Operations Management in Southwest Airlines

Introduction Southwest Airlines was founded in 1976 and has its base at Dallas. The company has grown so much since its inception (Lee and Maxton, 2000). It is now serving fifty-nine airports and has three hundred and eighty one planes in operation. This expansion is ongoing and it is expected to grow further (Oldham, 1996). Southwest Airlines is well known for its number of offers and its uniqueness among other known airlines.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Operations Management in Southwest Airlines specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These offers include the lowest fares among other airlines, its low costs, having the best labor relations, the level of asset usage that surpasses the rest and paying the highest wages to its staff. It seems to offer the best in everything! To some, the success of the company may be thought to have come from some malpractice from the side of management but in the contrary, everyth ing practiced there is legit. These are among the strategies that the airline has employed in order to achieve its success. It has also targeted and concentrated on markets that have been disregarded by other airlines as being unimportant. This paper will analyze the service delivery (and manufacturing process), identify what should be done to improve these processes and discuss the reasons why the Southwest Airlines is successful (Compart, 2009). Service delivery and manufacturing process One thing Southwest Airlines is known for in terms of service delivery is its very low fares. This has been made possible by the fact that the airline has targeted the middle-sized airports and hence experiences less competition. Less congestion in the airport also implies that service is fast. This helps eliminating queuing for services hence customer satisfaction (Blanco and Shimoda, 2005). The airline offers fares at competitive rates, provides swift and efficient service and hence encourages t ravelers to shift from other modes of transport including trains and vehicles to using air travel. This has led to the success of the airline in increasing the numbers of its passengers, which is one of the goals of the company. The company respects the customer’s choice and a passenger is allowed to leave the airport when they so desire. They operate more like buses. The passengers get to choose what time to leave and it is not the airline’s choice. This makes it very reliable and flexible and hence a choice for many.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another aspect that makes the services attractive is the fact that the hustle of getting ticket reservation and collection is eliminated. People only need to swipe their cards at a dispenser and it takes only about twenty seconds before they are good to go. Another advantage of boarding the Southwest Airlines is t hat there are no connection flights. This also means that there is no need to transfer baggage. This eliminates the hustles and bustles associated with other airlines. The airline has clearly defined its niche as being the commuters since such people usually need to go places for particular reasons and need to do so as quick as possible and with the least distractions as possible. Reasons for company’s success One of the reasons for the success of Southwest Airlines can be attributed to its great management, courtesy of its president and founder, Herb Kelleher. This leader has been very inspirational and has influenced the company by maintaining a good working environment. He also created strong and lasting culture at the workplace. The other reason for its success is the fact that the activities in the company, since inception, have been based on some specific success principles. The airline also readily embraces change but at the same time, tries to avoid change in order to avoid some risks. Some of its basic strategies employed when the company is considering change include those that specifically touch on either cutting its costs or increasing the number of its passengers. Among its strategies in fighting off competition with other big airlines is the employment of what may be referred to as a guerilla war. This involves being anywhere but where the other airlines are. This is the reason why the airline is situated far from where the other airlines are. This included targeting airports and routes that were avoided by other airlines. They stayed apart and maintained routes located far from the overused airports. The airports mainly targeted by the airlines include the middle-sized ones.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Operations Management in Southwest Airlines specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This strategy of choosing mid-sized airports means that the airline faces less competi tion in terms of fares, faces less traffic and less congestion. With these conditions, the airline can easily compete with the other airlines by offering faster service and lower prices compared to the rest. Most of the flights by the company are short distance flights, which is avoided by other airlines. However, this strategy has worked for the airline since – in most of the airports it operates – it is the airlines with the largest number of passengers. Southwest Airlines has been identified for having the ability to enter a market and making it very profitable (Kaiser, 1997; Maxton, 1996). One example is given of a case where the airline established a new route between Oakland and Burbank in order to avoid other existing busy and congested routes (Mutzabaugh, 2011). Using its cheap fares, it was able to attract many passengers and made the route the 21st busiest, rising from the previous 200th position. Southwest Airlines has been regarded as not only competing wit h the airlines but with all other modes of transport including road and rail since they offer short trip flights (short-haul commuting). Another strategy employed by the airlines to ensure its success is the lack of a central base. There is no particular center of operations and its routes form a kind of a network that resembles a spider web. This way, the airline avoids the risks of being vulnerable to competition and consequently losing market. Southwest Airlines avoids several costs incurred by other airlines. One of them is the cost of selling tickets through agents since there is the payment of agents’ commissions. Another is the avoiding of costs incurred with the installation of computerized systems required to process reservations and other customer services.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More To cut down on costs incurred in maintenance of aircrafts, Southwest Airlines invested on only one type of aircraft. This is the Boeing 737. This ensures the maintenance practices are made standard (Ivanovich, 2008). The airline also works with new aircraft rather than maintain old fleet that is not fuel-efficient (Lunsford, 2008; Koenig, 2005). Kelleher, the founder, has contributed a lot to the success of the company by leading by example. He has practiced the art of employee motivation and made the working environment conducive. When an employee works over time, Kelleher goes there in person to thank him or her. This way, he maintains good relationships with the employees. Once in a while, he goes and works with the employees, serving drinks, moving baggage and selling tickets in order to lead by example instead of leading by direction. Another aspect that the company employs in order to be successful is the involvement of the customers. The customers are allowed to give feedback about the services and this helps the company to make adjustments where needed. Both the manager and the employers make a point of interacting with the clients at a more personal way and the staff members are often known by their first names by the customers. This allows them to report about their likes and dislikes about the staff and this gives the company good grounds on dealing with any form of misconduct. Thousands of letters stream into the company’s office every month and the company takes every issue very seriously and answers all of them (Sartain, 1998). What should be done to improve the services Too much has been done by the company already and that explains why it is very successful. It has exploited every aspect of service delivery and has succeeded in making an impact both within and without the company. I would only recommend that the company with the same team spirit and hard work. Conclusion Southwest Airlines is a company that has grown over the many years and has been one of the most successful airlines around. This success has been attributed to many factors, some of them including the good management, good working conditions and good working principles. The customer service is amazing and this has led many customers to choose Southwest Airlines. References Blanco, C Shimoda, N 2005. Airlines hedging strategies: The shareholder value perspective. Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. Compart, A 2009. Southwest offers $170 Million for frontiers, The McGraw-Hill, New York. Ivanovich, D 2008. ‘Inspector: Southwest’s FAA ties let planes fly with cracks’, Houston Chronicles, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 12-15. Kaiser, R 1997. ‘Southwest may add cities to Iceland deal’, Baltimore Business Journal, vol. 15, no.1, p 131. Koenig, D 2005. ‘Airlines that hedged against fuel costs reap benefits’, The Washington Post, 21 October, p. 3. Lee, C Maxton, T 2000. ‘Southwest to announce expansion at the Love Fields $72 million project would add jobs, but no more flights’, The Dallas Morning News, 13 March, p.2. Lunsford, J 2008. ‘Airlines dip into hot water to save jet fuel’, Wall Street Journal, vol. 4, no. 3, pp 102-107. Maxton, T 1996. ‘Council OKs Southwest land lease Headquarters addition, training center planned’, The Dallas Morning News, 14 March, p. 4. Mutzabaugh, B 2011. ‘Oakland gets Mexico City nonstop on Volaris’, USA Today, 22 August, p.1. Oldham, J 1996. ‘Southwest Airlines expands its corporate headquarters to prepare for the next century’, Business Wire, 11 December, p.7. Sartain, L 1998. ‘Why and how Southwest Airlines uses consultants’, Journal of Management consulting, vol.21, no.3, pp.10-16. This report on Operations Management in Southwest Airlines was written and submitted by user Kayden Roth 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.

Use of Animals for Biomedical Research essays

Use of Animals for Biomedical Research essays Animal testing has been a hotly debated topic for many years among animal rights activists and scientists. Although research scientists claim that there are many benefits that can result from animal testing, it is, nonetheless, cruel and harmful to the animals involved. Many of these animals are taken out of shelters and used for science experiments instead of having a chance to reside in a home with people who genuinely care about them. Scientists and researchers believe that testing trial product chemicals on an animal will benefit humans in the long run since they don't have to suffer the harsh side effects that the animals have to suffer while In Carl Cohen's article "Do Animals Have Rights," he talks about his opinion on animal rights and how he believes that animals do not have rights for many reasons. In regards to animal testing and biomedical research, Cohen casts off any idea that animals would come out on top in this argument and makes the claim that we as people have the duty to protect our fellow people of the world and conduct experiments to "alleviate human suffering and protect human lives." Cohen argues that animals have no rights for the sheer fact that animals do not have moral claims and obligations in which people can base these rights off of. According to Cohen since animals cannot possess rights, they do not have any rights, and we are not violating any of their rights when we use them for biomedical research because they never had any rights to begin with. He also believes that animals "lack the capacity for free moral judgment,"there fore they are unable to respond to moral claims. If it came down to saving the life of a dog and saving the life of a human, the obvious morally right choice without a question would be saving the human life. Although he thinks it is wrong for animals to suffer and obviously they should not purposely be suffering for any ra...

What exactly makes a good counsellor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

What exactly makes a good counsellor - Essay Example All a counselor does is dealing and communicating with human beings in need of help and guidance. Therefore, a good counselor should be a compassionate human, a gentle friend and a sympathetic listener, before every other thing. The role of counseling today is evidently on the rise in every walk of life, whether it is work, health, family, personal, social or individual lives of human beings.This paper provides an investigation into the core traits or characteristics that conjure up, in the truest sense, the picture of a good counselor.For this purpose, the paper provides a brief exploration of the term 'counseling' to illustrate what the role of counsellor actually entails and then proceeds to the crux of the discussion, i.e., an evaluation of the essential features that make a good counselor in any field.Counselling, fundamentally is a term used to refer to the collaboration of a person with other people to help them easily cope with the problems encountered in life and guide them to act decisively and hopefully towards their goals. As Burks and Stefflre (1979, p14) define it,"Counseling denotes a professional relationship between a trained counsellor and a client. This relationship is usually person-to-person designed to help clients to understand and clarify their views of their life space, and to learn to reach their self-determined goals through meaningful, well-informed choices and through resolution of problems of an emotional or interpersonal nature". Hence, the authors' words mentioned above comprehensively pen down the complete picture of a counsellor's role and responsibility in effectuating significance and instigating substance into one's life. The main purpose of the counselling profession revolves around the word 'help', i.e., whatever the counsellor does is meant only to help, assist or guide a person or client to bring about change in his life in a successful or at least in a satisfied and confident fashion. Man-tak Yuen (1993, p30) depict that, "in counselling, the client is helped to increase self-consciousness, develop positive self-concept, commit in relationships, achieve in tasks, and strive for meanings in life". What Makes A Good Counsellor At the essence of this paper is the exploration of the aspects crucial for the development of a good counsellor. Observed efficaciously, there appears to be a bundle of attributes that the researchers (e.g. Man-tak Yuen (1993), Combs, Richard and Richard (1976), and Peavy (1997) etc.) point out to be essential in building a good counsellor. What actually is pre-eminent in becoming a good counsellor is a cluster of human, social and professional values instigated into a single personality. These specific qualities or features, as they may be referred to, are important in developing the personality of the counsellor to the extent that he can be able to guide others in an efficient and responsible manner. Some of these dimensions have been specified by Man-tak Yuen (1993, p32) as "positive self-concept, belief in human dignity and potentiality, acuity, and counsellors' capacities to orientate towards goal and communicate respect, empathy, genuineness and concreteness are essential personal qualities of an effective counsellor". All these qualities are, in essence, personal and human qualities that are imperative for a counsellor for the reason that if he lacks these traits for himself, there will remain less probability that he inspires these attributes into other human beings. In order to help clients invigorate effective personal qualities into their lives, the counsellor needs to experience these values primarily. People are different in their backgrounds, approaches, thoughts, feelings, attitudes and responses. To know how to communicate and help different kind of people, a good counsellor should be ready to learn to dig out the perceptions of people he comes across. Combs, Richard and Richard (1976) (as cited in Man-tak Yuen, 1993, p30) explain this as, "when we know how people see themselves, much of their behaviours become clear to us, and often we can predict with great accuracy what they are likely to do next".

