Twilight Chapter 12: Balancing Summary

How It All Goes Down

  • Jacob and Billy Black have come by to watch the baseball game with Charlie.
  • Bella and Jacob chat while she prepares dinner for everyone. Jacob is curious about who Bella had been hanging out with – Billy seemed to have recognized him, and wasn't very happy. When she admits that it was Edward Cullen, Jacob responds, "Guess that explains it" (12.35).
  • At the end of the evening, Billy says with seriousness, "You take care, Bella" (12.47).
  • Edward drives Bella to school again the next morning (Friday). He warns her, however, that he has to leave after lunch – he and his "sister" Alice are going hunting. He wants to make sure he's not "thirsty" when they're alone together tomorrow.
  • Over lunch, Bella finds out that Alice is supportive of his relationship with Bella. But Rosalie, Edward's other adoptive sister, is not at all pleased. Edward explains the situation:

    "[Rosalie]'s just worried. You see...it's dangerous for more than just me if, after spending so much time with you so publicly [...]. If this ends...badly." (12.116, 118)

  • When Bella gets home that evening, Charlie tells her that he'll be out fishing tomorrow. Bella doesn't tell him she'll be with Edward.
  • Bella thinks about what Edward was saying earlier:

    He wants me to be safe, I told myself again and again. I would just hold on to the faith that, in the end, that desire would win out over the others. And what was my other choice – to cut him out of my life? Intolerable. Besides, since I'd come to Forks, it really seemed like my life was about him.

    But a tiny voice in the back of my mind worried, wondering if it would hurt very much...if it ended badly.
    (12.177-178)

  • Edward arrives at Bella's house early in the morning, just after Charlie leaves to go fishing. They take Bella's truck, and Edward tells her where to go. He's taking her hiking.
  • Edward gets mad when he finds out that no one knows that they are together:

    "You said it might cause trouble for you...us being together publicly," I reminded him.

    "So you're worried about the trouble it might cause me – if you don't come home?" His voice was still angry, and bitingly sarcastic.
    (12.223-224)

  • Eventually, Edward gets over it and they start their five-mile hike.