I couldn't argue with his eyes or with his motivation, and it was a moot point anyway. "As it happens, I don't really mind being alone with you... I mean, I really don't mind being alone with you."
"I know," he sighed, brooding. "You should tell Charlie, though."
"That I don't mind being alone with you?"
"No, that we're hanging out this Saturday."
"Oh. Why in the world would I do that?"
His eyes were suddenly fierce. "To give me some small incentive to bring you back."
I gulped a very big gulp. But, after a moment of thought, I was sure. "I think I'll take my chances on you, Fredward."
He exhaled angrily, and looked away.
"Let's talk about something else," I suggested, running from the problem like I always did.
"What do you want to talk about?" he asked. He was still annoyed.
I glanced around us, making sure we were well out of anyone's hearing. It was kind of exciting to have actual secrets to talk about in public. It made me feel real special; really special. As I cast my eyes into the sea that was the cafeteria, they caught the eyes of his sister, Alice, staring at me. The others236 were looking at Fredward. I looked away swiftly, back to him, and I asked the first thing that came to mind.
"What do you think of Bill Clinton?"
"What?"
"Oh, sorry. That was the first thing I thought of saying to you. Anyway, what I really meant to ask you is, why did you go to that Goat Rocks place last weekend... to hunt? Charlie said it wasn't a good place to hike, because of... bears." I wasn't sure if he'd been referring to actual bears, or some kind of metaphorical bears.
He stared at me as if I was missing something very obvious.
"Bears?" I gasped, and he smirked. "You know, bears are not in season," I added sternly, inspired by but afraid of the fact that this piece of knowledge had just popped into my head.
"If you read carefully, the laws only cover hunting with weapons," he informed me.
He watched my face with enjoyment as that slowly sank in.237
236. Everyone else in the entire cafeteria.
237. Bella is horrified to realize that Fredward and his family hunt bears with their hands, implying a certain level of brutal savagery that makes her uncomfortable, but also kind of turns her on a bit.