I do not own these characters, although I am tweaking their personalities for my own pleasure. No copyright infringement is intended. Don't sue me, pretty please?
A/N: This is a semi-autobiographical story. Those who know me know which parts are real, and which are products of my own imagination...MANY of the situations and the outcome of the story happened. The ending of this story is planned in real life, and will happen this summer (you'll understand what I mean when that chapter is complete)
I didn't realize how easy it was to replace my best friend Cindy's name with Alice's until I began writing. So, I dedicate this chapter to her.
Cindy is my Alice ;-)
It was my first job, working at a fast-food place, and even though it was probably the sort of job everyone begins with in their money-making adventures, I was a bit nervous. I was a bit of a klutz. Well, the term 'klutz' was probably a nice way of describing me and my frequent visits with the floor, counters, random patches of ice, and so on. Gracefulness was something God had decided to forgo on my list of attributes.
So, it was no surprise that when the first day on the job came, I was a nervous wreck, and these nerves did little for my coordination. I must have spilt five drinks in the first thirty minutes of my shift, causing the thirsty customers to become agitated with me, noting immediately that I must be new. I was 16, and being nearly yelled at during the first thirty minutes of my first shift at my first job. The tears began to form in my eyes as I mopped up the latest Diet Pepsi spill. Thankfully, they did not begin to stream down my face until I was safely in the staff washroom, away from all the customers.
As I wiped my tears with the back of my uniform sleeve, I heard a gentle knock at the ladies' room door.
"Um, are you OK in there?" A pleasant and sympathetic voice called out softly. I contemplated what to reply, but the only thing I would trust my voice to utter was, "Uh-huh." Not surprisingly, my unconvincing confirmation was not enough for the girl at the door.
"Are you sure? I saw you spill that big guy's drink and the glare he shot in your direction. I would be upset, too. That guy's a regular and he's always rude to the newbies who don't treat his Diet Pepsi with respect," The gentle voice said, placing a bit of a sarcastic tone in the words 'diet' and 'respect'. The girl at the door paused and then continued her thought. "He did the same thing to me when I started here a few months ago. The guy's an asshole."
I tried to remember the co-workers that were on duty that shift with me. I didn't remember seeing any girl—she had probably just begun her shift. By the sounds of her youthful voice, she was about my age, if not a bit younger even.
"Come on out. It'll be fine. He's already gotten his food and a new drink, and is long gone by now. Besides, these things happen. You can't expect to be perfect at working this place on your very first shift. That may take at least two shifts," I could hear the smile in her voice as she spoke those last words. I couldn't help but smile, too.
Wiping the last of my tears from my eyes and glancing briefly at the mirror to make sure I didn't look like the walking undead, I opened the door slowly, craning my head to see who it was that had talked me out of the bathroom and put a smile on my face so easily. Before me stood a girl who looked about my age, with short brown hair hidden under the mandatory cap that went along with our uniform, and big brown eyes. Her complexion was flawless and her skin was a colour that reminded me of a porcelain doll my mother, Renee had once given me. The smile that I had heard in her voice was sweet and genuine, and her gaze met mine the second I looked at her.
"Are you OK?" She asked again, this time placing a hand on my shoulder in a gesture of friendship that I did not miss. I simply nodded, still somewhat hurt by experiences so far on the job.
"Don't let it get to you. It's just a job, right? We can have a lot of fun here if we stick together. You're working the drive-thru all week next week, right?"
"Yeah, Gloria wants me cross-trained on everything, so I'm doing a week on all the stations."
The girl nodded and clapped her hands happily. "Good. We're working the drive-thru together then. How about we look out for each other, you know? Watch each other's backs." I smiled at her genuine attempt at befriending me. It was definitely appreciated, especially on a day like it had been.
"I'd like that." I replied simply. She smiled and extended her hand.
"I'm Alice, by the way. Alice Cullen. You're Bella Swan, right? Gloria told us she was hiring a few more people our age to work the part time shifts."
"Yeah, that's me," I took her hand and shook it briefly. "So you're 16, too?"
"Yep," Alice replied contentedly, then nodded. "I have a feeling you and I are going to be great friends!" She giggled, patting my shoulder lightly. "Now, are you ready to get back out there?"
