activity occurs how theRead MoreThe Effects Of Juvenile Delinquency On Teens864 Words   |  4 Pagesunderdevelopment, deficiency and lack of housing areas. Theses can also affect teens that increase-doing crimes in which it called juvenile delinquency. There are two terms that define juvenile delinquency, 1: conduct by a juvenile characterized by antisocial behavior that is a beyond parental control and therefore subject to legal action; 2: a violation of law committed by a juvenile and not punishable by death or live impriso nment. (Cite). In this topic, I will explain more about family factors in whichRead MoreEssay On Juvenile Gangs973 Words   |  4 Pages The History Of Juvenile Gangs Jerry L. Page East Carolina University Introduction The History Of Juvenile Gangs Gang Types Over the course of history, there have been many gangs that have come to light. There are three different types of gangs that have been around for many years. These gangs are politicized gangs, neo-Nazism gangs, and street gangs. Politicized gangs promote political change by making other citizens scared of them. Street gangs are commonly known to cause violence

Fiction Production For Moving Image Documentary

Question: Describe about the Fiction Production For Moving Image? Answer: Introduction: This discussion aims to discuss the genre of fictional film. Fiction film or narrative film refers to a film that mainly tells a full story or an event. The fictional film convinces the audience to unfold the fiction into real situation. History of fiction film: Arrival of a train by August Lumiere was the first fiction film. However, in the year of 1500, Leonardo Da Vinci developed the camera obscura that is useful for observing a movable image. Thereafter, Da Vinci had presented The magic Lantern, a drawing that also had presented an idea of moving image. At that time, people were eager to watch that type of moving image. However, Lumiere brothers were the pioneer in the field of moving image. They also did a pioneering activity within the field of fiction film. They had taken the initiative to tell a story to the audience. Audience received cinematic experience while observing the pieces of invention of Lumiere. This fiction piece had provided fictional experience to the large group of audience. The audience at that era was very much excited about this innovation. In 1902, George Melies had made one science fiction film, called A trip to the moon. This film was based on two novels of that era. From the Earth to the moon by Jules Verne and The First Men by H.G Wells had inspired the director of this film. In this era, several documentary type fictional films had been made by some eminent film directors of this era. Edwin Stanton Porter made some important films in this era. The great Train Robbery and American Fireman were two groundbreaking films of that era. These films had been made by different variety of scenes. Several techniques of cross cutting, cut, wipe, fade in and fade out had been used by the director. These films got successful reception among the audience. American stalwarts of film DW Griffith made a pioneering fiction film The Birth of a nation; this film was very lengthy. This film told a whole story to the audiences. Development of fictional production: According to (), first mechanical system of television had been invented in the year 1906. In this era, film has started to tell the real story of society as well as political and civil situation of the world. In 1922, Robert Flaherty made the first documentary film within the world of cinema. He made his revolutionary film Nanook of the North in this year by doing shooting in extreme north of the America. This film had been made with the real example of the lives of Nanook. However, in the year of 1927, Walt Disney was been created. They invented some cartoon characters for providing comic entertainment to the audience. In 1930 and 1940, the television production had been dominated by the projection of war of different countries within the world. Conclusion: The history as well as development of feature film is never ending aspect of the cinema. There are several technique of film making like neo realism, new wave production of films and televisions. These techniques had provided positive impact upon the innovation of new technique and process within the era of films. Reference list Barnouw, E, Documentary. in , New York, Oxford University Press, 1993. Han, D, 'Copyrighting Media Labor and Production: A Case of Chinese Television'. in Television New Media, 13, 2011, 283-306. Lee, D, 'The Ethics of Insecurity: Risk, Individualization and Value in British Independent Television Production'. in Television New Media, 13, 2011, 480-497. Lucia, C, R Grundmann, A Simon, The Wiley-Blackwell history of American film. in , Malden, MA, Wiley-Blackwell, 2012. E Barnouw,Documentary, in , New York, Oxford University Press, 1993. D Lee, 'The Ethics of Insecurity: Risk, Individualization and Value in British Independent Television Production', inTelevision New Media, vol. 13, 2011, 480-497. D Han, 'Copyrighting Media Labor and Production: A Case of Chinese Television', inTelevision New Media, vol. 13, 2011, 283-306. C Lucia, R Grundmann A Simon,The Wiley-Blackwell history of American film, in , Malden, MA, Wiley-Blackwell, 2012.

Research Methodology Concept

Introduction to Background of Research Methodology Research Methodology is a structure or plan for the study that directs the entire process of data collection and analysis of data. Research can be defined as a scientific mode of solving problems through adopting logical steps.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Research Methodology Concept specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Research methodology is valuable in explaining the process and product of scientific inquiry. Research methodology uses scientific tools to describe and analyze methods, shed light on their limitations and clarifies their presuppositions and consequences. Research Design This is an exploratory research. Data collection will involve the use of questionnaires. Questionnaires will contain both close ended and Likert scale questions. Data obtained through the questionnaires will be qualitative. Qualitative methods offer an enhanced perception of the research problem through analyzing the first person experience, thus require only a small sample size to generate an accurate result. Another merit of qualitative design is that it uses more flexible tools and an iterative technique of obtaining and classifying answers to questions. On the other hand, qualitative analysis has several shortcomings. First, it may be difficult to compare responses, due to its nature of flexibility and use of open-ended questions. Second, qualitative analysis may be subject to bias, since the researcher uses his own judgments to categorize data. In this study, we decided to use qualitative research design because the study seeks to explore the underlying structure of employees’ justice perceptions in the context of their organizations’ performance appraisal practices. However, quantitative methods will obtain use together with qualitative methods in analyzing collected data. Sampling The population for this study will be from diffe rent levels of employees at ADNOC Company and Ministry of Education. These two Companies provide two various services, one is oil production and the other is an educational service in UAE. The study will require a sample of 200employees from both Companies in order to participate in this study. Random sampling will obtain use in selecting 100employees from each of these companies. This study will rely on these two companies so as to ensure that employees from different diversities and with diverse experiences obtain selection for reliability of collected data.Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Method Type This study will use quantitative research methods in analyzing qualitative data. Quantitative research can be defined as conversion of empirical statements to numeric form for easier analysis (Cohen, 1980). Similarly, Creswell (1994) defines quantitative research as a form of research that seeks to explain trends through gathering numerical data which should be analyzed using statistical methods. Quantitative methods have several advantages. First, they can analyze vast amounts of data by converting them into numeric form. Also, quantitative methods are more reliable than qualitative methods as they employ scientific methods which are not prone to bias. This study will use quantitative methods of research in order to ease analysis of empirical statements. This is because this study will collect data from a broad sample. In particular, the study will use SPSS statistical tool for analysis. Questionnaire Design This is both a qualitative and a quantitative research. Data collection will involve the use of questionnaires. Questionnaires will contain two parts. The first part, labeled Part A will seek to establish personal information about the employees and will obtain confidential treatment in order to protect the identity of respondents. The second part, labeled Part B will contain graphic rating scale questions with 5 options using Likert scale (1. Completely Disagree 2. Disagree 3. Fairly Agree 4. Agree 5. Completely Agree). Each variable will obtain representation by a single item. Instrument to Present Data Instruments refer to tools used in data collection. These instruments must be chosen carefully, since they can reduce work and time when structured well. The proposed study will make use of questionnaires to collect data from respondents. The study will also use SPSS to analyze results. Proper tabulation will be necessary for effective application of the SPSS tool. Pilot Study The purpose of the pilot test will be to test the credibility of the survey. We will choose 20 respondents comprising 10 from each company to participate in the pilot survey. This test is essential as it will enable the researcher to realize some obstacles that employees may face while answering the survey questions. In case of any problems and errors, questions should be corrected until the survey becomes suitable.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Research Methodology Concept specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On the other, if these questions do not need rectification, they should be employed for the main sample of 200, and pilot test sample should be integrated in the main sample. Besides, the pilot test will help the researcher to estimate the amount of time that the main sample might require to complete the survey. Research Steps and Procedures Studying the organization where we want to apply this research strategy. Setting up objectives of the research. Constructing a questionnaire that relates to the purpose of the study. Conducting the study across various echelons of employees at two organizations including the ADNOC and Ministry of Education. Coordinating with the companies’ public relation department in order to assess respondents and g et questionnaires and get completed. Collected data will obtain tabulation according to requirements of SPSS in order to aid analysis. Feeding collected data into SPSS which we shall use in analyzing data. Also, the collected data obtain categorization and display through charts and bar graphs. Creating a report on findings of the study. Analyzing and interpreting collected data. Establishing a conclusion of the study from obtained results. Comparing conclusions obtained from the study with a few other studies in order to find out any consistencies and differences. Making some suggestions and recommendations derived from the study. Questionnaire Procedure Participants will obtain questionnaires. Respondents will provide answers to both closed and Likert scale questions. The sample will undergo the interview process at different days of the week and different times, in order to obtain impartial data. The timings will obtain announcement after the pre-test takes place. Data Analysis and Interpretation Data for analysis will derive from responses in the questionnaires. Data analysis will integrate both qualitative and quantitative techniques of data analysis. The first step in qualitative analysis of data will be data reduction. This is the process of choosing, focusing, abridging, conceptualizing, and converting the data obtained from fieldwork. Subsequent to examination, data will obtain coding for easier retrieval based on how each data set helps meet the research objectives. Coding will involve demarcation of different segments in the data collected. At the same time, quantitative methods will obtain use in analyzing descriptive statistics obtained from the Likert scales. SPSS will obtain use in analyzing results. References Cohen, L. (1980). Research methods in education. London, England : Groom Helm Ltd. Creswell, J.W. (1994). Research design: Qualitative and quantitative approaches. London, England: Sage Publications.Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Patton, M. Q. (1990). Qualitative evaluation and research methods. Los Angeles, California: University of California. Appendix. Questionnaire This questionnaire is designed to seek your feedback on the justice perceptions in the context of your organizations’ performance appraisal. The study is part of the project work done in partial fulfillment of students’ course work for human resources at ADU. All your responses will remain confidential. It will take 20 minutes to fill out this questionnaire, but each response will add value to this project. Hence, please take your time to complete this questionnaire. Part A: Personal Information Gender Male Female Age 20-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 Over 61 Education Undergraduate Graduate Post graduate Other Rank Employee Senior employee Manager Director General manager and above Organization Trading Merchandise Service Manufacturing Other Duration you have worked for this organization Less than a year 1-3 years 4-6 yea rs 7-10 years More than 10 years Part B: Other Questions Question 1. Completely Disagree 2. Disagree 3. Fairly Agree 4. Agree 5. Completely Agree Procedural justice 1. Does the person entrusted with the task of performance evaluations in your Company boast the right qualifications? 2. You’re your organization require that standards be set before the start of a reporting period? 3. Does your assessor understand the requirements and constraints of your work? Distributive justice 1. Does your performance appraisal reflect how much work you do? 2. Is there a process for you to appeal for appraisal at any time? 3. Do your performance appraisals reflect on your efforts and responsibilities at work? Interpersonal justice 1. Does your company ensure that your performance standards obtain change if what you do at work changes? 2. Does your performance appraisal reflect how much work you do? 3. Do you think your rating is a result of your rater applying standards consistently without pressure, corruption, or prejudice? Informational justice 1. Does your rater explain to you the standards that he or she uses to evaluate your work and how you can improve on performance? 2. Does your rater frequently give you feedback relevant to the things you do at work? 3. Does your rater give you the rating you earn even when it might upset you? Employee satisfaction 1. Does your rater frequently let you know how you are doing? 2. Does your rater review with you the progress towards your goals? 3. Does your performance appraisal reflect how well you do your work? Self worth 1. 1To what extent do you agree that your rater treats you with dignity? 2. Is your rater always sensitive to your feelings? 3. Does your rater treat you with kindness? Citizenship 1. Do you feel more affiliated to the organization after ratings? 2. Does your rater take time to explain decisions that concern you? 3. Does the organization involve you in making decisions about the rating process? Leadership 1. Does your rater help you to understand the process used to evaluate your performance? 2. Does your rater give you a chance to question how you should meet your work objectives? 3. Does your company have procedures that allow you to help set the standards used to evaluate your performance? Extraversion 1. Does your rater show concern for your rights? 2. Does your rater make hurtful statements about you? 3. Does your rater invade your privacy? Agreeableness 1. Is there a room for changing your performance appraisal if you can show that it is incorrect or unfair? 2. Does your company have procedures that allow you to help set the standards used to evaluate your performance? 3. Does your rater give you real examples to justify his or her appraisal of your work? This research paper on Research Methodology Concept was written and submitted by user Raquel Wilder to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Abortion in America misc essays

