Dr. Martin Luther King Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dr. Martin Luther King - Essay Example In 1957, a new organization was born. The southern Christian Leadership Conference whose aim was to achieve the civil rights of American and King was elected the chair. In the next 11 years, he led a massive campaign against segregation and racial discrimination. He traveled over six million miles, spoke over 2500 times in public events and wrote essays against racial discrimination. In 1963, Martin Luther King attracted the attention of all America by leading the Birmingham civil rights demonstrations in Alabama (Weider History 1). Consequently, the African American pressed for change. Martin Luther King Jr. through his historic speech stressed the need for Americans to live to the spirit of the Constitution. Additionally, in his dream King wanted the Americans to judge their character and not through their skin color (Bush 1). Consequently, King's dream has been achieved in his fight against social discrimination. Martin Luther King Jr. brought many achievements to the black people in the United States of America. He fought for many years in favor of civil rights in the United States. He and other civil rights activist led the famous bus boycott in Montgomery that led to change or equalization of all American citizens despite their races. If this kind of discrimination continued, then President Barack Obama could not be elected to office in the second term as the president of the United States. Additionally, the boycott prompted the government of the United States to make a legal change.

ADVOCACY LETTER TO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Essay

ADVOCACY LETTER TO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - Essay Example Students with special needs or those who are mentally/ physically retarded, require special attention. Their care and concern should be kept at the highest priority. Expecting these children to study side by side normal children who do not require any special needs shatters their confidence. In such environments normal children often mock about the children with special needs. As stated in ‘Educational Needs’ (n.d.), the specific issues that may affect a special child’s learning are: In spite the fact the children with special needs are often far more intelligent than normal children, it is just a particular manner in which they need to be dealt with in order to prove their mettle and enable their skills to nurture and prosper. If the learning needs of these children are properly addressed, their level of literacy, self- help skills, mobility, confidence and orientation can all be polished to mature levels. This further on, enables these citizens to become contributing and productive citizens of the society. The Solution to the above mentioned grave concerns is the devising of a plan that would be in the best interest of the student in the educational process. Special education services can be formulated that suit every individual child’s particular needs. A Special Education Advocate can be assigned some like natured special children. A Special Education Advocate’s primary responsibilities are the caring of the basic rights of the children with special needs. Once kids are assigned with a Special Education Advocate it becomes easier for schools to organize the special children. A Good Special Education Advocate is well versed in the legal issues pertaining to the rights of a special child. This assists each person connected to the child to be able to realize the laws regarding the handling of the child. These advocated have the ability to search specific legal issues that may be central to a child’s particular case

Facebook vs. Twitter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Facebook vs. Twitter - Essay Example As a matter of understanding these similarities and differentials, the following analysis will perform something of an in depth discussion with regards to how such a level of comparison can be made between these two sites. Rather than resorting to a pro and con listing of how one of these sites is necessarily better than the other, the following analysis will engage the reader with a realization for the way in which both Facebook and Twitter differentiate from one another and the means through which the user experience is affected accordingly. The first level of similarity that exists is with regards to the way in which both of these social networking sites allow the users to come in closer contact with hundreds or even thousands of other users. However, the level of intimacy that Facebook allows, as compared to Twitter, is greatly enhanced. For instance, Twitter only allows status updates fewer than 140 characters. By means of comparison, Facebook messages and post can exceed that limit by several hundred times and allow for a great more nuanced expression as compared to Twitter.... and advertisers integrating with their products and utilizing their service as a means of promoting themselves to potential clients, it is difficult to view a single advertisement on television without the encouragement of the advertiser to follow the given product or service on Facebook and Twitter. Another marked level of similarity that exists between these two social networking sites is with regards to the fact that both of them have come to rely heavily upon multimedia as a means of integrating with their client base. Whereas other sites were relatively slow to include multimedia and functions allowing individual users to upload, save, and post various forms of pictures, music, or data of another variety, Facebook and Twitter long ago realized that the user experience of social networking was one that can ultimately be maximized by allowing the user to engage with their own forms of multimedia; while at the same time sharing it with their close friends. As such, it comes as litt le surprise that Facebook and Twitter began to buy up the many different services that allowed for data sharing and multimedia uploads. The acquisition of Instagram for nearly $1 billion is evidence of the way in which this dramatic rush for such platforms exists between the two services. Whereas it may seem that the users of Facebook or Twitter are infinitely diverse and hail from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds, research into the demographics of Twitter and Facebook users had noted the fact that well over half of these individuals have some form of college education and make between $25,000 $49,000 a year (Matt, 2011). In such a way, even though a broad level of stereotyping cannot be concluded to exist with regards to the typical Facebook or Twitter user, a level of analysis

Dickens skill Essay Example for Free