I smiled and nodded. "Sure. Thanks, Alice."
"That's what friends are for."
***
Over the next few months, Alice and I did indeed become very good friends; we became best friends. We had a few similar interests, but it was our differences that complimented each other and made us friends. She was a complete shop-a-holic, and she carried a particular fetish for purses and shoes. When she would beg me to accompany her on one of her many shopping trips, I would witness the sheer madness of her addiction when she would blow almost her entire pay check on her 'retail therapy', as she would call it. I later learned that she really didn't need to have a part time job because her family were quite well-off. The extra money was to help pay for her retail addiction, although it wasn't entirely necessary. Well, that and the fact that she hated being bored and without something productive to do during her off-time from school work.
We were also both similar in that we both had older brothers, and they were very close in age. Alice's older brother, Edward, was exactly four years older than her, while my older brother, Emmett, was five. Our older brothers both loved playing sports and were on their respective high school football teams as the quarterbacks.
While Alice and I lived in the same small town in Washington called Forks, we attended different high schools. Her parents had sent her and her brother to the private school in a neighbouring town not far from their house. This kept our friendship from really taking off while we were in our late teens. We hung out after work sometimes, but it became more infrequent as our shifts grew longer, or the homework loads grew heavier. Either way, I did spend some time at her house on occasion.
On one of those occasions, I met Alice's brother, Edward, for the first time as he opened the door when I knocked. I was immediately blown away by how gorgeous he was. Sure, I had seen pictures that Alice would show me of the family, but pictures did not pay homage to his features accurately. His beauty was a thing to only be fully appreciated in person. His bronze-coloured hair made him look like he had just crawled out of bed, but it somehow suited him. His eyes were a rich emerald green. I could easily see the familial resemblance, but Edward was a man whose handsome features—his strong jaw, his well-shaped nose, his defined cheeks—made him stand apart from anyone else.
I stood frozen for a moment, taking in the beauty that was Edward—my best friend's brother!—when I was pulled back from my daydream by a snap of the fingers. Edward was trying to get my attention.
"Uh, Bella, right? You're here for my sister...?" He asked, sounding as if he was in a hurry to get me out of his way. He definitely had places to go. A face that gorgeous had to no doubt beat would-be lovers with a stick.
"Yeah, Alice invited me over," I offered, finally finding my voice again. He nodded and gestured for me to enter the house. He didn't close the door, however, after I passed him. He turned back and shouted, "Ali, Bella's here! Tell mom I'll be out for a while! My cell is on if she needs anything!" I heard a faint ok, I will from Alice from somewhere in the house. I turned to say goodbye to Edward, but he was already gone.
I stood there for a moment, stunned. I couldn't believe how naturally good looking Edward was. Alice was very close with her brother, but never mentioned to me anything about him other than what university he was accepted to. He was studying Sports Management, much to the displeasure of his and Alice's parents, Carlisle and Esme. According to Alice, Carlisle, being a doctor himself, had always dreamed that Edward would follow in his rather grand footsteps and go pre-med, too. Apparently, Edward had blown up on their father, telling him that he refused to be miserable and do something just because he could—because his grades would have easily secured him a place in a pre-med program anywhere—instead of doing something because he loved it. Sports were his passion, so his heart chose his degree program. After Alice told me this story, I found myself daydreaming with the picture of Edward that resided in my head prior to meeting him in person. I imagined him grandly and passionately defending his love of sports to his father, and then defending his love for me in the same breath. Yeah, like that would ever happen.
Sure, I had good grades, and planned on one day being an elementary school teacher, but that didn't mean that I measured up to him by any means. I was still growing into my body, still developing my tastes, still becoming a woman—but not yet a woman. I wore thick glasses, and Renee and my dad, Charlie, simply couldn't afford the best clothes. I wasn't completely unfortunate looking, but there was much to be desired. There was no way I could ever be considered as being in the same league as Edward Cullen.
***
Five Years Later...
Alice and I had grown as friends, and as people. She went off to college in another state while I went to a local community college nearby. We kept in touch over email and MSN, and when she came home, we would never miss an opportunity to catch up together.