Abortion in America misc essays One of the most debated issues in America is abortion: Pro-life or pro-choice. This is a decision that each person has to make for him or herself. Many people say that abortion is the woman's choice. I firmly believe, however, that if the woman is willing to have sex, she should be willing to suffer the consequences. Being a female myself, I am now with the consequences of choosing to be sexually active. But after hearing that innocent heartbeat, I know it will be worth it. Not everyone feels this way. Over one million babies will be aborted this year because of the careless actions of the sexually active. When Roe v. Wade legalized abortion, it was because a woman was raped and became pregnant due to those unfortunate circumstances, not because she was looking for the easy way out (Schmitt). Abortion has become a form of birth control. Instead of using condoms, birth control, and the best form, abstinence, women have turned to killing the innocent. Abortion is at an all time high. Once a sperm and an egg meet, the egg is fertilized. "You then have a new human being. You have the total DNA, everything that human being will ever be" (Pro-Life). This is not an ant to be stepped on; this is a human life being put to an end because of the negligence of two people (National). In the last few years, the right to die has been a highly debated issue in America. Should people with terminal illnesses be able to choose whether they live or die? I feel this relates well to the issue of abortion. Being pregnant is not a terminal illness. It's not an illness at all. It's a live, breathing, growing human being. Shouldn't that human being have the right to life? Lawmakers have said that people do not have the right to die, so why can't a baby have the right to live? Life is a precious thing, whether inside or outside of the body. It is not something to be toyed with or taken granted of. A baby, no m ...

The Proofreading Zone A Haunted Comma Splice

The Proofreading Zone A Haunted Comma Splice The Proofreading Zone: A Haunted Comma Splice Here at Proofed, we work hard to ensure your writing is error free. And since we’re experienced professionals, most of the time we feel like we’ve seen it all. But now and then we come across something truly mysterious. Something that can’t be explained using the standard rules of punctuation. And since it’s Halloween today, we thought we’d invite you to hear a tale of terror and typos in†¦ The Proofreading Zone! The Client We met Mr. Robins on Thursday February 15th, 2018. It was a cloudy morning at Proofreading Towers. It promised to be like any other day. But the drizzle had turned to rain by lunchtime, with darker clouds on the horizon. It was appropriate, perhaps, that Mr. Robins appeared, silhouetted in our door, the moment the first clap of thunder rang out. The panic in his voice was clear. It was hard to even understand what he was saying. All we could make out were the words â€Å"The sentences! They run on and on and on!!!† He looked troubled. His hair was a mess. And he was clutching a memory stick in one hand, muttering to himself. After a few minutes, he collapsed. The Problem Arises†¦ We tried to make Mr. Robins comfortable when he woke up, and after a strong coffee he was able to explain his situation. It all began while putting the finishing touches on a business report. He noticed a comma splice on page one and corrected it. But when he went back to check the document before printing, it was back. â€Å"Odd,† thought Mr. Robins, â€Å"I’d swear I corrected that already.† But it only took a moment to replace the comma with a full stop again. And so he hit print, saved the file, and closed Microsoft Word. But when the printer had churned out the report and Mr. Robins checked that all the pages were there, the first thing he saw was the comma splice. It was back. The same comma. Mr. Robins was confused. Had he hit print before correcting it? He wasn’t sure anymore. He opened the document on his computer again and there it was: a comma splice on page one. â€Å"I must be going mad,† he told himself, before deleting the comma splice again, carefully saving the document, and hitting print. We’re sure we don’t have to tell you what happened next. You Can’t Escape Your Errors†¦ Mr. Robins stayed late at work that evening. His boss asked him if he was okay, as he had spent the entire afternoon marching back and forth between his computer and the office printer, looking more and more exasperated. Not wanting to admit he was at war with a comma, though, he forced a smile and said that everything was fine. Just some computer issues. But everything wasn’t fine. No matter what he did, the comma splice always returned. He tried copying the text to a new document. But it would just appear there, too. He tried working on different computers. But none of them were immune to this mysterious, impossible comma. He even tried printing the document and using corrector fluid to white out the comma splice. But when he tried to add a period on top of the correction, the ink ran and formed a perfect comma. This is when Mr. Robins broke. He screamed so loudly that he felt ashamed, even though everyone in the office had gone home hours ago. After he had calmed down, he decided to save the document to a memory stick and do the same. He could work on it more before bed. But even at home, the problem persisted. No matter what he did, he could not get rid of that comma splice. It was as if it were taunting him. He tried looking online to no avail. Everyone treated him like he was making some kind of weird joke. Eventually, at 2am, he decided to go to bed. That night, Mr. Robins dreamed of commas†¦ The Next Morning After getting out of bed, Mr. Robins tried not to think about punctuation. Instead, he made breakfast and settled down to read the New York Times. But right there, in the first article, he spotted a comma splice half way down the page. â€Å"Oh great,† he thought. â€Å"Another one.† He decided to move on to the next article and turned the page. But right there at the top of the first column, he saw a comma splice in a headline. And another in some ad copy. And two more on the next page. This was getting silly. But Mr. Robins didn’t have time to think about it. He was going to be late for work, so he put the paper down and left the house. He saw four more comma splices on the way to the office: two on billboards and one on a sign held up by a homeless man at the side of the road. And things didn’t improve after he got to work. There was a memo there on his desk, waiting for him. It said: You left a lot of paper on your desk yesterday, can you make sure to tidy up next time? Who had left it there? Did they know about the comma splice? Had they done it deliberately? He looked around to see if anyone was laughing, for any sign it might be a prank. But nobody was looking. Instead, he booted up his computer and checked his emails. The first header he saw said: Big project coming up, clear your schedule Another comma splice. When he opened the email, it was one long sentence, strung together with dozens of commas. And so was the next email. And the next one. What was happening? Mr. Robins stood up and stepped back from his desk. Someone asked him if he was all right, but he didn’t reply. He just stared at his computer, and then picked up his memory stick and left without a word. He needed to find someone who would understand. Someone who could fix this comma splice for good. And so he ran from his office, passing signs in shop windows, trying not to look but deeply aware of the comma splices all around him. He needed help. He needed the professionals. The Solution While our proofreaders are all trained to handle regular punctuation errors, this was something different. We had to call in Lady Grammaticus. Nobody knows where Lady Grammaticus came from. Or even her real name. But when punctuation gets spooky, you want her in your corner. Spelling errors and sentence fragments everywhere fear her for good reason. She even defeated the Cursed Colon of Connecticut. Thankfully, Lady Grammaticus had heard of something like this before. She told us the story of Aldus Manutius, the Venetian scholar who invented the modern comma. She claimed that Manutius achieved this innovation in punctuation after making a deal with an unknown power from beyond this world. And the Eternal Comma Splice was the price he paid. This terrible typo followed Manutius around for the rest of his life. You can even see it on his tombstone. But it didn’t end there. The comma splice spread, moving from mind to mind, from document to document, driving all who tried to correct it insane. But the comma splice had not met Proofed’s team of professional editors before. Armed with knowledge of what we were up against, we loaded up Mr. Robins’ document, printed it out, and carefully added a dot above the comma to turn it into a semicolon while Lady Grammaticus chanted in Latin. As the ceremony reached its climax, the semicolon began to glow. Epilogue It’s hard to say whether it was proofreading or, technically, an exorcism. But the semicolon was still there after the glow had faded, connecting two independent clauses just like a good semicolon should. And when we looked at the computer screen again, the comma splice was gone, replaced by a semicolon. It took a while to convince Mr. Robins that everything was all right, but he seemed reassured after we bought a copy of the New York Times to show him that it was splice free. Thus the tale of the haunted comma splice comes to its end. But who knows when evil punctuation will strike next? The world is full of demonic dashes and abhorrent apostrophes, just waiting for a chance to foul your writing by appearing in the wrong place. So, wherever you are and whatever you’re writing, make sure to proofread carefully! Happy Halloween!