Dickens skill Essay Dickens skill is especially shown in his creation of Magwitch. Discuss the convicts importance both as a key figure in Pips life and as a means of criticising society. Dickens uses his skill to make the reader believe that Magwitch is an evil person at the beginning of the novel. Dickens describes Magwitch as seen through a childs eye, which is Pip. The first image of Magwitch is exaggerated because of a childs imagination and terror. Dickens uses sounds and smells to remember people. For example Jaggers always smells of scented soap after court and when Magwitch is emotional there is a click in his throat. Although these are minor details we recognise people quicker. At the beginning of the novel we associate Magwitch with animal and beast like manners. This is because the first impression of Magwitch through the young Pip and then the hunt for Magwitch by the soldiers. In chapter 28 while Pip is travelling to Satis House he hears a conversation between two convicts who are being transported by coach under guard. Here the convicts are described as a most disagreeable and degraded spectacle. Dickens uses words like growling to covey the impression that these convicts are animal like. Dickens describes the convicts as, Then they both laughed, and began cracking nuts, and spitting the shells about. Dickens is making the point that if you treat some one like animals then they will act like animals. This shows how convicts were treated in society and Magwitch was also a convict. The ship that Magwitch boarded was ironically called Noahs Ark. This is where animals boarded in biblical time. Magwitchs true personality slowly shows through the novel. For example in chapter 5 Magwitch tells Joe that he stole his pie and file. Magwitch even apologises to Joe when he says, Then Im sorry to say, Ive eat your pie. Joe replies with a compassion answer saying, we wouldnt have let you starved to death for it would us Pip? Then Magwitch throat clicks. Here I think that this shows the two real gentlemen of the story. Although their grammar is not the best one shows remorse and guilt and the other shows compassion. I am very surprised when Magwitch says he stole the file and pie. This is because firstly he did not do it he only said this to divert suspicion from Pip, a boy he never really knew. Secondly in Victoria time people could be hanged for stealing and this shows that Magwitch is a very selfless person. In the most influencing chapter of the novel, chapter 39 where Magwitch returns Pip life changes. Magwitchs arrival has mixed feelings and mixed blessings. Here we find out that Magwitch is Pip benefactor and Pip feels revulsion and disgust, which is also shared by us the readers, that his expectations have been paid for by a convict. This is when Pip realises that he never had any Great Expectations, that Estella and Satis House were never intended for him and Miss Havisham was never his benefactress. In the chapter we now see Magwitch through an adults eye where he does not seem violence or evil. Pip uses words like I shuddered, abhorrence, dread and repugnance in this chapter but soon later change. Dickens skill is shown through this book very well because although Magwitch is one of the most important characters he disappears for a long time in the book. Magwitch is a key character in the novel to unveiling all of the mysterious in it. There is a gradual uncovering a denouement by him in chapter 42 called Compeyson. We find out a lot about Magwitchs heritage that he was born poor and that he had no family. Magwitch talks of his first memories as a young child he says, I first become aware of myself A thieving turnips for my living. Someone had run away from me and hed took the fire with him and left me very cold. This shows how society has neglected orphans his first memories is of stealing and being betrayal. Magwitch talks about his trial where Compeyson got 7 years and Magwitch got 14 years. Compeyson got half the sentence because, First of all what a gentleman Compeyson looked with his curly hair and black clothes and his white pocket handkerchief and what a common sort of wretch I (Magwitch) looked. Magwitch said that he had given up all hope when he said, I was hiding among the graves there envying them as was in them. This definitely shows how poor people and convicts were treated that society did not look after them and that these people felt no sense of place or belonging n the world. Dickens uses this chapter to show the inadequacy in the legal system and also that there is a lot wrong with society. Magwitch was not legally married to Molly but only married over the broomstick this shows that there is no legal marriage or protection for the poor. I think that society is using Magwitch, as a scapegoat so that they can charge him for crimes he did not commit so they can feel better about their society thinking it is safer. Whereas the real criminals in the novel are free, for example Compeyson a forger, Orlick a murderer and Drummle a wife beater. Magwitch clearly has an impact in Pip life for good and bad reasons. If Pip had never met Magwitch he would still live at the forge with Joe and probably in the future married Biddy. So basically Magwitch seems to have ruined Pips life. Although Magwitch does more harm then good he does not do it intentionally whereas Miss Havisham did. I think Miss Havisham is, in a way, a victim because she was left at the altar on her wedding day and cuts herself off from society. Miss Havisham got her revenge on men, which was Pip through Estella but later regrets what she has done. Although Miss Havisham has ruined his life he can still forgive her. I think Pip forgives her because although Miss Havisham is eccentric he has learnt that there can be another side to a person. I think that Pip found this out when looking after Magwitch first he is repulsed and now he loves and pity him. Magwitch brings out the good qualities in Pip he is his moral educator. For example Pip looks after Magwitch but does not take any more money off him. Here Dickens is idealising Pip through Magwitch. At the beginning of the novel Pip was child but now Magwitch has become the child because he needs looking after. From the part of the novel when Pip is with Magwitch he grows morally. He learns that a gentleman is not just a good education, wealth and stature it is about self-sacrifice, loyalty and compassion. Pip even risks his life for Magwitch when there is a note saying someone has news on Magwitch. Pip goes straight away even with an injured arm and there he finds it to be a trap that it is Orlick who tries to kill him. He learns the great value of friendship and he buys Herbert branch of Clarrikers business. I think Pip does this because he feels guilty for getting Herbert into debt in the first place. Not only did Pip feels pity for Magwitch when he is dying so did Jaggers. For example Jaggers tries to push back Magwitchs trial date back so he can die in peace but it fails. This is shown when it says, Mr Jaggers caused an application to be made for the postponement of his trial. Again Dickens makes a point about the legal system when he says, The trial was very short and very clear. Basically Dickens is criticising how he poor were judged in court; it was guilty until proven innocent for them. At Magwitchs trial he is condemned to death and he says, My Lord, I have received my sentence of Death from the Almighty, but I bow to yours. Magwitch says this in the most elegance way and shows his courage in accepting his death sentence. By the time of his trial and death he has acquired a dignity which did not seem to be evident when he was the animal which glared and growled and frightened Pip half to death at the beginning of the novel.