Theories and Models of Journalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Theories and Models of Journalism - Essay Example The theory of the spiral of silence was proposed by Neumann in 1974 (Spiral of silence, 2010). Through this theory, she attempted to examine the reasons for the misjudgment of the Germans towards their political leaders and political positions, and felt she could find a reason for the support of the Germans for such political positions as would result in their social degradation and humiliation (Spiral of silence, 2010). This theory essentially concerns itself with public opinion and the expression of that opinion. It claims that the expression of public opinion is dependent on three factors, which basically form the psychological basis of the general public: the public has a sixth sense about popular beliefs and the direction of opinion without having access to any official reports (Spiral of silence, 2010); they are fearful of being neglected and socially isolated (Spiral of silence, 2010); and due to this fear, they are very reserved when it comes to expressing minority beliefs an d opinions, choosing rather to remain quiet or change their opinion towards the popular form than to adhere to their minority opinions (Spiral of silence, 2010). Banking on these three factors, the mass media tends to direct the public opinion towards a specific direction, favoring a specific side to an issue. Therefore, it is not necessary that whatever the media depicts is true of the general opinion. Moreover, some people might actually base their opinions on what the mass media is projecting (Spiral of silence, 2010). The other theory to be considered is the theory of political economy, or as it is more recently known, the International Political Economy (Timimi, 2010). This theory basically explains the relationship between economics and politics, and the way economics is handled across borders on an international level between states and nations in terms of trade and social sciences (Timimi, 2010). However, recently, this theory has also been applied to the mass media and jour nalism when it was felt that the mass media was playing a very important role, and somewhat beyond its perceived area of operation, in portraying the interests and supporting the cause of a certain group in the national politics (McChesney, 1989). Although it is believed that the media is supposed to be autonomous and unbiased, depicting the truth as it is, it is often felt that the actual case is somewhat different, in that the media is inclined towards the ruling elite, and favors their agenda (McChesney, 1989). This is in no way an accusation of a conspiracy theory being played by the media (McChesney, 1989); it is just an analysis of the bias and inclination that the media tends to have towards a certain agenda or political party, and therefore, influences the public opinion by projecting in favor of that party (McChesney, 1989). For the purpose of analysis and application of these theories, the online version of the Daily Times has been discussed in light of these two theories. First the homepage will be analyzed, and then two articles linked to the homepage will be examined. The homepage of the Daily Times, dated January 4, 2012, contains the headlines about the decision of the Prime Minister of Pakistan regarding the creation of new provinces. It also has links to articles that fuel the current and ongoing struggle between the three main political parties of the region for the upcoming elections (Daily Times, 2012). The spiral of silence theorists might object to

Decline in sales at Fischer Holmes

Decline in sales at Fischer Holmes 1.0 Introduction: 1.0.1 Purpose and Background: The purpose of this report is to determine the cause of the decline in sales at Fischer Holmes and to recommend possible solutions to the prevalent problems. This report is in response to the declining sales of the last 8 months. By compiling data gathered from psychological tests undertaken by sales staff over the same periods in the past 4 years and comparing this with the sales figures of the respective periods, we have come up a graph shown in appendix 1.The graph indicates a direct relation with the morale of the sales staff and the decline in sales. The drop in morale seems to have started when FH underwent company-wide restructuring a year ago. This restructuring led to untrained sales agents gaining promotion to sales manager. 1.0.2 Scope: Discuss and analyze each problem individually: How and why the specific problems have occurred. Recommendations will also be discussed individually per problem: What will recommend needs to be done to rectify the problem. 1.0.3 Methodology: Observe the work area and how personnel interact with each other. Examine all personnel records and employment histories of sales staff. Conduct interviews and psychological evaluations with sales personnel. 2.0Background: Name of company, purpose, year established, countries which it operates in. 3.0 Results and Recommendations: 3.1 Downward Communication 3.1.0Problems: The problems we have encountered include poor downward communication in general from sales managers to agents and also poor downward communication by managers during team meetings. 3.1.1Analysis: From the collection of data we, as a company, hypothesize that the promotion of these managers without appropriate management skills and training has resulted in a lack of concern and care for their subordinates. Further to this, it has been discovered that managers are predominantly using fear to generate desired sales. This becomes apparent in team meetings, where the managers clear lack of managerial competence becomes obvious through the agents forcefulness towards sales staff in an attempt to make more sales. Psychological data gathered shows that sales agents morale is at their lowest after team meetings. We further theorize that this overall negative attitude of several sales managers has resulted in lack of motivation and increase of absenteeism amongst the sales agents; which has led to their dismal performances. 3.1.2Recommendations: We have come up with a number of solutions to combat these workplace problems and have compiled them in a list as follows: Conduct an in-depth analysis of the sales managers current skills to determine their managerial traits and ability to lead a sales team. We Recommend that those found fit will undergo individual coaching by People Bridge and those found unfit will attend a comprehensive management skills training workshop and will also undergo individual coaching. Conduct meeting facilitation workshop focusing on creating an agenda and motivation of a sales team. Have a â€Å"People Bridge† consultant sit in during the first few sales team meetings as a follow-up step. All sales managers will undergo communication skills workshop. Have all managers join Toastmasters Clubs in their area as a follow-up on communication skills training. 