Living Arrangments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Living Arrangments - Essay Example The general living conditions of each type of housing must be taken into account if a college student wants to be successful in achieving his or her goal. It cannot be argued that living in a single apartment, with no one around to disturb you or interfere with your plans is a desirable situation. The peace and quiet of your own space cannot be measured in concrete terms and being master of your own time and space is an important psychological element of growing up. It is often a necessary step in distancing yourself from parents who are accustomed to treating you as a small child rather than recognizing your adult status. There is also no one inviting their friends over and making loud noise during these times as might happen when living with friends. However, there is also no one around to do your laundry for you or to cook dinner for you and make sure there is food in the house, all of which is normally taken care of when you live at home. There is no one around either to help you with homework or difficulties or to keep you company when you’re alone as there would be with a number of roommates. With no clear cut answers provided in considering living conditions, it is also necessary to consider the likelihood of your college success in terms of available study time. When you live on your own in a single apartment, you have all the time you could want to study in peace and quiet. There are no parents coming in to bother you with other responsibilities and no friends bringing over other friends to encourage you to push the books aside. At the same time, parents are often helpful in encouraging you to take time to study, which can make the difference between college success and college failure and friends can sometimes be very helpful in understanding work that you just don’t get. In considering both living conditions and study time, the concept of support emerges as an

Charachter Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Charachter Critique - Essay Example She cared for the people on earth and helps those who infected with AIDS. She started over a thousand foundation, however, the first one she started, was without any funds, which shows how compassionate and she was ambitious to do something for the well being of people. The objective of her life was to care for people and she spent 60 years of life in the slums of Calcutta. She helped the poor by giving them food, clothing, shelter and she was particularly devoted to helping the sick like lepers. She even cared about those people, who were dying or those who were abandoned by their loved ones. However, it wasn’t easy; she faced a lot of difficulties, extremely challenging situations and she had to put herself through a lot of hardships. This personality trait of her teaches people to take care of others, even if means sacrificing your own needs and desires. There is a quote of hers, which states, â€Å"I for one do like the worldly comforts and I am sure you do too. And you know what, that’s perfectly fine. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Just don’t be wasteful†. (Marques). The second personality trait of Mother Teresa was her strong faith. She faced many challenges in her life, because providing for the poor and taking care of them wasn’t an easy task. Faith was perhaps her solid foundation, which didn’t tremble when she faced difficulties; her faith taught her the core values of life, which was to take care of the poor and love them. She stated that, â€Å"In this life, we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.† The presence of her strong faith was the reason why Mother Teresa did so many things for the human kind. As she was inspired by Jesus, she involved herself in charity life and lived simply like him. She even believed that the God called her Himself and instructed her to work for the benefit of mankind. She left her convent in 1948 and opened her first charity organization, a home

White House Essay Example for Free

White House Essay

Ibm History :: essays research papers

1890-1938: The early years IBM was incorporated in the state of New York on June 15, 1911 as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company. But its origins can be traced back to 1890, during the height of the Industrial Revolution, when the United States was experiencing waves of immigration. The U.S. Census Bureau knew its traditional methods of counting would not be adequate for measuring the population, so it sponsored a contest to find a more efficient means of tabulating census data. The winner was Herman Hollerith, a German immigrant and Census Bureau statistician, whose Punch Card Tabulating Machine used an electric current to sense holes in punch cards and keep a running total of data. Capitalizing on his success, Hollerith formed the Tabulating Machine Co. in 1896. In 1911, Charles R. Flint, a noted trust organizer, engineered the merger of Hollerith's company with two others, Computing Scale Co. of America and International Time Recording Co. The combined Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co., or C-T-R, manufactured and sold machinery ranging from commercial scales and industrial time recorders to meat and cheese slicers and, of course, tabulators and punch cards. Based in New York City, the company had 1,300 employees and offices and plants in Endicott and Binghamton, N.Y.; Dayton, Ohio; Detroit, Mich.; Washington, D.C., and Toronto, Canada. When the diversified businesses of C-T-R proved difficult to manage, Flint turned for help to the former No. 2 executive at the National Cash Register Co., Thomas J. Watson. In 1914, Watson, age 40, joined the company as general manager. The son of Scottish immigrants, Watson had been a top salesman at NCR, but left after clashing with its autocratic leader, John Henry Patterson. However, Watson did adopt some of Patterson's more effective business tactics: generous sales incentives, an insistence on well-groomed, dark-suited salesmen and an evangelical fervor for instilling company pride and loyalty in every worker. Watson boosted company spirit with employee sports teams, family outings and a company band. He preached a positive outlook, and his favorite slogan, "THINK," became a mantra for C-T-R's employees. Watson also stressed the importance of the customer, a lasting IBM tenet. He understood that the success of the client translated into the success of his company, a belief that, years later, manifested itself in the popular adage, "Nobody was ever fired for buying from IBM." Within 11 months of joining C-T-R, Watson became its president. The company focused on providing large-scale, custom-built tabulating solutions for businesses, leaving the market for small office products to others.