Entrepreneurship And Its Wide Range Of Meanings Commerce Essay

Entrepreneurship And Its Wide Range Of Meanings Commerce Essay Entrepreneurship has a wide range of meanings. On the other hand an entrepreneur is a person who has a very high aptitude who pioneers change, possessing characteristics found in only a very small fraction of the population. Other definition, anyone who wants to work him or herself is considered to be an entrepreneur. The word entrepreneur is originated from the French entreprendre, which means to undertake. In business context, it means to start a business. The dictionary presents the definition of an entrepreneur as who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise. In the Schumpeters view of entrepreneurship who is an Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeters definition of entrepreneurship places an emphasis on innovation as the new product, new production methods, new markets, new forms of organization. Furthermore, wealth is created when such innovation result in new demand. From his point of view, One can define the function of the entrepreneur as one of combining various input factors in an innovative manner to generate the value of customer with the home that this value will exceed the cost of the input factors, thus it can generate the superior returns that result in the creation of wealth. In the context of, Entrepreneurship vs. Small business many people use the terms entrepreneur and small business owner synonymously. While they may have much in common, there are significant differences between the entrepreneurial venture and the small business. Entrepreneurial ventures are different from small businesses in these ways such as the Amount of wealth creation  which means, rather than simply generating an income stream that replaces traditional employment, a successful entrepreneurial venture creates substantial wealth, typically in excess of several million dollars of profit. Speed of wealth creation  which means, while a successful small business can generate several million dollars of profit over a lifetime, entrepreneurial wealth creation often is rapid, for example, within 5 years. Risk  which means, the risk of an entrepreneurial venture must be high or otherwise, with the incentive of sure profits many entrepreneurs would be pursuing the idea and the opport unity no longer would exist. Innovation which means entrepreneurship often involves substantial innovation beyond what a small business might exhibit. This innovation gives the venture the competitive advantage that results in wealth creation. The innovation may be in the product or service itself, or in the business processes used to deliver it. Background of the study / Problem statement. In discussing the challenges that entrepreneur face in this 21 st century, it is more helpful to divide them according to their age category or enterprise status. There are divided to 3 categories which is pre-entrepreneurs. This means, this being a probationer or transitional stage, the key challenge facing pre-entrepreneurs who are just starting out in life on their own is choosing what they want to do. White and Kenyon (2000) as warn that there is a danger in selling enterprise as the best option for everyone and forgetting that successful enterprise development begins with the initiative coming from young people themselves especially. Besides that, the challenges in facing the pre-entrepreneurs and potential entrepreneurs among them are the promotion of awareness of various career options and possibilities to start up a business. Young entrepreneurs especially womens in this category largely require awareness and understanding of what an enterprise is and what it takes to own and manage a business so that they can consider themselves as self-employment as a career option. As an entrepreneur they should decide whether explore further, or to start their own business, the second step is the provision of practical support services such as training, advice, access to finance. To start up a business for pre-entrepreneur it is likely to involve the few stages like, the Formative Stage which means, it is related to the various factors including environmental factors that can also influence the development to become an entrepreneur. At this stage, it is important to encourage young entrepreneur to acquire appropriate entrepreneurial skills, motivations, attitudes, attributes, behaviors, and values. Second stage is the, the Developmental Stage, which it is related more specific learning and targeted skill development that would prepare an individual to move to start-up a business venture. These are learning skills and strategic skills. Learning skills it is related to the ability of a person to acquire information, knowledge, and experience from the world around them that is relevant to their entrepreneurial success. And strategic skills relates to how a person sees the world around them, envisions what is desirable, and identifies entrepreneurial opportunitie s in the world around them. And the third stage is the Start-up Stage. In this stage it refers to the specific skills that are relevant for a successful entrepreneur who is looking to advance an entrepreneurial venture to a period of growth and expansion. These are tactical skills for start-up. Tactical skills are important to conceptualizing a business, developing a business plan and establishing a business. The start-up stage also requires access to credit or finance for youth entrepreneurs. Besides that there is also few types of entrepreneurs which is the Budding entrepreneurs. These is for the young people who are just starting to run their own business. The challenge facing these young person is to increase the rate of survival and success in new businesses .This also means that budding entrepreneurs have a different set of needs from those of pre-entrepreneurs and potential entrepreneurs. They also need to manage the expansion of their businesses, and this make theier needs are largely revolve around by learning and knowing the ,Tactical skills for Growth, these are skills that are important to move a business into a period of growth. They include business management, management of business finances, time management, stress management , improving sales, managing and reducing costs , marketing, recruitment by able to employ the right person at the right place, and risk management. Next is the Emergent entrepreneur, where the needs of emergent entrepreneurs who are aged 26 years and above and different from those of lower categories of youth proprietors. Many of the emergent entrepreneurs, especially those operating in low income markets, are likely to be running enterprises that are not growing, with only very few graduating to the formal sector. The major challenge facing these young adults is to transform their small business into commercial and competitive businesses. By doing that, they need to have few skill which involve the Tactical skills for Growth and transformation. By using these skills it recognizes the certain skills which are important for the entrepreneur to have, while others can employ. From the survey, I have found that these skills can be divided into two which is the skills one should have where it involves the interpersonal and team building and also involve leadership. Next is the skills one can employ, means is is more to specialized marketing, record keeping, and information management. Research objectives / Scope of studies. From the research that we are finding which is on the Challenges of Women Entrepreneurs in Malaysia, is that we have found that in the 16 countries in Malaysia, most of the women entrepreneur came up from their own family business, where they took over from their parents or family. Some of the women entrepreneur also came up by doing small business like becoming a florist, bakery shops, and so on. Most of the entrepreneurs are educated and some are average having a SPM cert. Some women came up by having degree in Entrepreneurship progrmmes by scoring well and they somehow learnt about business by education. Compare to men, the challenges for women to come up as an entrepreneur is very hard because of many factors. For example, they family itself, they dun give support to them to open up a business and if it is a man the family would always give them way because he is man and they are the lead of the family. Whereas, women are mostly known as housewife in Malaysia. To become and entre preneur financial crisis might also occurs when a person dont have a business or any income background before for them to apply a loan in bank and so on. It is hard for them to start up a business without any modal in their hands. And next is, some womens who comes from an average family at times are lack with useful information to start up a business and how to manage a business. This could also be a challenge for them to try in a business. Some womans are also weak, by making a decision where before this they are more dependent to their husbands and it is hard for them now to make a decision in a big matters like bringing up the business to a level higher than before and so on. To examine these problems, research can be conducted by researches to find out the factors that are holding back the woman to becoming successful entrepreneurs. For example, the factors as said above it could be family factors or back ground, education level, and level of information about opening up a business for their future benefit. And it could also be , where women are afraid to make a decision in a matter or either they are not the risk taking persons. And the culture of certain individual could also be the factors. To identify the culture factors, we can see it in the Indian family especially, where some of the parents dont like the girls in the family doing big jobs like taking care of the shops or either they sometimes get married in the early age. This matter always happens in the low average family, this could also be the challenges or factors affecting the Malaysia entrepreneurs. Some of the woman is affected by the inner value of them also, where it is in born with them since small where the soft side of the women . For example, if there is a problem or issue occurs in a business, they dont know how to habdle it and they might give up easily without even making or coming up with a concrete reasons or decisions. To overcome all this problems , womens should start to learnt the meaning of business by starting or trying to start with small business like selling groceries, flowers, tit bits, cloths and so on. By learning with the small business, they could learnt about business how it works and when there is a problem occurs they know how to faced it. Some womens who are knowledgeable in this filed they some came up very fast for example there is few women entrepreneurs of small business nowadays. This could motivate many others to become an entrepreneurs.