It was during college that she really introduced me to coffee. Not that Alice needed the added energy that coffee provided, but she was a self-proclaimed addict. I actually took to calling her Java, short for 'Java-holic', for a while. She saw no problem with the name, since it suited her fantastically. Without her morning coffee, Alice was slightly less energetic and excitable than normal. I quickly became addicted to the wonderful stuff along with her.
When my second year going to school came around, I took a part time job as a call centre representative for a big company just outside of Forks. The work absolutely sucked, but the pay was incredible for a student putting in only twenty-five hours a week. I still had enough time to concentrate on my studies AND pay for my tuition.
One Friday night after work, I came home exhausted and crashed upon my bed. I turned on my computer, started iTunes, and allowed the program to play my collection of music randomly. "The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot" came on. This song always mellowed me out, even though it wasn't the happiest song, so it was perfect for my current mood. I then logged into MSN, hoping to speak with Alice to see if she was home for the weekend from school as she had said she would be. The familiar dialogue box popped up, and I began typing my greeting to my best friend.
Bella
Says:
Hey, Ali! How
was class today?
Alice
Says:
Hi
Bella, this is Edward. I'm just using her computer. She's home
for the weekend, though. I'll let her know you messaged her.
Before I knew what I was doing, my fingers began typing a reply.
Bella
Says:
thanks...so,
how are you?
Alice
Says:
I'm
good, thx.
I sighed. He replied, but was straightforward. I was sure he was busy and probably had better things to do than talk to his little sister's best friend—
Alice
Says:
Just
relaxing after work. How's life?
Oh my God, Alice's gorgeous older brother is asking me questions! My mind went blank. Somehow, my fingers found the keyboard.
Bella
Says:
It's ok. Got
a new job at a call centre. Work sux, pay is GREAT!
I stared at the screen blankly, awaiting whatever response he would deem fit to send me.
Alice
Says:
You're cute.
I sucked in a sharp breath. I re-read the two words before me ten times. Before I knew it, my fingers were typing yet again.
Bella
Says:
So are you...
:$
What the HELL was I thinking?! He was probably creeped out by this relative kid saying things like that to him...
Alice
Says:
Hold on a
sec...
Moments later, "Alice" signed off. Oh shit. I overstepped my boundaries. He was probably thinking of a way to let me down—or tell me off—but instead thought signing off would be easier. I couldn't fault him for that. If I were a gorgeous guy, I'd probably sign off, too, instead of having to deal with the awkwardness that comes with brushing someone off.
I started preparing to check my email when a dialogue box popped up:
eddie_ is inviting you to begin chatting. Accept?
Edward had switched to his own user name. In a daze, I clicked accept and watched a chat box pop up.
Edward
Says:
Sorry about
that. That's better... so, you think I'm cute, huh? You think so?
Well, if I was going to make a fool of myself, I had already gotten off to a good start. No point in stopping now...
Bella
Says:
Np. Uh, ya,
have you ever seen yourself in the mirror?? You're gorgeous!
My confidence was beginning to build. I was saying things I really shouldn't have been saying, but they seemed to be fine with Edward. I noticed my pulse begin to race faster with each message I received.
Edward
Says:
You're
not so bad yourself, you know...
That message caused my breathing to hitch. What had he just said??
Bella
Says:
Ya,
ok...
Edward
Says:
You
don't see yourself very clearly, do you?
Bella
Says:
What do you
mean?
Nearly thirty seconds passed before Edward began typing his reply. When it popped up, I had to do a triple-take.
Edward
Says:
You
are the gorgeous one.
I couldn't believe I was reading those words. I couldn't even type a reply. My hand began to shake slightly as I attempted it. I decided to wait for another message. Maybe he would explain his crazy talk in further detail. That, or he'd come right out and confess that it had been Alice all along teasing me and pretending to be her brother.
A few moments later, Edward sent another message that caused my heart to skip a beat.
Edward
Says:
I
have been wanting to ask you out for a while now, but every time I
got the courage, you were dating someone...
Bella
Says:
You're
serious? Wow...
Edward
Says:
Is
that weird? Because I'm Alice's brother?
The thought hadn't honestly crossed my mind that it was weird for that fact. The situation was weird because he looked like a magazine model, and I was a plain Jane type college student.