Licensing in fashion industry

What is the meaning of licensing agreement? The verb to license is synonymous of give permission. A licensing agreement is an authorization to use licensed material granted by a party named: Licensor to another party called: Licensee. This is a contract between this two parties. The purpose of a licensing agreement is the authorized use of the licensee's trademark, by the licensee, specified in the terms of the contract.We know two different types of licensing based in the use of common trademarks or famous trademarks. The Licensing in fashion industries is based in the use of famous brands such us Airman, Dolce & Cabana, Pravda and other mansion. A license under intellectual property has several components such us: ?+ Term ?+ Auditing: quality control monitoring ?+ Advertising and other costs connected to promotion ?+ Exclusivity ?+ Termination: Renewal ?+ Infringement: Litigation The assignment of a license often depends on specific contractual terms.The licensing agreement is only applicable for a particular geographic region, Just for a certain period of time or barely for a stage in the value chain. L 1. Advantages of a licensing agreement. When a society decides to put in place a licensing agreement must assess what are the benefits that will arise from the relationship between Licensor and Licensee. ?+ Advantages for Licensor: as in all the contract is important to have a return.A licensing agreement is useful to enlarge the society's geographic market; to decentralized and differentiate the offer in order to reduce the business risks; to increase the recognition, popularity and fame of her core brands, giving the same image of trademark in each store and in all points of sales; financial benefits in remarry market due to positive feedback in licensee's products and in secondary market because of royalties in licensee's sales. ?+ Advantages for Licensee: industrial benefits in order to increase the range of licensee's products by making them more recogni zable by supporting low costs to rise trademark distinctiveness. . 3 terms of the contract. A successful brand licensing requires a planned strategy: ?+ to determine core brand's values in order to use them in the new category of products. ?+ to identify the level of differentiation desired. ?+ the achievement of leverage in the new category of products/services. . 4 several risks for the parties. One of the risks for licensor is due to the lack of monetary return: Royalties. But the major risk is the loss of control regarding the uniqueness of the brand (the customer feel inaccessible the trademark's products). The licensee's product are always not in line with the concept of trademark, so its value is blurred. The market confusion regarding the change of the trademark's strategic position that cause the disorientation of loyal costumer. The risk of lower quality of licensee's products than the quality of licensee's services, that bring consumers to Judge products not good enough t o be acquired. The high cost of license agreement. The impossibility to have enough time and business to recoup the investments. The risk of management of unsold goods and inventories.The licensor and the licensee must discuss about the licensing agreement in order to decrease the risks. There are many clauses which the parties can establish to better define the terms of the contract in order to ameliorate the performance. The subject of the major clauses regards the fees beyond royalties, sub-licenses and the costs connected with promotion and advertising of trademark's products. The base of a good licensing agreement is the correct and clear information about the firm: its value, positioning and the quality of its image. 1. Rules about Licensing agreement in USA. The Layman act 1125: the mistake caused by any people who in commerce uses any word, name, symbol or the combination of both similar to another recognizable trademark could be liable in a civil action. According to the La yman act 1064 a petition to cancel a registration of trademark may be changed at any time if the trademark is used by the registrant or with his permission so as to misrepresent the resource of goods or services in connection with which the mark is used. 3 1. 6 Licensing agreement in European law.Art 51 the rights of the owner of a community trademark must be revoked, the licensee is liable to misrepresent the public. Both in USA and in EX. the licensee run two typologies of risks: ?+ common repairs ?+ cancellation As we said in the first part of the essay the licensor has an economic advantage to defend the power and recognition of the trademark but he has also a Juridical interest not to lose the registration of trademark. 4 1. 7 How to defend the trademark. The licensor has two possibilities to preserve his trademark. Ђ?+ Ex ante he can includes in the licensing agreement clauses about monitoring and inspecting the quality and the standards of the services provided. Licensee' s purpose and licensee's interest must be aliened. ?+ Ex post the licensor could act against the licensee if he did not respect the contract (like the quality of the service) or if he forged the trademark. 2. 1 The brand Licensing. Introduction. The license agreement relates to a right granted by a permit, if there is not this authorization the use of the mark is an illegal act.The license agreement must not be confused with a permit that relates to a license for a shorter period of time. The brand licensing deals with the granting of licenses by those who own the trademark to those who are interested (individuals or companies) to use them in the production of the products, over a period of time and in a defined territory. The brand licensing, especially in the fashion industry, is used to extend own brands to products of an entirely different nature.The licensor has the advantages such as: being able to choose the products to be sold under license and authorize the sale of prototyp es ND choose the best licensee. The benefits in a license agreement also concern the licensee, he may increase his market power by strengthening the brand through brand recognition, increase its sales going to extend the range of audiences served, develop models and sell them in special shops. Enter into a contract brings benefits to both of the parties: the licensee must paid periodically (monthly, semi-annually depending on terms of the contract signed by both parties) royalties to the licensor.And the licensee has a return on sales and investments with the exploitation of licensor' s trademark. Most of the major Italian fashion industries enters into licensing agreements for ancillary products, such as perfumes, sunglasses, watches (an example is that of D or Airman) or for the production of knitwear, such as Ralph Lauren. The fashion licensing is the most widespread among the license agreements between industries. As we said before it mostly concerns the dissemination of product s relating to health and beauty, accessories, clothing and household products. N some cases the brand owner decides to license the production, distribution and marketing of its core apparel categories, in other cases, he designer of the brand identifies specific categories that can be licensed by extending the brand into areas other than those of clothing. The licensor maintains strict control over the quality and the design. 2. 2 Airman case a practical example. We can see a practical example with the license agreement signed in 2011 between Airman and Ululation for the production and distribution of prescription frames and sunglasses.The Airman Group has decided not to renew the licensing agreement with Safari, expiring on December 31, 2012, in favor of Ululation. The licensing agreement with Ululation, anticipated with the signing of a letter of intent basis, in November 2011, for a ten-year exclusive license agreement for the design, production and distribution worldwide for col lections of sunglasses and prescription eye-wear under the Giorgio Airman, Emporium Airman and a / X from 2013.After ten years of intense collaboration with Safari the Airman group decides not to renew the contract, a serious loss in the short period (150-200 million euros) for Safely that is certain to recover it in the long term thanks to licensing agreements with Polo Ralph Lauren ND Cline. Andrea Gouger, CEO of Ululation says: â€Å"Back in 1988 Giorgio Airman and Ululation started a very successful Journey together: together we changed the world of eyeglasses which, previously perceived as mere functional instruments, evolved into ‘aware' and into indispensable fashion accessories.Airman is eponymous of excellence of ‘Made in Italy and represents values which are perfectly in line with ours. We are therefore excited to work together again, in a partnership that will for sure be mutually beneficial,† The market had already understood the impending ivories betw een Airman and Safely, favoring an agreement with Ululation who previously collaborated with the Group from 1988 to 2003, a long collaboration that led to explode the sunglasses and eyeglasses sector, making the glasses a real fashion accessory.The non-renewal of the license agreement between Airman and Ululation in 2003 was a surprise analyzing the close cooperation and sharing of innovative ideas between the two entrepreneurs. 2. 3 Michael Koru case a practical example. With this example we may analyze the key parts of the license agreement, between Michael Koru and P. R. China, which can often be considered common to all licensing agreements in the world of fashion industry regarding the manufacturing of the products.