Vasovagal Syncope Essay -- Fainting Medical Health Essays

Vasovagal Syncope My best friend "Dirk" can easily be picked out of a crowd. His 6'7 stature, impressive muscle mass, very blond hair, big blue eyes, and booming voice cause many people to stare at him-once, in Europe, a Japanese couple asked if they could take a picture of him. Addicted to weight lifting and athletics, my friend does not always enjoy admitting that he is a computer engineer-yes, my 22-year-old buddy is still afraid of the geek label. There is something else to which Dirk will not readily admit-he faints at the sight of blood. In fact, many things can trigger his fainting spells: blood, vomit, overheating, etc. Dirk lives next door to my parents; we grew up together. Recently, he and my sister ran over from his house to ours, which is a distance of about 50 feet. My sister had not worn shoes; when they got to our house, they walked through two rooms before Dirk got dizzy. My sister had cut her foot, and the blood that had spread over the tile floor made Dirk turn his head away, and sit down. My mother ran to the rescue-Dirk's, not my sister's. She helped him breath deeply, and luckily he avoided fainting. A few Christmases ago, Dirk caught a stomach virus. He made it to the bathroom just in time, but seconds after vomiting, he fell to the floor, and blocked the door. His parents frantically tried to open the door, they tried to revive him by screaming for probably five minutes, which seemed like an eternity to them at the time. Eventually they revived him. The summer before that Christmas, Dirk was golfing with his high school's golf team on a hot July afternoon. At the end of the course, he and his coach walked to the parking lot. All of a sudden, Dirk toppled like a tree onto th... ...ncope. Perhaps more research will lead to more conclusive knowledge about the condition. Works Cited: 1)Med Help International, This website offers a forum for those with medical questions, allowing them to ask the advice of a physician. http://www.medhelp.org/forums/cardio/archive/5482.html 2)London Cardiac Institute, This organization provides information to patients on several conditions. The patients are referred to the pages by their physicians. http://www.londoncardiac.ca/pages/vvs.htm 3)Karen Yontz Women's Cardiac Awareness Center, Health Wise Physician's Corner provides information about several medical conditions. http://www.karenyontzcenter.org/healthwise/phys_corner/phys_cor_Berger.htm 4)Tilt Table Test http://pwp.netcabo.pt/0413553701/tilt_eng.htm 5)Health and Age http://www.healthandage.com/html/res/com/ConsHerbs/Licoricech.html

The Twilight Saga 5: Midnight Sun 7. Melody

I had to wait when I got back to school. The final hour wasn't out yet. That was good, because I had things to think about and I needed the alone time. Her scent lingered in the car. I kept the windows up, letting it assault me, trying to get used to the feel of intentionally torching my throat. Attraction. It was a problematic thing to contemplate. So many sides to it, so many different meanings and levels. Not the same thing as love, but tied up in it inextricably. I had no idea if Bella was attracted to me. (Would her mental silence somehow continue to get more and more frustrating until I went mad? Or was there a limit that I would eventually reach?) I tried to compare her physical responses to others, like the secretary and Jessica Stanley, but the comparison was inconclusive. The same markers – changes in heart rate and breathing patterns – could just as easily mean fear or shock or anxiety as they did interest. It seemed unlikely that Bella could be entertaining the same kinds of thoughts that Jessica Stanley used to have. After all, Bella knew very well that there was something wrong with me, even if she didn't know what exactly it was. She had touched my icy skin, and then yanked her hand away from the chill. And yet†¦as I remembered those fantasies that used to repulse me, but remembered them with Bella in Jessica's place†¦ I was breathing more quickly, the fire clawing up and down my throat. What if it had been Bella imagining me with my arms wrapped around her fragile body? Feeling me pull her tightly against my chest and then cupping my hand under her chin? Brushing the heavy curtain of her hair back from her blushing face? Tracing the shape of her full lips with my fingertips? Leaning my face closer to hers, where I could feel the heat of her breath on my mouth? Moving closer still†¦ But then I flinched away from the daydream, knowing, as I had known when Jessica had imagined these things, what would happen if I got that close to her. Attraction was an impossible dilemma, because I was already too attracted to Bella in the worst way. Did I want Bella to be attracted to me, a woman to a man? That was the wrong question. The right question was should I want Bella to be attracted to me that way, and that answer was no. Because I was not a human man, and that wasn't fair to her. With every fiber of my being, I ached to be a normal man, so that I could hold her in my arms without risking her life. So that I could be free to spin my own fantasies, fantasies that didn't end in with her blood on my hands, her blood glowing in my eyes. My pursuit of her was indefensible. What kind of relationship could I offer her, when I couldn't risk touching her? I hung my head in my hands. It was all the more confusing because I had never felt so human in my whole life – not even when I was human, as far as I could recall. When I had been human, my thoughts had all been turned to a soldier's glory. The Great War had raged through most of my adolescence, and I'd been only nine months away from my eighteenth birthday when the influenza had struck†¦ I had just vague impressions of those human years, murky memories that faded more with every passing decade. I remembered my mother most clearly, and felt an ancient ache when I thought of her face. I recalled dimly how much she had hated the future I'd raced eagerly toward, praying every night when she said grace at dinner that the â€Å"horrid war† would end†¦ I had no memories of another kind of yearning. Besides my mother's love, there was no other love that had made me wish to stay†¦ This was entirely new to me. I had no parallels to draw, no comparisons to make. The love I felt for Bella had come purely, but now the waters were muddied. I wanted very much to be able to touch her. Did she feel the same way? That didn't matter, I tried to convince myself. I stared at my white hands, hating their hardness, their coldness, their inhuman strength†¦ I jumped when the passenger door opened. Ha. Caught you by surprise. There's a first, Emmett thought as he slid into the seat. â€Å"I'll bet Mrs. Goff thinks you're on drugs, you've been so erratic lately. Where were you today?