Day three was a disaster. I never even made it to the classroom.

I guess she had cut herself or something. I don't really know. I didn't really care. All I knew was she smelled like blood, so she was prey. I went after her.

I stopped short as Alice materialized in front of me and wrapped her arms around my neck with a squeal. She hugged me, then let go. She took my hand, and pulled me away from the girl and through a door. I followed, suddenly too confused to be sure what was going on.

We were now in a closet, but it was at least partly away from the humans. It wasn't much, but it was something.

I sank to the ground, tired of fighting, tired of the stress, tired of the pain of resisting natural instinct and the burning in my throat. Alice sank down beside me, and leaned her head against my arm.

"Sorry." I whispered. She was relieved, probably that I hadn't bitten the girl.

"You don't need to be." She said. "You're trying your best. And you are getting better."

"Slowly." I added. "Very slowly."

She nodded. "You'll get it, I know you will. Don't get frustrated because it doesn't happen all at once."

I sighed. I knew she was right. "It's just so hard." I said. "Even if the others did have trouble when they started too, they don't now. I'm struggling, and they make it look easy, and whether they've had more practice at it or not doesn't make me feel any less pathetic when I freak out at the grocery store and bite Carlisle. I mean, I bit Carlisle, of all people."

Alice offered me a sympathetic smile. "I know." She said. "But you don't want to give up."

"No." I agreed. "I don't." I sighed. "I just wish it weren't so hard."

"It will get easier." She promised. "If you stick with it." She fell silent. I leaned my head against the wall and closed my eyes, wondering if it really ever would get easier.

"Can we just stay here?" I asked after a moment. "Do we have to go to class?"

Alice chuckled. "Someone will come looking for us, and they'll find us in the janitor's closet, and they'll call our parents and we'll be in trouble for sneaking off together and making out, and Emmett will never let us hear the end of it."

I groaned. "To class we go then." I grumbled.

Alice giggled. "Your choice. Whichever you want."

"I don't want either." I pointed out. I smiled at her. "I'd rather just stay here, with you, for the rest of eternity."

She smiled back and stood up on tiptoe to kiss me on the cheek.

Disclaimer: Twilight does not belong to me.

Author's Note: Sorry, I know it's been a while, and this is really short after such a wait. I'm sorry. But the plan, now that school's started up again, is to update once a week, but I'm not making any promises. I'll try. Also, of course, please review. It's very gratifying to know that people are reading and enjoying your work. Or not enjoying, as the case may be. I'm open to suggestions on improving it as well.