The Twilight Saga 5: Midnight Sun 6. Blood Type

I followed her all day through other people's eyes, barely aware of my own surroundings. Not Mike Newton's eyes, because I couldn't stand any more of his offensive fantasies, and not Jessica Stanley's, because her resentment toward Bella made me angry in a way that was not safe for the petty girl. Angela Weber was a good choice when her eyes were available; she was kind – her head was an easy place to be. And then sometimes it was the teachers who provided the best view. I was surprised, watching her stumble through the day – tripping over cracks in the sidewalk, stray books, and, most often, her own feet – that the people I eavesdropped on thought of Bella as clumsy. I considered that. It was true that she often had trouble staying upright. I remembered her stumbling into the desk that first day, sliding around on the ice before the accident, falling over the low lip of the doorframe yesterday†¦ How odd, they were right. She was clumsy. I didn't know why this was so funny to me, but I laughed out loud as I walked from American History to English and several people shot me wary looks. How had I never noticed this before? Perhaps because there was something very graceful about her in stillness, the way she held her head, the arch of her neck†¦ There was nothing graceful about her now. Mr. Varner watched as she caught the toe of her boot on the carpet and literally fell into her chair. I laughed again. The time moved with incredible sluggishness while I waited for my chance to see her with my own eyes. Finally, the bell rang. I strode quickly to the cafeteria to secure my spot. I was one of the first there. I chose a table that was usually empty, and was sure to remain that way with me seated here. When my family entered and saw me sitting alone in a new place, they were not surprised. Alice must have warned them. Rosalie stalked past me without a glance. Idiot. Rosalie and I had never had an easy relationship – I'd offended her the very first time she'd heard me speak, and it was downhill from there – but it seemed like she was even more ill-tempered than usual the last few days. I sighed. Rosalie made everything about herself. Jasper gave me half a smile as he walked by. Good luck, he thought doubtfully. Emmett rolled his eyes and shook his head. Lost his mind, poor kid. Alice was beaming, her teeth shining too brightly. Can I talk to Bella now â€Å"Keep out of it,† I said under my breath. Her face fell, and then brightened again. Fine. Be stubborn. It's only a matter of time. I sighed again. Don't forget about today's biology lab, she reminded me. I nodded. No, I hadn't forgotten that. While I waited for Bella to arrive, I followed her in the eyes of the freshman who was walking behind Jessica on his way to the cafeteria. Jessica was babbling about the upcoming dance, but Bella said nothing in response. Not that Jessica gave her much of a chance. The moment Bella walked through the door, her eyes flashed to the table where my siblings sat. She stared for a moment, and then her forehead crumpled and her eyes dropped to the floor. She hadn't noticed me here. She looked so†¦sad. I felt a powerful urge to get up and go to her side, to comfort her somehow, only I didn't know what she would find comforting. I had no idea what made her look that way. Jessica continued to jabber about the dance. Was Bella sad that she was going to miss it? That didn't seem likely†¦ But that could be remedied, if she wished. She bought a drink for her lunch and nothing else. Was that right? Didn't she need more nutrition than that? I'd never paid much attention to a human's diet before. Humans were quite exasperatingly fragile! There were a million different things to worry about†¦ â€Å"Edward Cullen is staring at you again,† I heard Jessica say. â€Å"I wonder why he's sitting alone today?† I was grateful to Jessica – though she was even more resentful now – because Bella's head snapped up and her eyes searched until they met mine. There was no trace of sadness in her face now. I let myself hope that she'd been sad because she'd thought I'd left school early, and that hope made me smile. I motioned with my finger for her to join me. She looked so startled by this that I wanted to tease her again. So I winked, and her mouth fell open. â€Å"Does he mean you?† Jessica asked rudely. â€Å"Maybe he needs help with his Biology homework,† she said in a low, uncertain voice. â€Å"Um, I'd better go see what he wants.† This was another yes. She stumbled twice on her way to my table, though there was nothing in her way but perfectly even linoleum. Seriously, how had I missed this before? I'd been paying more attention to her silent thoughts, I supposed†¦ What else had I missed? Keep it honest, keep it light, I chanted to myself. She stopped behind the chair across from me, hesitating. I inhaled deeply, through my nose this time rather than my mouth. Feel the burn, I thought dryly. â€Å"Why don't you sit with me today?† I asked her. She pulled the chair out and sat, staring at me the whole while. She seemed nervous, but her physical acceptance was yet another yes. I waited for her to speak. It took a moment, but, finally, she said, â€Å"This is different.† â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I hesitated. â€Å"I decided as long as I was going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly.† What had made me say that? I supposed it was honest, at least. And perhaps she'd hear the unsubtle warning my words implied. Maybe she would realize that she should get up and walk away as quickly as possible†¦ She didn't get up. She stared at me, waiting, as if I'd left my sentence unfinished. â€Å"You know I don't have any idea what you mean,† she said when I didn't continue. That was a relief. I smiled. â€Å"I know.† It was hard to ignore the thoughts screaming at me from behind her back – and I wanted to change the subject anyway. â€Å"I think your friends are angry at me for stealing you.† This did not appear to concern her. â€Å"They'll survive.† â€Å"I may not give you back, though.† I didn't even know if I was trying to be honest now, or just trying to tease her again. Being near her made it hard to make sense of my own thoughts. Bella swallowed loudly. I laughed at her expression. â€Å"You look worried.† It really shouldn't be funny†¦ She should worry. â€Å"No.† She was a bad liar; it didn't help that her voice broke. â€Å"Surprised, actually†¦. What brought this on?† â€Å"I told you,† I reminded her. â€Å"I got tired of trying to stay away from you. So I'm giving up.† I held my smile in place with a bit of effort. This wasn't working at all – trying to be honest and casual at the same time. â€Å"Giving up?† she repeated, baffled. â€Å"Yes – giving up trying to be good.† And, apparently, giving up trying to be casual. â€Å"I'm just going to do what I want now, and let the chips fall where they may.† That was honest enough. Let her see my selfishness. Let that warn her, too. â€Å"You lost me again.† I was selfish enough to be glad that this was the case. â€Å"I always say too much when I'm talking to you – that's one of the problems.† A rather insignificant problem, compared to the rest. â€Å"Don't worry,† she reassured me. â€Å"I don't understand any of it.† Good. Then she'd stay. â€Å"I'm counting on that.† â€Å"So, in plain English, are we friends now?† I pondered that for a second. â€Å"Friends†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I repeated. I didn't like the sound of that. It wasn't enough. â€Å"Or not,† she mumbled, looking embarrassed. Did she think I didn't like her that much? I smiled. â€Å"Well, we can try, I suppose. But I'm warning you now that I'm not a good friend for you.† I waited for her response, torn in two – wishing she would finally hear and understand, thinking I might die if she did. How melodramatic. I was turning into such a human. Her heart beat faster. â€Å"You say that a lot.† â€Å"Yes, because you're not listening to me,† I said, too intense again. â€Å"I'm still waiting for you to believe it. If you're smart, you'll avoid me.† Ah, but would I allow her to do that, if she tried? Her eyes tightened. â€Å"I think you've made your opinion on the subject of my intellect clear, too.† I wasn't exactly sure what she meant, but I smiled in apology, guessing that I must have offended her accidentally. â€Å"So,† she said slowly. â€Å"As long as I'm being†¦not smart, we'll try to be friends?† â€Å"That sounds about right.† She looked down, staring intently at the lemonade bottle in her hands. The old curiosity tormented me. â€Å"What are you thinking?† I asked – it was a relief to say the words out loud at last. She met my gaze, and her breathing sped while her cheeks flushed faint pink. I inhaled, tasting that in the air. â€Å"I'm trying to figure out what you are.† I held the smile on my face, locking my features that way, while panic twisted through my body. Of course she was wondering that. She wasn't stupid. I couldn't hope for her to be oblivious to something so obvious. â€Å"Are you having any luck with that?† I asked as lightly as I could manage. â€Å"Not too much,† she admitted. I chuckled in sudden relief. â€Å"What are your theories?† They couldn't be worse than the truth, no matter what she'd come up with. Her cheeks turned brighter red, and she said nothing. I could feel the warmth of her blush in the air. I tried using my persuasive tone on her. It worked well on normal humans. â€Å"Won't you tell me?† I smiled encouragingly. She shook her head. â€Å"Too embarrassing.† Ugh. Not knowing was worse than anything else. Why would her speculations embarrass her? I couldn't stand not knowing. â€Å"That's really frustrating, you know.† My complaint sparked something in her. Her eyes flashed and her words flowed more swiftly than usual. â€Å"No, I can't imagine why that would be frustrating at all – just because someone refuses to tell you what they're thinking, even if all the while they're making cryptic little remarks specifically designed to keep you up at night wondering what they could possibly mean†¦now, why would that be frustrating?† I frowned at her, upset to realize that she was right. I wasn't being fair. She went on. â€Å"Or better, say that person also did a wide range of bizarre things – from saving your life under impossible circumstances one day to treating you like a pariah the next, and he never explained any of that either, even after he promised. That, also, would be very non-frustrating.