† â€Å"I was†¦doing good deeds.† Huh? I chuckled. â€Å"Caring for the sick, that kind of thing.† That confused him more, but then he inhaled and caught the scent in the car. â€Å"Oh. The girl again?† I grimaced. This is getting weird. â€Å"Tell me about it,† I mumbled. He inhaled again. â€Å"Hmm, she does have a quite a flavor, doesn't she?† The snarl broke through my lips before his words had even registered all the way, an automatic response. â€Å"Easy, kid, I'm just sayin.'† The others arrived then. Rosalie noticed the scent at once and glowered at me, still not over her irritation. I wondered what her problem was, but all I could hear from her were insults. I didn't like Jasper's reaction, either. Like Emmett, he noticed Bella's appeal. Not that the scent had, for either of them, a thousandth portion of the draw it had for me. I was still upset me that her blood was sweet to them. Jasper had poor control†¦ Alice skipped to my side of the car and held her hand out for Bella's truck key. â€Å"I only saw that I was,† she said – obscurely, as was her habit. â€Å"You'll have to tell me the whys.† â€Å"This doesn't mean – â€Å" â€Å"I know, I know. I'll wait. It won't be long.† I sighed and gave her the key. I followed her to Bella's house. The rain was pounding down like a million tiny hammers, so loud that maybe Bella's human ears couldn't hear the thunder of the truck's engine. I watched her window, but she didn't come to look out. Maybe she wasn't there. There were no thoughts to hear. It made me sad that I couldn't hear enough even to check on her – to make sure she was happy, or safe, at the least. Alice climbed in the back and we sped home. The roads were empty, and so it only took a few minutes. We trooped into the house, and then went to our various pastimes. Emmett and Jasper were in the middle of an elaborate game of chess, utilizing eight joined boards – spread out along the glass back wall – and their own complicated set of rules. They wouldn't let me play; only Alice would play games with me anymore. Alice went to her computer just around the corner from them and I could hear her monitors sing to life. Alice was working on a fashion design project for Rosalie's wardrobe, but Rosalie did not join her today, to stand behind her and direct cut and color as Alice's hand traced over the touch sensitive screens (Carlisle and I had had to tweak that system a bit, given that most such screens responded to temperature). Instead, today Rosalie sprawled sullenly on the sofa and started flipping through twenty channels a second on the flat screen, never pausing. I could hear her trying to decide whether or not to go out to the garage and tune her BMW again. Esme was upstairs, humming over a new set of blue prints. Alice leaned her head around the wall after a moment and started mouthing Emmett's next moves – Emmett sat on the floor with his back to her – to Jasper, who kept his expression very smooth as he cut off Emmett's favorite knight. And I, for the first time in so long that I felt ashamed, went to sit at the exquisite grand piano stationed just off the entryway. I ran my hand gently up the scales, testing the pitch. The tuning was still perfect. Upstairs, Esme paused what she was doing and cocked her head to the side. I began the first line of the tune that had suggested itself to me in the car today, pleased that it sounded even better than I'd imagined. Edward is playing again, Esme thought joyously, a smile breaking across her face. She got up from her desk, and flitted silently to the head of the stairs. I added a harmonizing line, letting the central melody weave through it. Esme sighed with contentment, sat down on the top step, and leaned her head against the banister. A new song. It's been so long. What a lovely tune. I let the melody lead in a new direction, following it with the bass line. Edward is composing again? Rosalie thought, and her teeth clenched together in fierce resentment. In that moment, she slipped, and I could read all her underlying outrage. I saw why she was in such a poor temper with me. Why killing Isabella Swan had not bothered her conscience at all. With Rosalie, it was always about vanity. The music came to an abrupt halt, and I laughed before I could help myself, a sharp bark of amusement that broke off quickly as I threw my hand over my mouth. Rosalie turned to glare at me, her eyes sparking with chagrined fury. Emmett and Jasper turned to stare, too, and I heard Esme's confusion. Esme was downstairs in a flash, pausing to glance between Rosalie and me. â€Å"Don't stop, Edward,† Esme encouraged after a strained moment. I started playing again, turning my back on Rosalie while trying very hard to control the grin stretching across my face. She got to her feet and stalked out of the room, more angry than embarrassed. But certainly quite embarrassed. If you say anything I will hunt you like a dog. I smothered another laugh. â€Å"What's wrong, Rose?† Emmett called after her. Rosalie didn't turn. She continued, back ramrod straight, to the garage and then squirmed under her car as if she could bury herself there. â€Å"What's that about?† Emmett asked me. â€Å"I don't have the faintest idea,† I lied. Emmett grumbled, frustrated. â€Å"Keep playing,† Esme urged. My hands had paused again. I did as she asked, and she came to stand behind me, putting her hands on my shoulders. The song was compelling, but incomplete. I toyed with a bridge, but it didn't seem right somehow. â€Å"It's charming. Does it have a name?† Esme asked. â€Å"Not yet.† â€Å"Is there a story to it?† she asked, a smile in her voice. This gave her very great pleasure, and I felt guilty for having neglected my music for so long. It had been selfish. â€Å"It's†¦a lullaby, I suppose.† I got the bridge right then. It led easily to the next movement, taking on a life of its own. â€Å"A lullaby,† she repeated to herself. There was a story to this melody, and once I saw that, the pieces fell into place effortlessly. The story was a sleeping girl in a narrow bed, dark hair thick and wild and twisted like seaweed across the pillow†¦ Alice left Jasper to his own devices and came to sit next to me on the bench. In her trilling, wind chime voice, she sketched out a wordless descant two octaves above the melody. â€Å"I like it,† I murmured. â€Å"But how about this?