3.2 Upward Communication 3.2.0 Problem: Another main problem we have encountered is the poor upward communication by sales agents who have not been submitting their sales reports to their sales managers and also the poor upward communication by sales managers in submitting â€Å"guesswork† reports to higher management. 3.2.1 Analysis: From conducting this investigation, People Bridge hasfound that sales managers do not have concern for the importance of the data provided in their agents sales reports. We have observed that sales managers seldom require their agents to submit their reports. In a survey conducted on the sales agents, we found that 89% of the agents did not know the proper format of a sales report and that 76% did not know that they were required to submit a sales report. We have also observed that FH does not utilize a contact resource management (CRM) system.YOU NEED TO EXPLAIN WHAT A CRM IS AND WHAT IT DOES!!! We further theorize that sales managers will often submit â€Å"guesswork† reports to higher management. This is due sales managers inability to recognize sales reports from their agents and therefore go to higher management for support. In a related survey, 100% of the sales managers submit their reports but the apparently wrong information submitted by the sales managers may have led management to misread the market and come up with ineffective strategies to augment company sales. 3.2.2 Recommendations: People Bridge has come up with several solutions have been found to fix these problems. These include: Employing a free web-based CRM and make it compulsory for the sales team to use. Coach higher management on how to use the CRM to monitor all sales activity. By doing this we hope to encourage the sales agents and managers to do their reports. Conduct training to all necessary personnel on how to use the CRM. Conduct refresher sales training for existing sales agents focusing on the importance of reports. Conduct data analysis training for sales managers. Purchase permanent CRM if necessary. 4.1 Recommendation Summary and Conclusion: Our recommendationspredominantly focus on the sales managers and how to bring them up to the competency level FH requires. Complementary trainings and coaching needs to be scheduled for higher management and the sales agents in order to support the activities for the sales managers and get the business back on track. We have divided the recommendations as follows: Analyse Conduct an in-depth analysis of the sales managers managerial skills, reporting habits and attitudes to determine proper courses of actions. Trainings, Workshops and Coaching This is to arm all necessary personnel with proper skills, habits and attitudes to ensure every employee is equipped to perform their task. Software Application (CRM) This is to create a quick, effective and easy reporting environment that higher management can utilize to monitor what transpires in the sales department. It is apparent that the main problem is the inability of sales managers to communicate and lead their teams. Therefore, it is imperative that we train the sales managers immediately and that the avenues of communications (CRM, meetings, etc.) be utilized properly. By doing this, we will be able to regain your â€Å"lost ground† in sales.

Relationship Between Humans and Objects

CUL341 INDIVIDUAL REPORT Indeed, there is a powerful relationship between humans and objects in today’s society. An object is a tangible something that one can take hold off with their senses. Some objects have the power to create social relations between humans, for example there is the trident and the wand that changes the image of a person who utilizes the object. Indeed, such are objects that allow the power of symbolism to give meaning to human activity.The trident is one of these objects that have the great power to create social relations. A trident is a long stick usually having a small double-u (w) looking symbol at the top of it. It’s a three-pronged spear known for giving social power to a person or vice versa, a powerful person in the society carries it and utilizes it to express their power. Although the object has many other uses such as fishing and also as a weapon, there are several examples in history where it would be carried just to symbolize power.In Hinduism, their God Shiva and the Roman God Neptune too are both are known for a trident being clutched to them most of the time. The trident gives a different image of one who carries it; it expresses their power to the society. In Roman myth, God Neptune used it to create earthquakes and other natural disasters as it was indeed a powerful object, and hence created social relations between the Gods and their worshippers as it allowed them to see the power it has.Today we obviously don’t see powerful people carrying it around; however, it is still seen in animated TV shows and movies to give a meaning to the character. It is seen in the little mermaid where King Triton bears it on him to convey his power to the rest of the creatures of the sea. Also in the Lion King, the monkey who is characterized to be an influential persona popping up when someone needs advice amongst the animal kingdom bears the trident on him at all times. Thus, again the object is able to create social relations amongst the characters.Another object that was discussed is the wand. The wand is a thin stick made from wood, of even sometimes metal. They are known to give a magical sense to one who bears it. The wand indeed also creates social relations amongst people as when one utilises a wand, he is will be known to be a person who performs magical spells. The wand is used to perform magical spells so therefore, the one who bears it is conveyed by the society to have great power as wands can only be owned and used by a fairy, wizard, witch or a sorcerer.Wands are known to have also created social relations in historical myths and legends. In Roman myths, Mercury also beared a wand that allowed the worshippers to have a powerful view of Mercury amongst the society. In fairy tales and other science fiction, the magic wand is used to do many powerful acts used for good and evil. Evil acts include defeating or transforming