† It was the longest speech I'd ever heard her make, and it gave me a new quality for my list. â€Å"You've got a bit of a temper, don't you?† â€Å"I don't like double standards.† She was completely justified in her irritation, of course. I stared at Bella, wondering how I could possibly do anything right by her, until the silent shouting in Mike Newton's head distracted me. He was so irate that it made me chuckle. â€Å"What?† she demanded. â€Å"Your boyfriend seems to think I'm being unpleasant to you – he's debating whether or not to come break up our fight.† I would love to see him try. I laughed again. â€Å"I don't know who you're talking about,† she said in an icy voice. â€Å"But I'm sure you're wrong anyway.† I very much enjoyed the way she disowned him with her dismissive sentence. â€Å"I'm not. I told you, most people are easy to read.† â€Å"Except me, of course.† â€Å"Yes. Except for you.† Did she have to be the exception to everything? Wouldn't it have been more fair – considering everything else I had to deal with now – if I could have at least heard something from her head? Was that so much to ask? â€Å"I wonder why that is?† I stared into her eyes, trying again†¦ She looked away. She opened her lemonade and took a quick drink, her eyes on the table. â€Å"Aren't you hungry?† I asked. â€Å"No.† She eyed the empty table between us. â€Å"You?† â€Å"No, I'm not hungry,† I said. I was definitely not that. She stared at the table her lips pursed. I waited. â€Å"Could you do me a favor?† she asked, suddenly meeting my gaze again. What would she want from me? Would she ask for the truth that I wasn't allowed to tell her – the truth I didn't want her to ever, ever know? â€Å"That depends on what you want.† â€Å"It's not much,† she promised. I waited, curious again. â€Å"I just wondered†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she said slowly, staring at the lemonade bottle, tracing its lip with her littlest finger. â€Å"If you could warn me beforehand the next time you decide to ignore me for my own good? Just so I'm prepared.† She wanted a warning? Then being ignored by me must be a bad thing†¦ I smiled. â€Å"That sounds fair,† I agreed. â€Å"Thanks,† she said, looking up. Her face was so relieved that I wanted to laugh with my own relief. â€Å"Then can I have one in return?† I asked hopefully. â€Å"One,† she allowed. â€Å"Tell me one theory.† She flushed. â€Å"Not that one.† â€Å"You didn't qualify, you just promised one answer,† I argued. â€Å"And you've broken promises yourself,† she argued back. She had me there. â€Å"Just one theory – I won't laugh.† â€Å"Yes, you will.† She seemed very sure of that, though I couldn't imagine anything that would be funny about it. I gave persuasion another try. I stared deep into her eyes – an easy thing to do, with eyes so deep – and whispered, â€Å"Please?† She blinked, and her face went blank. Well, that wasn't exactly the reaction I'd been going for. â€Å"Er, what?† she asked. She looked dizzy. What was wrong with her? But I wasn't giving up yet. â€Å"Please tell me just one little theory,† I pleaded in my soft, non-scary voice, holding her eyes in mine. To my surprise and satisfaction, it finally worked. â€Å"Um, well, bitten by a radioactive spider?† Comic books? No wonder she thought I would laugh. â€Å"That's not very creative,† I chided her, trying to hide my fresh relief. â€Å"I'm sorry, that's all I've got,† she said, offended. This relieved me even more. I was able to tease her again. â€Å"You're not even close.† â€Å"No spiders?† â€Å"Nope.† â€Å"And no radioactivity?† â€Å"None.† â€Å"Dang,† she sighed. â€Å"Kryptonite doesn't bother me either,† I said quickly – before she could ask about bites – and then I had to laugh, because she thought I was a superhero. â€Å"You're not supposed to laugh, remember?† I pressed my lips together. â€Å"I'll figure it out eventually,† she promised. And when she did, she would run. â€Å"I wish you wouldn't try,† I said, all teasing gone. â€Å"Because†¦?† I owed her honesty. Still, I tried to smile, to make my words sound less threatening. â€Å"What if I'm not a superhero? What if I'm the bad guy?† Her eyes widened by a fraction and her lips fell slightly apart. â€Å"Oh,† she said. And then, after another second, â€Å"I see.† She'd finally heard me. â€Å"Do you?† I asked, working to conceal my agony. â€Å"You're dangerous?† she guessed. Her breathing hiked, and her heart raced. I couldn't answer her. Was this my last moment with her? Would she run now? Could I be allowed to tell her that I loved her before she left? Or would that frighten her more? â€Å"But not bad,† she whispered, shaking her head, no fear in her clear eyes. â€Å"No, I don't believe that you're bad.† â€Å"You're wrong,† I breathed. Of course I was bad. Wasn't I rejoicing now, that she thought better of me than I deserved? If I were a good person, I would have stayed away from her. I stretched my hand across the table, reaching for the lid to her lemonade bottle as an excuse. She did not flinch away from my suddenly closer hand. She really was not afraid of me. Not yet. I spun the lid like a top, watching it instead of her. My thoughts were in a snarl. Run, Bella, run. I couldn't make myself say the words out loud. She jumped to her feet. â€Å"We're going to be late,† she said, just as I'd started to worry that she'd somehow heard my silent warning. â€Å"I'm not going to class.† â€Å"Why not?† Because I don't want to kill you. â€Å"It's healthy to ditch class now and then.† To be precise, it was healthier for the humans if the vampires ditched on days when human blood would be spilt. Mr. Banner was blood typing today. Alice had already ditched her morning class. â€Å"Well, I'm going,† she said. This didn't surprise me. She was responsible – she always did the right thing. She was my opposite. â€Å"I'll see you later then,† I said, trying for casual again, staring down at the whirling lid. And, by the way, I adore you†¦in frightening, dangerous ways. She hesitated, and I hoped for a moment that she would stay with me after all. But the bell rang and she hurried away. I waited until she was gone, and then I put the lid in my pocket – a souvenir of this most consequential conversation – and walked through the rain to my car. I put on my favorite calming CD – the same one I'd listened to that first day – but I wasn't hearing Debussy's notes for long. Other notes were running through my head, a fragment of a tune that pleased and intrigued me. I turned down the stereo and listened to the music in my head, playing with the fragment until it evolved into a fuller harmony. Instinctively, my fingers moved in the air over imaginary piano keys. The new composition was really coming along when my attention was caught by a wave of mental anguish. I looked toward the distress. Is she going to pass out? What do I do? Mike panicked. A hundred yards away, Mike Newton was lowering Bella's limp body to the sidewalk. She slumped unresponsively against the wet concrete, her eyes closed, her skin chalky as a corpse. I almost took the door off the car. â€Å"Bella?† I shouted. There was no change in her lifeless face when I yelled her name. My whole body went colder than ice. I was aware of Mike's aggravated surprise as I sifted furiously through his thoughts. He was only thinking of his anger toward me, so I didn't know what was wrong with Bella. If he'd done something to harm her, I would annihilate him. â€Å"What's wrong – is she hurt?† I demanded, trying to focus his thoughts. It was maddening to have to walk at a human pace. I should not have called attention to my approach. Then I could hear her heart beating and her even breath. As I watched, she squeezed her eyes more tightly shut. That eased some of my panic. I saw a flicker of memories in Mike's head, a splash of images from the Biology room. Bella's head on our table, her fair skin turning green. Drops of red against the white cards†¦ Blood typing. I stopped where I was, holding my breath. Her scent was one thing, her flowing blood was another altogether. â€Å"I think she's fainted,† Mike said, anxious and resentful at the same time. â€Å"I don't know what happened, she didn't even stick her finger.† Relief washed through me, and I breathed again, tasting the air. Ah, I could smell the tiny flow of Mike Newton's puncture wound. Once, that might have appealed to me. I knelt beside her while Mike hovered next to me, furious at my intervention. â€Å"Bella. Can you hear me?† â€Å"No,† she moaned. â€Å"Go away.† The relief was so exquisite that I laughed. She was fine. â€Å"I was taking her to the nurse,† Mike said. â€Å"But she wouldn't go any farther.† â€Å"I'll take her. You can go back to class,† I said dismissively. Mike's teeth clenched together. â€Å"No. I'm supposed to do it.† I wasn't going to stand around arguing with the wretch. Thrilled and terrified, half-grateful to and half-aggrieved by the predicament which made touching her a necessity, I gently lifted Bella from the sidewalk and held her in my arms, touching only her clothes, keeping as much distance between our bodies as possible. I was striding forward in the same movement, in a hurry to have her safe – farther away from me, in other words. Her eyes popped open, astonished. â€Å"Put me down,† she ordered in a weak voice – embarrassed again, I guessed from her expression. She didn't like to show weakness. I barely heard Mike's shouted protest behind us. â€Å"You look awful,† I told her, grinning because there was nothing wrong with her but a light head and a weak stomach. â€Å"Put me back on the sidewalk,† she said. Her lips were white. â€Å"So you faint at the sight of blood?† Could it get any more ironic? She closed her eyes and pressed her lips together. â€Å"And not even your own blood,† I added, my grin widening. We were to the front office. The door was propped an inch open, and I kicked it out of my way. Ms. Cope jumped, startled. â€Å"Oh, my,† she gasped as she examined the ashen girl in my arms. â€Å"She fainted in Biology,† I explained, before her imagination could get too out of hand. Ms. Cope hurried to open the door to the nurse's office. Bella's eyes were open again, watching her. I heard the elderly nurse's internal astonishment as I laid the girl carefully on the one shabby bed. As soon as Bella was out of my arms, I put the width of the room between us. My body was too excited, too eager, my muscles tense and the venom flowing. She was so warm and fragrant. â€Å"She's just a little faint,† I reassured Mrs. Hammond. â€Å"They're blood typing in biology.† She nodded, understanding now. â€Å"There's always one.