† I added her line to the harmony – my hands were flying across the keys now to work all the pieces together – modifying it a bit, taking it in a new direction†¦ She caught the mood, and sung along. â€Å"Yes. Perfect,† I said. Esme squeezed my shoulder. But I could see the end now, with Alice's voice rising above the tune and taking it to another place. I could see how the song must end, because the sleeping girl was perfect just the way she was, and any change at all would be wrong, a sadness. The song drifted toward that realization, slower and lower now. Alice's voice lowered, too, and became solemn, a tone that belonged under the echoing arches of a candlelit cathedral. I played the last note, and then bowed my head over the keys. Esme stroked my hair. It's going to be fine, Edward. This is going to work out for the best. You deserve happiness, my son. Fate owes you that. â€Å"Thanks,† I whispered, wishing I could believe it. Love doesn't always come in convenient packages. I laughed once without humor. You, out of everyone on this planet, are perhaps best equipped to deal with such a difficult quandary. You are the best and the brightest of us all. I sighed. Every mother thought the same of her son. Esme was still full of joy that my heart had finally been touched after all this time, no matter the potential for tragedy. She'd thought I would always be alone†¦ She'll have to love you back, she thought suddenly, catching me by surprise with the direction of her thoughts. If she's a bright girl. She smiled. But I can't imagine anyone being so slow they wouldn't see the catch you are. â€Å"Stop it, Mom, you're making me blush,† I teased. Her words, though improbable, did cheer me. Alice laughed and picked out the top hand of â€Å"Heart and Soul.† I grinned and completed the simple harmony with her. Then I favored her with a performance of â€Å"Chopsticks.† She giggled, then sighed. â€Å"So I wish you'd tell me what you were laughing at Rose about,† Alice said. â€Å"But I can see that you won't.† â€Å"Nope.† She flicked my ear with her finger. â€Å"Be nice, Alice,† Esme chided. â€Å"Edward is being a gentleman.† â€Å"But I want to know.† I laughed at the whining tone she put on. Then I said, â€Å"Here, Esme,† and began playing her favorite song, an unnamed tribute to the love I'd watched between her and Carlisle for so many years. â€Å"Thank you, dear.† She squeezed my shoulder again. I didn't have to concentrate to play the familiar piece. Instead I thought of Rosalie, still figuratively writhing in mortification in the garage, and I grinned to myself. Having just discovered the potency of jealousy for myself, I had a small amount of pity for her. It was a wretched way to feel. Of course, her jealously was a thousand times more petty than mine. Quite the fox in the manger scenario. I wondered how Rosalie's life and personality would have been different if she had not always been the most beautiful. Would she have been a happier person if beauty hadn't at all times been her strongest selling point? Less egocentric? More compassionate? Well, I supposed it was useless to wonder, because the past was done, and she always had been the most beautiful. Even when human, she had ever lived in the spotlight of her own loveliness. Not that she'd minded. The opposite – she'd loved admiration above almost anything else. That hadn't changed with the loss of her mortality. It was no surprise then, taking this need as a given, that she'd been offended when I had not, from the beginning, worshiped her beauty the way she expected all males to worship. Not that she'd wanted me in any way – far from it. But it had aggravated her that I did not want her, despite that. She was used to being wanted. It was different with Jasper and Carlisle – they were already both in love. I was completely unattached, and yet still remained obstinately unmoved. I'd thought that old resentment was buried. That she was long passed it. And she had been†¦until the day that I finally found someone whose beauty touched me the way hers had not. Rosalie had relied on the belief that if I did not find her beauty worth worshiping, then certainly there was no beauty on earth that would reach me. She'd been furious since the moment I'd saved Bella's life, guessing, with her shrewd female intuition, the interest that I was all but unconscious of myself. Rosalie was mortally offended that I found some insignificant human girl more appealing than her. I suppressed the urge to laugh again. It bothered me some, though, the way she saw Bella. Rosalie actually thought the girl was plain. How could she believe that? It seemed incomprehensible to me. A product of the jealousy, no doubt. â€Å"Oh!† Alice said abruptly. â€Å"Jasper, guess what?† I saw what she'd just seen, and my hands froze on the keys. â€Å"What, Alice?† Jasper asked. â€Å"Peter and Charlotte are coming to visit next week! They're going to be in the neighborhood, isn't that nice?† â€Å"What's wrong, Edward?† Esme asked, feeling the tension in my shoulders. â€Å"Peter and Charlotte are coming to Forks?† I hissed at Alice She rolled her eyes at me. â€Å"Calm down, Edward. It's not their first visit.† My teeth clenched together. It was their first visit since Bella had arrived, and her sweet blood didn't appeal just to me. Alice frowned at my expression. â€Å"They never hunt here. You know that.† But Jasper's brother of sorts and the little vampire he loved were not like us; they hunted the usual way. They could not be trusted around Bella. â€Å"When?† I demanded. She pursed her lips unhappily, but told me what I needed to know. Monday morning. No one is going to hurt Bella. â€Å"No,† I agreed, and then turned away from her. â€Å"You ready, Emmett?† â€Å"I thought we were leaving in the morning?† â€Å"We're coming back by midnight Sunday. I guess it's up to you when you want to leave.† â€Å"Okay, fine. Let me say goodbye to Rose first.† â€Å"Sure.† With the mood Rosalie was in, it would be a short goodbye. You really have lost it, Edward, he thought as he headed toward the back door. â€Å"I suppose I have.† â€Å"Play the new song for me, one more time,† Esme asked. â€Å"If you'd like that,† I agreed, though I was a little hesitant to follow the tune to its unavoidable end – the end that had set me aching in unfamiliar ways. I thought for a moment, and then pulled the bottle cap from my pocket and set it on the empty music stand. That helped a bit – my little memento of her yes. I nodded to myself, and started playing. Esme and Alice exchanged a glance, but neither one asked. â€Å"Hasn't anyone ever told you not to play with your food?† I called to Emmett. â€Å"Oh, hey Edward!