people into animals and good acts can include used for protect ion or other useful acts like opening a locked door.Some fairytales in which the wand is used widely is Cinderella where the fairy godmother would have the power to perform good acts such as make Cinderella beautiful and grant her clothes to go to the ball. Furthermore, in today’s world we most often exposed to wands and their magic in popular fiction novels and movies/TV shows. A well known novel plus movie is Harry Potter. Harry Potter is a wizard who studies at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. His aim in the movie is to defeat his enemy Lord Voldemort who killed his parents.Everything in the fictional movie is pretty done through the power of the wand. The good acts, the bad acts by wizards and witches gives viewers insight to how a single object can create such social relations in a society. Indeed, a single object can have the power to shape ones image of a persona. Indeed, in the modern world, the relationship between objects and humans has developed to becom e a great influence on the view one has for another in the society. It is evident that the triton and the wand both are very good examples of such objects enhance their powers to create social relations amongst humanity.A Trident has been used in history and even today in fiction movies to allow a view of a persona to be great and powerful. Similarly, the wand also creates social relations amongst a society where one can be seen as a normal person and just by bearing a wand; he will be seen to be a wizard whom can perform magical spells. Indeed, Objects can enhance the power of symbolism and give a different meaning to a person. REFERENCES http://www. ehow. com/about_4759212_magic-wand-stories. html http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Trident

The Twilight Saga 3: Eclipse Chapter 14. DECLARATION

â€Å"YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS,† I SAID WEDNESDAY AFTERnoon. â€Å"You've completely lost your mind!† â€Å"Say whatever you like about me,† Alice answered. â€Å"The party is still on.† I stared at her, my eyes so wide with disbelief it felt like they might fall out and land on my lunch tray. â€Å"Oh, calm down, Bella! There's no reason not to go through with it. Besides, the invitations are already sent.† â€Å"But . . . the . . . you . . . I . . . insane!† I spluttered. â€Å"You've already bought my present,† she reminded me. â€Å"You don't have to do anything but show up.† I made an effort to calm myself. â€Å"With everything that is going on right now, a party is hardly appropriate.† â€Å"Graduation is what's going on right now, and a party is so appropriate it's almost pass.† â€Å"Alice!† She sighed, and tried to be serious. â€Å"There are a few things we need to get in order now, and that's going to take a little time. As long as we're sitting here waiting, we might as well commemorate the good stuff. You're only going to graduate from high school – for the first time – once. You don't get to be human again, Bella. This is a once-in-a-lifetime shot.† Edward, silent through our little argument, flashed her a warning look. She stuck out her tongue at him. She was right – her soft voice would never carry over the babble of the cafeteria. And no one would understand the meaning behind her words in any case. â€Å"What few things do we need to get in order?† I asked, refusing to be sidetracked. Edward answered in a low voice. â€Å"Jasper thinks we could use some help. Tanya's family isn't the only choice we have. Carlisle's trying to track down a few old friends, and Jasper is looking up Peter and Charlotte. He's considering talking to Maria . . . but no one really wants to involve the southerners.† Alice shuddered delicately. â€Å"It shouldn't be too hard to convince them to help,† he continued. â€Å"Nobody wants a visit from Italy.† â€Å"But these friends – they're not going to be . . . vegetarians, right?† I protested, using the Cullens' tongue-in-cheek nickname for themselves. â€Å"No,† Edward answered, suddenly expressionless. â€Å"Here? In Forks?† â€Å"They're friends,† Alice reassured me. â€Å"Everything's going to be fine. Don't worry. And then, Jasper has to teach us a few courses on newborn elimination. . . .† Edward's eyes brightened at that, and a brief smile flashed across his face. My stomach suddenly felt like it was full of sharp little splinters of ice. â€Å"When are you going?† I asked in a hollow voice. I couldn't stand this – the idea that someone might not come back. What if it was Emmett, so brave and thoughtless that he was never the least bit cautious? Or Esme, so sweet and motherly that I couldn't even imagine her in a fight? Or Alice, so tiny, so fragile-looking? Or . . . but I couldn't even think the name, consider the possibility. â€Å"A week,† Edward said casually. â€Å"That ought to give us enough time.† The icy splinters twisted uncomfortably in my stomach. I was suddenly nauseated. â€Å"You look kind of green, Bella,† Alice commented. Edward put his arm around me and pulled me tightly against his side. â€Å"It's going to be fine, Bella. Trust me.† Sure, I thought to myself. Trust him. He wasn't the one who was going to have to sit behind and wonder whether or not the core of his existence was going to come home. And then it occurred to me. Maybe I didn't need to sit behind. A week was more than enough time. â€Å"You're looking for help,† I said slowly. â€Å"Yes.† Alice's head cocked to the side as she processed the change in my tone. I looked only at her as I answered. My voice was just slightly louder than a whisper. â€Å"I could help.† Edward's body was suddenly rigid, his arm too tight around me. He exhaled, and the sound was a hiss. But it was Alice, still calm, who answered. â€Å"That really wouldn't be helpful.† â€Å"Why not?† I argued; I could hear the desperation in my voice. â€Å"Eight is better than seven. There's more than enough time.† â€Å"There's not enough time to make you helpful, Bella,† she disagreed coolly. â€Å"Do you remember how Jasper described the young ones? You'd be no good in a fight. You wouldn't be able to control your instincts, and that would make you an easy target. And then Edward would get hurt trying to protect you.† She folded her arms across her chest, pleased with her unassailable logic. And I knew she was right, when she put it like that. I slumped in my seat, my sudden hope defeated. Beside me, Edward relaxed. He whispered the reminder in my ear. â€Å"Not because you're afraid.† â€Å"Oh,† Alice said, and a blank look crossed her face. Then her expression became surly. â€Å"I hate last- minute cancellations. So that puts the party attendance list down to sixty-five. . . .