† I stifled a laugh. Trust Bella to be that one. â€Å"Just lie down for a minute, honey,† Mrs. Hammond said. â€Å"It'll pass.† â€Å"I know,† Bella said. â€Å"Does this happen often?† the nurse asked. â€Å"Sometimes,† Bella admitted. I tried to disguise my laughter as coughing. This brought me to the nurse's attention. â€Å"You can go back to class now,† she said. I looked her straight in the eye and lied with perfect confidence. â€Å"I'm supposed to stay with her.† Hmm. I wonder†¦ oh well. Mrs. Hammond nodded. It worked just fine on her. Why did Bella have to be so difficult? â€Å"I'll go get you some ice for your forehead, dear,† the nurse said, slightly uncomfortable from looking into my eyes – the way a human should be – and left the room. â€Å"You were right,† Bella moaned, closing her eyes. What did she mean? I jumped to the worst conclusion: she'd accepted my warnings. â€Å"I usually am,† I said, trying to keep the amusement in my voice; it sounded sour now. â€Å"But about what in particular this time?† â€Å"Ditching is healthy,† she sighed. Ah, relief again. She was silent then. She just breathed slowly in and out. Her lips were beginning to turn pink. Her mouth was slightly out of balance, her lower lip just a little too full to match the top. Staring at her mouth made me feel strange. Made me want to move closer to her, which was not a good idea. â€Å"You scared me for a minute there,† I said – to restart the conversation so that I could hear her voice again. â€Å"I thought Newton was dragging your dead body off to bury it in the woods.† â€Å"Ha ha,† she said. â€Å"Honestly – I've seen corpses with better color.† This was actually true. â€Å"I was concerned that I might have to avenge your murder.† And I would have. â€Å"Poor Mike,† she sighed. â€Å"I'll bet he's mad.† Fury pulsed through me, but I contained it quickly. Her concern was surely just pity. She was kind. That was all. â€Å"He absolutely loathes me,† I told her, cheered by that idea. â€Å"You can't know that.† â€Å"I saw his face – I could tell.† It was probably true that reading his face would have given me enough information to make that particular deduction. All this practice with Bella was sharpening my skill at reading human expressions. â€Å"How did you see me? I thought you were ditching.† Her face looked better – the green undertone had vanished from her translucent skin. â€Å"I was in my car, listening to a CD.† Her expression twitched, like my very ordinary answer had surprised her somehow. She opened her eyes again when Mrs. Hammond returned with an ice pack. â€Å"Here you go, dear,† the nurse said as she laid it across Bella's forehead. â€Å"You're looking better.† â€Å"I think I'm fine,† Bella said, and she sat up while pulling the ice pack away. Of course. She didn't like to be taken care of. Mrs. Hammond's wrinkled hands fluttered toward the girl, as if she were going to push her back down, but just then Ms. Cope opened the door to the office and leaned in. With her appearance came the smell of fresh blood, just a whiff. Invisible in the office behind her, Mike Newton was still very angry, wishing the heavy boy he dragged now was the girl who was in here with me. â€Å"We've got another one,† Ms. Cope said. Bella quickly jumped down from the cot, eager to be out of the spotlight. â€Å"Here,† she said, handing the compress back to Mrs. Hammond. â€Å"I don't need this.† Mike grunted as he half-shoved Lee Stevens through the door. Blood was still dripping down the hand Lee held to his face, trickling toward his wrist. â€Å"Oh no.† This was my cue to leave – and Bella's, too, it seemed. â€Å"Get out to the office, Bella.† She stared up at me with bewildered eyes. â€Å"Trust me – go.† She whirled and caught the door before it had swung shut, rushing through to the office. I followed a few inches behind her. Her swinging hair brushed my hand†¦ She turned to look at me, still wide-eyed. â€Å"You actually listened to me.† That was a first. Her small nose wrinkled. â€Å"I smelled the blood.† I stared at her in blank surprise. â€Å"People can't smell blood.† â€Å"Well, I can – that's what makes me sick. It smells like rust†¦and salt.† My face froze, still staring. Was she really even human? She looked human. She felt soft as a human. She smelled human – well, better actually. She acted human†¦sort of. But she didn't think like a human, or respond like one. What other option was there, though? â€Å"What?† she demanded. â€Å"It's nothing.† Mike Newton interrupted us then, entering the room with resentful, violent thoughts. â€Å"You look better,† he said to her rudely. My hand twitched, wanting to teach him some manners. I would have to watch myself, or I would end up actually killing this obnoxious boy. â€Å"Just keep your hand in your pocket,† she said. For one wild second, I thought she was talking to me. â€Å"It's not bleeding anymore,† he answered sullenly. â€Å"Are you going back to class?† â€Å"Are you kidding? I'd just have to turn around and come back.† That was very good. I'd thought I was going to have to miss this whole hour with her, and now I got extra time instead. I felt greedy, a miser hording over each minute. â€Å"Yeah, I guess†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Mike mumbled. â€Å"So are you going this weekend? To the beach?† Ah, they had plans. Anger froze me in place. It was a group trip, though. I'd seen some of this in other students' heads. It wasn't just the two of them. I was still furious. I leaned motionlessly against the counter, trying to control myself. â€Å"Sure, I said I was in,† she promised him. So she'd said yes to him, too. The jealousy burned, more painful than thirst. No, it was just a group outing, I tried to convince myself. She was just spending the day with friends. Nothing more. â€Å"We're meeting at my dad's store, at ten.† And Cullen's NOT invited. â€Å"I'll be there,† she said. â€Å"I'll see you in Gym, then.† â€Å"See you,† she replied. He shuffled off to his class, his thoughts full of ire. What does she see in that freak? Sure, he's rich, I guess. Chicks think he's hot, but I don't see that. Too†¦too perfect. I bet his dad experiments with plastic surgery on all of them. That's why they're all so white and pretty. It's not natural. And he's sort of†¦scary-looking. Sometimes, when he stares at me, I'd swear he's thinking about killing me†¦ Freak†¦ Mike wasn't entirely unperceptive. â€Å"Gym,† Bella repeated quietly. A groan. I looked at her, and saw that she was sad about something again. I wasn't sure why, but it was clear that she didn't want to go to her next class with Mike, and I was all for that plan. I went to her side and bent close to her face, feeling the warmth of her skin radiating out to my lips. I didn't dare breathe. â€Å"I can take care of that,† I murmured. â€Å"Go sit down and look pale.† She did as I asked, sitting in one of the folding chairs and leaning her head back against the wall, while, behind me, Ms. Cope came out of the back room and went to her desk. With her eyes closed, Bella looked as if she'd passed out again. Her full color hadn't returned yet. I turned to the secretary. Hopefully Bella was paying attention to this, I thought sardonically. This was how a human was supposed to respond. â€Å"Ms. Cope?† I asked, using my persuasive voice again. Her eyelashes fluttered, and her heart sped up. Too young, get a hold of yourself! â€Å"Yes?† That was interesting. When Shelly Cope's pulse quickened, it was because she found me physically attractive, not because she was frightened. I was used to that around human females†¦yet I hadn't considered that explanation for Bella's racing heart. I rather liked that. Too much, in fact. I smiled, and Mrs. Cope's breathing got louder. â€Å"Bella has gym next hour, and I don't think she feels well enough. Actually, I was thinking I should take her home now. Do you think you could excuse her from class?† I stared into her depthless eyes, enjoying the havoc that this wreaked on her thought processes. Was it possible that Bella†¦? Mrs. Cope had to swallow loudly before she answered. â€Å"Do you need to be excused, too, Edward?† â€Å"No, I have Mrs. Goff, she won't mind.† I wasn't paying much attention to her now. I was exploring this new possibility. Hmm. I'd like to believe that Bella found me attractive like other humans did, but when did Bella ever have the same reactions as other humans? I shouldn't get my hopes up. â€Å"Okay, it's all taken care of. You feel better, Bella.† Bella nodded weakly – overacting a bit. â€Å"Can you walk, or do you want me to carry you again?† I asked, amused by her poor theatrics. I knew she would want to walk – she wouldn't want to be weak. â€Å"I'll walk,† she said. Right again. I was getting better at this. She got up, hesitating for a moment as if to check her balance. I held the door for her, and we walked out into the rain. I watched her as she lifted her face to the light rain with her eyes closed, a slight smile on her lips. What was she thinking? Something about this action seemed off, and I quickly realized why the posture looked unfamiliar to me. Normal human girls wouldn't raise their faces to the drizzle that way; normal human girls usually wore makeup, even here in this wet place. Bella never wore makeup, nor should she. The cosmetics industry made billions of dollars a year from women who were trying to attain skin like hers. â€Å"Thanks,† she said, smiling at me now. â€Å"It's worth getting sick to miss Gym.† I stared across the campus, wondering how to prolong my time with her. â€Å"Anytime,† I said. â€Å"So are you going? This Saturday, I mean?† She sounded hopeful. Ah, her hope was soothing. She wanted me with her, not Mike Newton. And I wanted to say yes. But there were many things to consider. For one, the sun would be shining this Saturday†¦ â€Å"Where are you all going, exactly?† I tried to keep my voice nonchalant, as if it didn't matter much. Mike had said beach, though. Not much chance of avoiding sunlight there. â€Å"Down to La Push, to First Beach.† Damn. Well, it was impossible, then. Anyway, Emmett would be irritated if I cancelled our plans. I glanced down at her, smiling wryly. â€Å"I really don't think I was invited.† She sighed, already resigned. â€Å"I just invited you.† â€Å"Let's you and I not push poor Mike any further this week. We don't want him to snap.† I thought about snapping poor Mike myself, and enjoyed the mental picture intensely. â€Å"Mike-schmike,† she said, dismissive again. I smiled widely. And then she started to walk away from me. Without thinking about my action, I reached out and caught her by the back of her rain jacket. She jerked to a stop. â€Å"Where do you think you're going?