† he shouted back, grinning and waving at me. The bear took advantage of his distraction to rake its heavy paw across Emmett's chest. The sharp claws shredded through his shirt, and squealed across his skin. The bear bellowed at the high-pitched noise. Aw hell, Rose gave me this shirt! Emmett roared back at the enraged animal. I sighed and sat down on a convenient boulder. This might take awhile. But Emmett was almost done. He let the bear try to take his head off with another swipe of the paw, laughing as the blow bounced off and sent the bear staggering back. The bear roared and Emmett roared again through his laughter. Then he launched himself at the animal, who stood a head taller than him on its hind legs, and their bodies fell to the ground tangled up together, taking a mature spruce tree down with them. The bear's growls cut off with a gurgle. A few minutes later, Emmett jogged over to where I was waiting for him. His shirt was destroyed, torn and bloodied, sticky with sap and covered in fur. His dark curly hair wasn't in much better shape. He had a huge grin on his face. â€Å"That was a strong one. I could almost feel it when he clawed me.† â€Å"You're such a child, Emmett.† He eyed my smooth, clean white button-down. â€Å"Weren't you able to track down that mountain lion, then?† â€Å"Of course I was. I just don't eat like a savage.† Emmett laughed his booming laugh. â€Å"I wish they were stronger. It would be more fun.† â€Å"No one said you had to fight your food.† â€Å"Yeah, but who else am I going to fight with? You and Alice cheat, Rose never wants to get her hair messed up, and Esme gets mad if Jasper and I really go at it.† â€Å"Life is hard all around, isn't it?† Emmett grinned at me, shifting his weight a bit so that he was suddenly poised to take a charge. â€Å"C'mon Edward. Just turn it off for one minute and fight fair.† â€Å"It doesn't turn off,† I reminded him. â€Å"Wonder what that human girl does to keep you out?† Emmett mused. â€Å"Maybe she could give me some pointers.† My good humor vanished. â€Å"Stay away from her,† I growled through my teeth. â€Å"Touchy, touchy.† I sighed. Emmett came to sit beside me on the rock. â€Å"Sorry. I know you're going through a tough spot. I really am trying to not be too much of an insensitive jerk, but, since that's sort of my natural state†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He waited for me to laugh at his joke, and then made a face. So serious all the time. What's bugging you now? â€Å"Thinking about her. Well, worrying, really.† â€Å"What's there to worry about? You are here.† He laughed loudly. I ignored his joke again, but answered his question. â€Å"Have you ever thought about how fragile they all are? How many bad things there are that can happen to a mortal?† â€Å"Not really. I guess I see what you mean, though. I wasn't much match for a bear that first time around, was I?† â€Å"Bears,† I muttered, adding a new fear to the pile. â€Å"That would be just her luck, wouldn't it? Stray bear in town. Of course it would head straight for Bella.† Emmett chuckled. â€Å"You sound like a crazy person, do you know that?† â€Å"Just imagine for one minute that Rosalie was human, Emmett. And she could run into a bear†¦or get hit by a car†¦or lightening†¦or fall down stairs†¦or get sick – get a disease!† The words burst from me stormily. It was a relief to let them out – they'd been festering inside me all weekend. â€Å"Fires and earthquakes and tornados! Ugh! When's the last time you watched the news? Have you seen the kinds of things that happen to them? Burglaries and homicides†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My teeth clenched together, and I was abruptly so infuriated by the idea of another human hurting her that I couldn't breathe. â€Å"Whoa, whoa! Hold up, there, kid. She lives in Forks, remember? So she gets rained on.† He shrugged. â€Å"I think she has some serious bad luck, Emmett, I really do. Look at the evidence. Of all the places in the world she could go, she ends up in a town where vampires make up a significant portion of the population.† â€Å"Yeah, but we're vegetarians. So isn't that good luck, not bad?† â€Å"With the way she smells? Definitely bad. And then, more bad luck, the way she smells to me.† I glowered at my hands, hating them again. â€Å"Except that you have more self-control than just about anyone but Carlisle. Good luck again.† â€Å"The van?† â€Å"That was just an accident.† â€Å"You should have seen it coming for her, Em, again and again. I swear, it was like she had some kind of magnetic pull.† â€Å"But you were there. That was good luck.† â€Å"Was it? Isn't this the worst luck any human could ever possibly have – to have a vampire fall in love with them?† Emmett considered that quietly for a moment. He pictured the girl in his head, and found the image uninteresting. Honestly, I can't really see the draw. â€Å"Well, I can't really see Rosalie's allure, either,† I said rudely. â€Å"Honestly, she seems like more work than any pretty face is worth.† Emmett chuckled. â€Å"I don't suppose you'd tell me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I don't know what her problem is, Emmett,† I lied with a sudden, wide grin. I saw his intent in time to brace myself. He tried to shove me off the rock, and there was a loud cracking sound as a fissure opened in the stone between us. â€Å"Cheater,† he muttered. I waited for him to try another time, but his thoughts took a different direction. He was picturing Bella's face again, but imagining it whiter, imagining her eyes bright red†¦ â€Å"No,† I said, my voice strangled. â€Å"It solves your worries about mortality, doesn't it? And then you wouldn't want to kill her, either. Isn't that the best way?† â€Å"For me? Or for her?† â€Å"For you,† he answered easily. His tone added the of course. I laughed humorlessly. â€Å"Wrong answer.† â€Å"I didn't mind so much,† he reminded me. â€Å"Rosalie did.† He sighed. We both knew that Rosalie would do anything, give up anything, if it meant she could be human again. Even Emmett. â€Å"Yeah, Rose did,† he acquiesced quietly. â€Å"I can't†¦ I shouldn't†¦ I'm not going to ruin Bella's life. Wouldn't you feel the same, if it were Rosalie?† Emmett thought about that for a moment. You really†¦love her? â€Å"I can't even describe it, Emmett. All of a sudden, this girl's the whole world to me. I don't see the point of the rest of the world without her anymore.† But you won't change her? She won't last forever, Edward. â€Å"I know that,† I groaned. And, as you've pointed out, she's sort of breakable. â€Å"Trust me – that I know, too.† Emmett was not a tactful person, and delicate discussions were not his forte. He struggled now, wanting very much not to be offensive. Can you even touch her? I mean, if you love her†¦wouldn't you want to, well touch her†¦? Emmett and Rosalie shared an intensely physical love. He had a hard time understanding how one could love, without that aspect. I sighed. â€Å"I can't even think of that, Emmett.