† â€Å"Sixty-five!† My eyes bulged again. I didn't have that many friends. Did I even know that many people? â€Å"Who canceled?† Edward wondered, ignoring me. â€Å"Rene.† â€Å"What?† I gasped. â€Å"She was going to surprise you for your graduation, but something went wrong. You'll have a message when you get home.† For a moment, I just let myself enjoy the relief. Whatever it was that went wrong for my mother, I was eternally grateful to it. If she had come to Forks now . . . I didn't want to think about it. My head would explode. The message light was flashing when I got home. My feeling of relief flared again as I listened to my mother describe Phil's accident on the ball field – while demonstrating a slide, he'd tangled up with the catcher and broken his thigh bone; he was entirely dependent on her, and there was no way she could leave him. My mom was still apologizing when the message cut off. â€Å"Well, that's one,† I sighed. â€Å"One what?† Edward asked. â€Å"One person I don't have to worry about getting killed this week.† He rolled his eyes. â€Å"Why won't you and Alice take this seriously?† I demanded. â€Å"This is serious.† He smiled. â€Å"Confidence.† â€Å"Wonderful,† I grumbled. I picked up the phone and dialed Rene's number. I knew it would be a long conversation, but I also knew that I wouldn't have to contribute much. I just listened, and reassured her every time I could get a word in: I wasn't disappointed, I wasn't mad, I wasn't hurt. She should concentrate on helping Phil get better. I passed on my â€Å"get well soon† to Phil, and promised to call her with every single detail from Forks High's generic graduation. Finally, I had to use my desperate need to study for finals to get off the phone. Edward's patience was endless. He waited politely through the whole conversation, just playing with my hair and smiling whenever I looked up. It was probably superficial to notice such things while I had so many more important things to think about, but his smile still knocked the breath out of me. He was so beautiful that it made it hard sometimes to think about anything else, hard to concentrate on Phil's troubles or Rene's apologies or hostile vampire armies. I was only human. As soon as I hung up, I stretched onto my tiptoes to kiss him. He put his hands around my waist and lifted me onto the kitchen counter, so I wouldn't have to reach as far. That worked for me. I locked my arms around his neck and melted against his cold chest. Too soon, as usual, he pulled away. I felt my face slip into a pout. He laughed at my expression as he extricated himself from my arms and legs. He leaned against the counter next to me and put one arm lightly around my shoulders. â€Å"I know you think that I have some kind of perfect, unyielding self-control, but that's not actually the case.† â€Å"I wish,† I sighed. And he sighed, too. â€Å"After school tomorrow,† he said, changing the subject, â€Å"I'm going hunting with Carlisle, Esme, and Rosalie. Just for a few hours – we'll stay close. Alice, Jasper, and Emmett should be able to keep you safe.† â€Å"Ugh,† I grumbled. Tomorrow was the first day of finals, and it was only a half-day. I had Calculus and History – the only two challenges in my line-up – so I'd have almost the whole day without him, and nothing to do but worry. â€Å"I hate being babysat.† â€Å"It's temporary,† he promised. â€Å"Jasper will be bored. Emmett will make fun of me.† â€Å"They'll be on their best behavior.† â€Å"Right,† I grumbled. And then it occurred to me that I did have one option besides babysitters. â€Å"You know . . . I haven't been to La Push since the bonfire.† I watched his face carefully for any change in expression. His eyes tightened the tiniest bit. â€Å"I'd be safe enough there,† I reminded him. He thought about it for a few seconds. â€Å"You're probably right.† His face was calm, but just a little too smooth. I almost asked if he'd rather I stayed here, but then I thought of the ribbing Emmett would no doubt dish out, and I changed the subject. â€Å"Are you thirsty already?† I asked, reaching up to stroke the light shadow beneath his eye. His irises were still a deep gold. â€Å"Not really.† He seemed reluctant to answer, and that surprised me. I waited for an explanation. â€Å"We want to be as strong as possible,† he explained, still reluctant. â€Å"We'll probably hunt again on the way, looking for big game.† â€Å"That makes you stronger?† He searched my face for something, but there was nothing to find but curiosity. â€Å"Yes,† he finally said. â€Å"Human blood makes us the strongest, though only fractionally. Jasper's been thinking about cheating – adverse as he is to the idea, he's nothing if not practical – but he won't suggest it. He knows what Carlisle will say.† â€Å"Would that help?† I asked quietly. â€Å"It doesn't matter. We aren't going to change who we are.† I frowned. If something helped even the odds . . . and then I shuddered, realizing I was willing to have a stranger die to protect him. I was horrified at myself, but not entirely able to deny it, either. He changed the subject again. â€Å"That's why they're so strong, of course. The newborns are full of human blood – their own blood, reacting to the change. It lingers in the tissues and strengthens them. Their bodies use it up slowly, like Jasper said, the strength starting to wane after about a year.† â€Å"How strong will I be?† He grinned. â€Å"Stronger than I am.† â€Å"Stronger than Emmett?† The grin got bigger. â€Å"Yes. Do me a favor and challenge him to an arm-wrestling match. It would be a good experience for him.† I laughed. It sounded so ridiculous. Then I sighed and hopped down from the counter, because I really couldn't put it off any longer. I had to cram, and cram hard. Luckily I had Edward's help, and Edward was an excellent tutor – since he knew absolutely everything. I figured my biggest problem would be just focusing on the tests. If I didn't watch myself, I might end up writing my History essay on the vampire wars of the South. I took a break to call Jacob, and Edward seemed just as comfortable as he had when I was on the phone with Rene. He played with my hair again. Though it was the middle of the afternoon, my call woke Jacob up, and he was grouchy at first. He cheered right up when I asked if I could visit the next day. The Quileute school was already out for the summer, so he told me to come over as early as I could. I was pleased to have an option besides being babysat. There was a tiny bit more dignity in spending the day with Jacob. Some of that dignity was lost when Edward insisted again on delivering me to the border line like a child being exchanged by custodial guardians. â€Å"So how do you feel you did on your exams?