† I was almost angry that she was leaving me. I hadn't had enough time with her. She couldn't go, not yet. â€Å"I'm going home,† she said, baffled as to why this should upset me. â€Å"Didn't you hear me promise to take you safely home? Do you think I'm going to let you drive in your condition?† I knew she wouldn't like that – my implication of weakness on her part. But I needed to practice for the Seattle trip, anyway. See if I could handle her proximity in an enclosed space. This was a much shorter journey. â€Å"What condition?† she demanded. â€Å"And what about my truck?† â€Å"I'll have Alice drop it off after school.† I pulled her back to my car carefully, as I now knew that walking forward was challenging enough for her. â€Å"Let go!† she said, twisting sideways and nearly tripping. I held one hand out to catch her, but she righted herself before it was necessary. I shouldn't be looking for excuses to touch her. That started me thinking about Ms. Cope's reaction to me, but I filed it away for later. There was much to be considered on that front. I let her go beside the car, and she stumbled into the door. I would have to be even more careful, to take into account her poor balance†¦ â€Å"You are so pushy!† â€Å"It's open.† I got in on my side and started the car. She held her body rigidly, still outside, though the rain had picked up and I knew she didn't like the cold and wet. Water was soaking through her thick hair, darkening it to near black. â€Å"I am perfectly capable of driving myself home!† Of course she was – I just wasn't capable of letting her go. I rolled her window down and leaned toward her. â€Å"Get in, Bella.† Her eyes narrowed, and I guessed that she was debating whether or not to make a run for it. â€Å"I'll just drag you back,† I promised, enjoying the chagrin on her face when she realized I meant it. Her chin stiffly in the air, she opened her door and climbed in. Her hair dripped on the leather and her boots squeaked against each other. â€Å"This is completely unnecessary,† she said coldly. I thought she looked embarrassed under the pique. I just turned up the heater so she wouldn't be uncomfortable, and set the music to a nice background level. I drove out toward the exit, watching her from the corner of my eye. Her lower lip was jutting out stubbornly. I stared at this, examining how it made me feel†¦ thinking of the secretary's reaction again†¦ Suddenly she looked at the stereo and smiled, her eyes widening. â€Å"Clair de Lune?† she asked. A fan of the classics? â€Å"You know Debussy?† â€Å"Not well,† she said. â€Å"My mother plays a lot of classical music around the house – I only know my favorites.† â€Å"It's one of my favorites, too.† I stared at the rain, considering that. I actually had something in common with the girl. I'd begun to think that we were opposites in every way. She seemed more relaxed now, staring at the rain like me, with unseeing eyes. I used her momentary distraction to experiment with breathing. I inhaled carefully through my nose. Potent. I clutched the steering wheel tighter. The rain made her smell better. I wouldn't have thought that was possible. Stupidly, I was suddenly imaging how she would taste. I tried to swallow against the burn in my throat, to think of something else. â€Å"What is your mother like?† I asked as a distraction. Bella smiled. â€Å"She looks a lot like me, but she's prettier.† I doubted that. â€Å"I have too much Charlie in me,† she went on. â€Å"She's more outgoing than I am, and braver.† I doubted that, too. â€Å"She's irresponsible and slightly eccentric, and she's a very unpredictable cook. She's my best friend.† Her voice had turned melancholy; her forehead creased. Again, she sounded more like parent than child. I stopped in front of her house, wondering too late if I was supposed to know where she lived. No, this wouldn't be suspicious in such a small town, with her father a public figure†¦ â€Å"How old are you, Bella?† She must be older than her peers. Perhaps she'd been late to start school, or been held back†¦that wasn't likely, though. â€Å"I'm seventeen,† she answered. â€Å"You don't seem seventeen.† She laughed. â€Å"What?† â€Å"My mom always says I was born thirty-five years old and that I get more middleaged every year.† She laughed again, and then sighed. â€Å"Well, someone has to be the adult.† This clarified things for me. I could see it now†¦how the irresponsible mother helped explain Bella's maturity. She'd had to grow up early, to become the caretaker. That's why she didn't like being cared for – she felt it was her job. â€Å"You don't seem much like a junior in high school yourself,† she said, pulling me from my reverie. I grimaced. For everything I perceived about her, she perceived too much in return. I changed the subject. â€Å"So why did your mother marry Phil?† She hesitated a minute before answering. â€Å"My mother†¦she's very young for her age. I think Phil makes her feel even younger. At any rate, she's crazy about him.† She shook her head indulgently. â€Å"Do you approve?† I wondered. â€Å"Does it matter?† she asked. â€Å"I want her to be happy†¦and he is who she wants.† The unselfishness of her comment would have shocked me, except that it fit in all too well with what I'd learned of her character. â€Å"That's very generous†¦I wonder.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"Would she extend the same courtesy to you, do you think? No matter who your choice was?† It was a foolish question, and I could not keep my voice casual while I asked it. How stupid to even consider someone approving of me for their daughter. How stupid to even think of Bella choosing me. â€Å"I-I think so,† she stuttered, reacting in some way to my gaze. Fear†¦or attraction? â€Å"But she's the parent, after all. It's a little bit different,† she finished. I smiled wryly. â€Å"No one too scary then.† She grinned at me. â€Å"What do you mean by scary? Multiple facial piercings and extensive tattoos?† â€Å"That's one definition, I suppose.† A very nonthreatening definition, to my mind. â€Å"What's your definition?† She always asked the wrong questions. Or exactly the right questions, maybe. The ones I didn't want to answer, at any rate. â€Å"Do you think that I could be scary?† I asked her, trying to smile a little. She thought it through before answering me in a serious voice. â€Å"Hmm†¦I think you could be, if you wanted to.† I was serious, too. â€Å"Are you frightened of me now?† She answered at once, not thinking this one through. â€Å"No.† I smiled more easily. I did not think she was entirely telling the truth, but nor was she truly lying. She wasn't frightened enough to want to leave, at least. I wondered how she would feel if I told her she was having this discussion with a vampire. I cringed internally at her imagined reaction. â€Å"So, now are you going to tell me about your family? It's got to be a much more interesting story than mine.† A more frightening one, at least. â€Å"What do you want to know?† I asked cautiously. â€Å"The Cullens adopted you?† â€Å"Yes.† She hesitated, then spoke in a small voice. â€Å"What happened to your parents?† This wasn't so hard; I wasn't even having to lie to her. â€Å"They died a very long time ago.† â€Å"I'm sorry,† she mumbled, clearly worried about having hurt me. She was worried about me. â€Å"I don't really remember them that clearly,† I assured her. â€Å"Carlisle and Esme have been my parents for a long time now.† â€Å"And you love them,† she deduced. I smiled. â€Å"Yes. I couldn't imagine two better people.† â€Å"You're very lucky.† â€Å"I know I am.† In that one circumstance, the matter of parents, my luck could not be denied. â€Å"And your brother and sisters?† If I let her push for too many details, I would have to lie. I glanced at the clock, disheartened that my time with her was up. â€Å"My brother and sister, and Jasper and Rosalie for that matter, are going to be quite upset if they have to stand in the rain waiting for me.† â€Å"Oh, sorry, I guess you have to go.† She didn't move. She didn't want our time to be up, either. I liked that very, very much. â€Å"And you probably want your truck back before Chief Swan gets home, so you don't have to tell him about the Biology incident.† I grinned at the memory of her embarrassment in my arms. â€Å"I'm sure he's already heard. There are no secrets in Forks.† She said the name of the town with distinct distaste. I laughed at her words. No secrets, indeed. â€Å"Have fun at the beach.† I glanced at the pouring rain, knowing it would not last, and wishing more strongly than usual that it could. â€Å"Good weather for sunbathing.† Well, it would be by Saturday. She would enjoy that. â€Å"Won't I see you tomorrow?† The worry in her tone pleased me. â€Å"No. Emmett and I are starting the weekend early.† I was mad at myself now for having made the plans. I could break them†¦but there was no such thing as too much hunting at this point, and my family was going to be concerned enough about my behavior without me revealing how obsessive I was turning. â€Å"What are you going to do?† she asked, not sounded happy with my revelation. Good. â€Å"We're going to be hiking in the Goat Rocks Wilderness, just south of Rainier.† Emmett was eager for bear season. â€Å"Oh, well, have fun,† she said halfheartedly. Her lack of enthusiasm pleased me again. As I stared at her, I began to feel almost agonized at the thought of saying even a temporary goodbye. She was just so soft and vulnerable. It seemed foolhardy to let her out of my sight, where anything could happen to her. And yet, the worst things that could happen to her would result from being with me. â€Å"Will you do something for me this weekend?† I asked seriously. She nodded, her eyes wide and bewildered by my intensity. Keep it light. â€Å"Don't be offended, but you seem to be one of those people who just attract accidents like a magnet. So†¦try not to fall into the ocean or get run over or anything, all right?† I smiled ruefully at her, hoping she couldn't see the sadness in my eyes. How much I wished that she wasn't so much better off away from me, no matter what might happen to her there. Run, Bella, run. I love you too much, for your good or mine. She was offended by my teasing. She glared at me. â€Å"I'll see what I can do,† she snapped, jumping out into the rain and slamming the door as hard as she could behind her. Just like an angry kitten that believes it's a tiger. I curled my hand around the key I'd just picked from her jacket pocket, and smiled as I drove away.