Bella
Says:
No,
it's weird because you're hot and I definitely am not.
Edward
Says:
*SIGH*.
Can I call you? The comp is really not the best way to get these
things across...
I gaped at the message. I must have stared at the message for a full minute before seeing a final message pop up.
Edward
Says:
If
you are busy, I understand, but is it ok to call u?
My fingers began typing again.
Bella
Says:
Sure.
Edward
Says:
Ok,
Give me a few minutes. I'm signing off now. TTYS.
Edward was true to his word, and signed out moments later. I immediately searched my bedroom for my cell. The second I found it, I stared at it and made sure the volume was up enough to be audible. I took a seat on my bed and waited. Would he actually call me? Was he just being polite? If he did call, what was going to be said? Whatever it was, it caused me anxiety to know that I knew nothing about what would happen over the phone in the next five—
My cell phone rang. I glanced at the caller ID.
ALICE'S HOUSE
I answered.
"Hello?"
A velvety warm tone greeted me, sounding slightly nervous.
"Hey Bella." Edward replied.
"How are you?" I asked out of habit.
"Good, thanks. You?"
"Good...so..." Wow, Swan, you really know how to seduce 'em, don't you?
"So, ya, like I was saying...I want to take you out some time, but the last I heard from Ali, you were going out with that Mike guy."
"Ya, that didn't last, though. He was a bit controlling. My parents hated him, too. It was an easy decision for me. I broke things off with him a few days ago. We were only together for a month, though."
It seemed things never really lasted with any guy for me. I lost my virginity to a guy I met while working at that fast food place with Alice, but a few weeks later, he broke up with me, citing that he just didn't think it would work. I was heartbroken, but found comfort with another guy for a while. When that relationship went south after nearly a year together, I had some flavours of the month, but nothing was really substantial.
"Oh, so, I was hoping that maybe you wanted to go to a movie sometime with me...if you want..."
Why was he being so insecure? It was just me, after all, his little sister's best friend.
"Are you sure?" I had to ask.
"Bella," My name sounded like angels singing when he spouted it. "I'm sure. I've liked you for a while now. And you being Ali's best friend makes it that much better. You obviously get along with my family great. My parents are always talking about you."
"Good things, I hope?"
He chuckled into the phone. "Always. So, is it a date?" He asked, sounded eager to get my answer.
"Ok. How about tomorrow night?"
My answer seemed to please him, because the smile was apparent in his voice. "That's perfect. I'll pick you up at around 7:00. Cool?"
"That's sounds good. Do you need directions to my house?"
"Nope, Ali has already told me. Oh, and I asked her for your number. I hope you don't mind," I could tell he was being playful. It was quite endearing.
"I'll have to give her a piece of my mind the next time I talk to her," I joked.
"So, see you tomorrow, then, Bella?" Edward asked.
"Yeah, see you then!" Oops, I sounded far too excited than I should have.
"Ok, Bella, I have to go. See you tomorrow."
"Ok good night. See you."
"Can't wait."
As I pressed the end button on my phone, a wide grin spread across my face. I not only had a date, but I had a date with the most gorgeous man I had even laid eyes upon, and HE was the one who had initiated the date! I immediately dialled Alice's cell phone, eager to hear what she would suggest that I wear tomorrow. She after all knew better than anyone else what colours her brother liked best, and her opinion would help me greatly. Before I could press send, my phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Oh my God! You have a date with my brother! That is totally awesome!" Alice's excited nature was accentuated by this situation.
"Ali, it's not weird for you, is it? I mean, he's your brother..."
"No, it's not. I mean, if things work out like I have a feeling they can, you can be the sister I never had instead of just my very dearest friend!"
"Ali, let's not get too ahead of ourselves here. It's just a date," I retorted, although I couldn't help but to smile at the thought of having Alice as my sister-in-law. I pushed that idea out of my mind and concentrated on the phone conversation instead.
"I know, I know. But still, it doesn't bother me. Just remember that I was your friend first, and don't ditch me because of Edward. Deal?"
"Of course, Ali. I wouldn't dream of doing that," I replied genuinely.
"Good. Now that that is settled, Cinderella, let's talk about how to get you ready for the ball!"