† Edward asked on the way, making small talk. â€Å"History was easy, but I don't know about the Calculus. It seemed like it was making sense, so that probably means I failed.† He laughed. â€Å"I'm sure you did fine. Or, if you're really worried, I could bribe Mr. Varner to give you an A.† â€Å"Er, thanks, but no thanks.† He laughed again, but suddenly stopped when we turned the last bend and saw the red car waiting. He frowned in concentration, and then, as he parked the car, he sighed. â€Å"What's wrong?† I asked, my hand on the door. He shook his head. â€Å"Nothing.† His eyes were narrowed as he stared through the windshield toward the other car. I'd seen that look before. â€Å"You're not listening to Jacob, are you?† I accused. â€Å"It's not easy to ignore someone when he's shouting.† â€Å"Oh.† I thought about that for a second. â€Å"What's he shouting?† I whispered. â€Å"I'm absolutely certain he'll mention it himself,† Edward said in a wry tone. I would have pressed the issue, but then Jacob honked his horn – two quick impatient honks. â€Å"That's impolite,† Edward growled. â€Å"That's Jacob,† I sighed, and I hurried out before Jacob did something to really set Edward's teeth on edge. I waved to Edward before I got into the Rabbit and, from that distance, it looked like he was truly upset about the honking thing . . . or whatever Jacob was thinking about. But my eyes were weak and made mistakes all the time. I wanted Edward to come to me. I wanted to make both of them get out of their cars and shake hands and be friends – be Edward and Jacob rather than vampire and werewolf. It was as if I had those two stubborn magnets in my hands again, and I was holding them together, trying to force nature to reverse herself. . . . I sighed, and climbed in Jacob's car. â€Å"Hey, Bells.† Jake's tone was cheerful, but his voice dragged. I examined his face as he started down the road, driving a little faster than I did, but slower than Edward, on his way back to La Push. Jacob looked different, maybe even sick. His eyelids drooped and his face was drawn. His shaggy hair stuck out in random directions; it was almost to his chin in some places. â€Å"Are you all right, Jake?† â€Å"Just tired,† he managed to get out before he was overcome by a massive yawn. When he finished, he asked, â€Å"What do you want to do today?† I eyed him for a moment. â€Å"Let's just hang out at your place for now,† I suggested. He didn't look like he was up for much more than that. â€Å"We can ride our bikes later.† â€Å"Sure, sure,† he said, yawning again. Jacob's house was vacant, and that felt strange. I realized I thought of Billy as a nearly permanent fixture there. â€Å"Where's your dad?† â€Å"Over at the Clearwaters'. He's been hanging out there a lot since Harry died. Sue gets lonely.† Jacob sat down on the old couch that was no bigger than a loveseat and squished himself to the side to make room for me. â€Å"Oh. That's nice. Poor Sue.† â€Å"Yeah . . . she's having some trouble. . . .† He hesitated. â€Å"With her kids.† â€Å"Sure, it's got to be hard on Seth and Leah, losing their dad. . . .† â€Å"Uh-huh,† he agreed, lost in thought. He picked up the remote and flipped on the TV without seeming to think about it. He yawned. â€Å"What's with you, Jake? You're like a zombie.† â€Å"I got about two hours of sleep last night, and four the night before,† he told me. He stretched his long arms slowly, and I could hear the joints crack as he flexed. He settled his left arm along the back of the sofa behind me, and slumped back to rest his head against the wall. â€Å"I'm exhausted.† â€Å"Why aren't you sleeping?† I asked. He made a face. â€Å"Sam's being difficult. He doesn't trust your bloodsuckers. I've been running double shifts for two weeks and nobody's touched me yet, but he still doesn't buy it. So I'm on my own for now.† â€Å"Double shifts? Is this because you're trying to watch out for me? Jake, that's wrong! You need to sleep. I'll be fine.† â€Å"It's no big deal.† His eyes were abruptly more alert. â€Å"Hey, did you ever find out who was in your room? Is there anything new?† I ignored the second question. â€Å"No, we didn't find anything out about my, um, visitor.† â€Å"Then I'll be around,† he said as his eyes slid closed. â€Å"Jake . . . ,† I started to whine. â€Å"Hey, it's the least I can do – I offered eternal servitude, remember. I'm your slave for life.† â€Å"I don't want a slave!† His eyes didn't open. â€Å"What do you want, Bella?† â€Å"I want my friend Jacob – and I don't want him half-dead, hurting himself in some misguided attempt -â€Å" He cut me off. â€Å"Look at it this way – I'm hoping I can track down a vampire I'm allowed to kill, okay?† I didn't answer. He looked at me then, peeking at my reaction. â€Å"Kidding, Bella.† I stared at the TV. â€Å"So, any special plans next week? You're graduating. Wow. That's big.† His voice turned flat, and his face, already drawn, looked downright haggard as his eyes closed again – not in exhaustion this time, but in denial. I realized that graduation still had a horrible significance for him, though my intentions were now disrupted. â€Å"No special plans,† I said carefully, hoping he would hear the reassurance in my words without a more detailed explanation. I didn't want to get into it now. For one thing, he didn't look up for any difficult conversations. For another, I knew he would read too much into my qualms. â€Å"Well, I do have to go to a graduation party. Mine.† I made a disgusted sound. â€Å"Alice loves parties, and she's invited the whole town to her place the night of. It's going to be horrible.† His eyes opened as I spoke, and a relieved smile made his face look less worn. â€Å"I didn't get an invitation. I'm hurt,† he teased. â€Å"Consider yourself invited. It's supposedly my party, so I should be able to ask who I want.† â€Å"Thanks,† he said sarcastically, his eyes slipping closed once more. â€Å"I wish you would come,† I said without any hope. â€Å"It would be more fun. For me, I mean.† â€Å"Sure, sure,† he mumbled. â€Å"That would be very . . . wise . . .