† Wow. So what are your options, then? â€Å"I don't know,† I whispered. â€Å"I'm trying to figure out a way to†¦to leave her. I just can't fathom how to make myself stay away†¦Ã¢â‚¬  With a deep sense of gratification, I suddenly realized that it was right for me to stay – at least for now, with Peter and Charlotte on their way. She was safer with me here, temporarily, than she would be if I were gone. For the moment, I could be her unlikely protector. The thought made me anxious; I itched to be back so that I could fill that role for as long as possible. Emmett noticed the change in my expression. What are you thinking about? â€Å"Right now,† I admitted a bit sheepishly, â€Å"I'm dying to run back to Forks and check on her. I don't know if I'll make it till Sunday night.† â€Å"Uh-uh! You are not going home early. Let Rosalie cool down a little bit. Please! For my sake.† â€Å"I'll try to stay,† I said doubtfully. Emmett tapped the phone in my pocket. â€Å"Alice would call if there were any basis for your panic attack. She's as weird about this girl as you are.† I grimaced at that. â€Å"Fine. But I'm not staying past Sunday.† â€Å"There's no point in hurrying back – it's going to be sunny, anyway. Alice said we were free from school until Wednesday.† I shook my head rigidly. â€Å"Peter and Charlotte know how to behave themselves.† â€Å"I really don't care, Emmett. With Bella's luck, she'll go wandering off into the woods at exactly the wrong moment and – † I flinched. â€Å"Peter isn't known for his selfcontrol. I'm going back Sunday.† Emmett sighed. Exactly like a crazy person. Bella was sleeping peacefully when I climbed up to her bedroom window early Monday morning. I'd remembered oil this time, and the window now moved silently out of my way. I could tell by the way her hair lay smooth across the pillow that she'd had a less restless night than the last time I was here. She had her hands folded under her cheek like a small child, and her mouth was slightly open. I could hear her breath moving slowly in and out between her lips. It was an amazing relief to be here, to be able to see her again. I realized that I wasn't truly at ease unless that was the case. Nothing was right when I was away from her. Not that all was right when I was with her, either, though. I sighed, letting the thirst fire rake through my throat. I'd been away from it too long. The time spent without pain and temptation made it all the more forceful now. It was bad enough that I was afraid to go kneel beside her bed so that I could read the titles of her books. I wanted to know the stories in her head, but I was afraid of more than my thirst, afraid that if I let myself get that close to her, I would want to be closer still†¦ Her lips looked very soft and warm. I could imagine touching them with the tip of my finger. Just lightly†¦ That was exactly the kind of mistake that I had to avoid. My eyes ran over her face again and again, examining it for changes. Mortals changed all the time – I was sad at the thought of missing anything†¦ I thought she looked†¦tired. Like she hadn't gotten enough sleep this weekend. Had she gone out? I laughed silently and wryly at how much that upset me. So what if she had? I didn't own her. She wasn't mine. No, she wasn't mine – and I was sad again. One of her hands twitched, and I noticed that there were shallow, barely healed scrapes across the heel of her palm. She'd been hurt? Even though it was obviously not a serious injury, it still disturbed me. I considered the location, and decided she must have tripped. That seemed a reasonable explanation, all things considered. It was comforting to think that I wouldn't have to puzzle over either of these small mysteries forever. We were friends now – or, at least, trying to be friends. I could ask her about her weekend – about the beach, and whatever late night activity had made her look so weary. I could ask what had happened to her hands. And I could laugh a little when she confirmed my theory about them. I smiled gently as I wondered whether or not she had fallen in the ocean. I wondered if she'd had a pleasant time on the outing. I wondered if she'd thought about me at all. If she'd missed me even the tiniest portion of the amount that I'd missed her. I tried to picture her in the sun on the beach. The picture was incomplete, though, because I'd never been to First Beach myself. I only knew how it looked in pictures†¦ I felt a tiny qualm of unease as I thought about the reason why I'd never once been to the pretty beach located just a few minutes run from my home. Bella had spent the day at La Push – a place where I was forbidden, by treaty, to go. A place where a few old men still remembered the stories about the Cullens, remembered and believed them. A place where our secret was known†¦ I shook my head. I had nothing to worry about there. The Quileutes were bound by treaty, too. Even had Bella run into one of those aging sages, they could reveal nothing. And why would the subject ever be broached? Why would Bella think to voice her curiosity there? No – the Quileutes were perhaps the one thing I did not have to worry about. I was angry with the sun when it began to rise. It reminded me that I could not satisfy my curiosity for days to come. Why did it choose to shine now? With a sigh, I ducked out her window before it was light enough for anyone to see me here. I meant to stay in the thick forest by her house and see her off to school, but when I got into the trees, I was surprised to find the trace of her scent lingering on the trail there. I followed it quickly, curiously, becoming more and more worried as it led deeper into the darkness. What had Bella been doing out here? The trail stopped abruptly, in the middle of nowhere in particular. She'd gone just a few steps off the trail, into the ferns, where she'd touched the trunk of a fallen tree. Perhaps sat there†¦ I sat where she had, and looked around. All she would have been able to see was ferns and forest. It had probably been raining – the scent was washed out, having never set deeply into the tree. Why would Bella have come to sit here alone – and she had been alone, no doubt about that – in the middle of the wet, murky forest? It made no sense, and, unlike those other points of curiosity, I could hardly bring this up in casual conversation. So, Bella, I was following your scent through the woods after I left your room where I'd been watching you sleep†¦ Yes, that would be quite the ice breaker. I would never know what she'd been thinking and doing here, and that had my teeth grinding together in frustration. Worse, this was far too much like the scenario I'd imagined for Emmett – Bella wandering alone in the woods, where her scent would call to anyone who had the senses to track it†¦ I groaned. Not only did she have bad luck, but she courted it. Well, for this moment she had a protector. I would watch over her, keep her from harm, for as long as I could justify it. I suddenly found myself wishing that Peter and Charlotte would make an extended stay.