† His voice trailed off. A few seconds later, he was snoring. Poor Jacob. I studied his dreaming face, and liked what I saw. While he slept, every trace of defensiveness and bitterness disappeared and suddenly he was the boy who had been my very best friend before all the werewolf nonsense had gotten in the way. He looked so much younger. He looked like my Jacob. I nestled into the couch to wait out his nap, hoping he would sleep for a while and make up some of what he'd lost. I flipped through channels, but there wasn't much on. I settled for a cooking show, knowing, as I watched, that I'd never put that much effort into Charlie's dinner. Jacob continued to snore, getting louder. I turned up the TV. I was strangely relaxed, almost sleepy, too. This house felt safer than my own, probably because no one had ever come looking for me here. I curled up on the sofa and thought about taking a nap myself. Maybe I would have, but Jacob's snoring was impossible to tune out. So, instead of sleeping, I let my mind wander. Finals were done, and most of them had been a cakewalk. Calculus, the one exception, was behind me, pass or fail. My high school education was over. And I didn't really know how I felt about that. I couldn't look at it objectively, tied up as it was with my human life being over. I wondered how long Edward planned to use this â€Å"not because you're scared† excuse. I was going to have to put my foot down sometime. If I were thinking practically, I knew it made more sense to ask Carlisle to change me the second I made it through the graduation line. Forks was becoming nearly as dangerous as a war zone. No, Forks was a war zone. Not to mention . . . it would be a good excuse to miss the graduation party. I smiled to myself as I thought of that most trivial of reasons for changing. Silly . . . yet still compelling. But Edward was right – I wasn't quite ready yet. And I didn't want to be practical. I wanted Edward to be the one. It wasn't a rational desire. I was sure that – about two seconds after someone actually bit me and the venom started burning through my veins – I really wouldn't care anymore who had done it. So it shouldn't make a difference. It was hard to define, even to myself, why it mattered. There was just something about him being the one to make the choice – to want to keep me enough that he wouldn't just allow me to be changed, he would act to keep me. It was childish, but I liked the idea that his lips would be the last good thing I would feel. Even more embarrassingly, something I would never say aloud, I wanted his venom to poison my system. It would make me belong to him in a tangible, quantifiable way. But I knew he was going to stick to his marriage scheme like glue – because a delay was what he was clearly after and it was working so far. I tried to imagine telling my parents that I was getting married this summer. Telling Angela and Ben and Mike. I couldn't. I couldn't think of the words to say. It would be easier to tell them I was becoming a vampire. And I was sure that at least my mother – were I to tell her every detail of the truth – would be more strenuously opposed to me getting married than to me a becoming vampire. I grimaced to myself as I imagined her horrified expression. Then, for just a second, I saw that same odd vision of Edward and me on a porch swing, wearing clothes from another kind of world. A world where it would surprise no one if I wore his ring on my finger. A simpler place, where love was defined in simpler ways. One plus one equals two. . . . Jacob snorted and rolled to his side. His arm swung off the back of the couch and pinned me against his body. Holy crow, but he was heavy! And hot. It was sweltering after just a few seconds. I tried to slide out from under his arm without waking him, but I had to shove a little bit, and when his arm fell off me, his eyes snapped open. He jumped to his feet, looking around anxiously. â€Å"What? What?† he asked, disoriented. â€Å"It's just me, Jake. Sorry I woke you.† He turned to look at me, blinking and confused. â€Å"Bella?† â€Å"Hey, sleepy.† â€Å"Oh, man! Did I fall asleep? I'm sorry! How long was I out?† â€Å"A few Emerils. I lost count.† He flopped back on the couch next to me. â€Å"Wow. Sorry about that, really.† I patted his hair, trying to smooth the wild disarray. â€Å"Don't feel bad. I'm glad you got some sleep.† He yawned and stretched. â€Å"I'm useless these days. No wonder Billy's always gone. I'm so boring.† â€Å"You're fine,† I assured him. â€Å"Ugh, let's go outside. I need to walk around or I'll pass out again.† â€Å"Jake, go back to sleep. I'm good. I'll call Edward to come pick me up.† I patted my pockets as I spoke, and realized they were empty. â€Å"Shoot, I'll have to borrow your phone. I think I must have left his in the car.† I started to unfold myself. â€Å"No!† Jacob insisted, grabbing my hand. â€Å"No, stay. You hardly ever make it down. I can't believe I wasted all this time.† He pulled me off the couch as he spoke, and then led the way outside, ducking his head as he passed under the doorframe. It had gotten much cooler while Jacob slept; the air was unseasonably cold – there must be a storm on the way. It felt like February, not May. The wintry air seemed to make Jacob more alert. He paced back and forth in front of the house for a minute, dragging me along with him. â€Å"I'm an idiot,† he muttered to himself. â€Å"What's the matter, Jake? So you fell asleep.† I shrugged. â€Å"I wanted to talk to you. I can't believe this.† â€Å"Talk to me now,† I said. Jacob met my eyes for a second, and then looked away quickly toward the trees. It almost looked like he was blushing, but it was hard to tell with his dark skin. I suddenly remembered what Edward had said when he dropped me off – that Jacob would tell me whatever he was shouting in his head. I started gnawing on my lip. â€Å"Look,† Jacob said. â€Å"I was planning to do this a little bit differently.† He laughed, and it sounded like he was laughing at himself. â€Å"Smoother,† he added. â€Å"I was going to work up to it, but† – and he looked at the clouds, dimmer as the afternoon progressed – â€Å"I'm out of time to work.† He laughed again, nervous. We were still pacing slowly. â€Å"What are you talking about?† I demanded. He took a deep breath. â€Å"I want to tell you something. And you already know it . . . but I think I should say it out loud anyway. Just so there's never any confusion on the subject.† I planted my feet, and he came to a stop. I took my hand away and folded my arms across my chest. I was suddenly sure that I didn't want to know what he was building up to. Jacob's eyebrows pulled down, throwing his deep-set eyes into shadow. They were pitch black as they bored into mine. â€Å"I'm in love with you, Bella,† Jacob said in a strong, sure voice. â€Å"Bella, I love you. And I want you to pick me instead of him. I know you don't feel that way, but I need the truth out there so that you know your options. I wouldn't want a miscommunication to stand in our way.†