Chapter 1.
BPV
I was watching my crush give the valedictorian speech. He was the class hottie, he was the quaterback, he was smart, and he had a deep side that only I knew about. He was as talented as Beethoven at playing the piano. The whole auditorium laughed as he said something funny.
"pst Bella your drooling!" My sister Alice said. After I was born my parents wanted to give me another sibling. My mother got pregnant again but miscarried. Since she didn't want to go through that again they went out and adopted Alice. I was only five years old but I still vaguely remember the French orphanage that we rescued Alice from. My parents took it as a sign from god that we were exactly the same age down to the day. Alice cried about not going to Gucci as we boarded the plane to take her home. Ever since then Alice and I were best friends as well as sisters. It was like Alice chose us. The first day we met…at the orphanage Alice walked right over to us and introduced herself and we started to play.
Flashback.
I was scared out of my mind. How could something so horrible exist I thought as I stared at the dirty cribs. I never thought my father was right…he always said to thank god I was born an American. I never understood what he meant till now. I saw a black haired little girl with bright green eyes stare at me. She walked over, smiled warmly, and held out her hand.
"Hi my name's Mary but everyone calls me Alice!" the girl said taking my hand
"Why?" I asked.
"Cuz I like the name better…I feel it's more me!" the girl said
"It's a pleasure to meet you Alice!" My mother said.
" how are you speaking English so well?" Charlie asked.
"Oh I've been here for ages…and they speak both here…I speak French too!" Alice said.
"Bilingual!" Charlie said. If he adopted her he would have someone to translate the French on his shampoo.
" Ooh your into Barbie too!" Alice said staring at my Barbie backpack. She took out a princess Repunsle Barbie doll.
"wanna play…I'm the only girl that like's Barbie dolls here…it's so weird!" Alice said.
"We'll take that one!" Charlie said as if Alice was a lawnmower. A couple of months later we were in the American Embassy filling out the final forms and changing Alice's name.
"Thank you…thank you…I always wanted to get rid of Mary…it is so blah…why couldn't my birthparents name me at least Marie…like your middle name Bella…even that's better than Mary!" Alice said.
"Do you want Marie to be your middle name?" My mother asked.
"Yes!" Alice squealed.
"Bella we're sharing a middle name now…and a last name!" Alice said excitedly. Two days later we boarded the plane…Alice crying about Gucci.
End of flashback.
" Bella…you got National honor roll and your going to NYU for a degree in English…Alice your also going to NYU for a degree in fashion and merchandising…congratulations girls Daddies proud!" Charlie said holding us in a vice grip.
"Crushing. Me!" Alice gasped from Charlie's arms.
"My baby girls growing up…I never thought I'd have two daughters graduating on the same day!" Charlie blubbered.
"Well what are you going to do about it Chief Swan …growing up's not a crime you know!" Alice said. It was then that my crush gave me a fleeting look. My heart almost stopped. Snap out of it Bella…you barely even know him…you partied with him once and that didn't go to well.
Flashback
My head was in his toilet. Alice was rubbing my back and holding my hair up. It was a party that him and his twin brother Jasper were hosting. It was also the first night I got trashed.
"Shush…shush…its okay…its okay…ugh Dad is totally going to kill me for taking her here…but what should he expect…he knows that I drink. He caught me at that party that he busted a few months back!" Alice said.
"I feel so sick…I'm never drinking ever clear again!" I moaned.
"I told you to be careful with it…I don't even drink that stuff…and I love drinking!" Alice said. I had my head in the bowl again when I heard HIM coming.
"I gotta take a whiz…UGHHH!" He said running out of the room.
"I now see why you said you think he doesn't like you!" Alice said.
"Thanks Alice!" I said
End of Flashback
Needless to say I didn't show my face at any other parties. I was so embarrassed by the incident. I cried for two weeks. I mean I just killed my chances of getting with him!
" So Eric's having a banger tonight…Bella the love of your life is going to be there tonight!" Alice said as we went into the cruiser.
"I DIDN'T JUST HEAR THAT…LALALALA!" Charlie said
"ALICE!" I hissed.
"What?" Alice asked.
"firstly you know not to talk about parties in front of Charlie…secondly you know I don't go to those things!" I whispered.
"Oh Bella just because you had one bad experience…it happens even to the best of us…how would you like to be me…I woke up in the back seat of Mike Newton's suburban once…on the Indian reservation with Billy Black's son staring at me hungrily…those people are creepy …that's way worse then throwing up in front of your crush…and I still party!" Alice said loudly.
"LALALALALA I CANT HEAR YOU!" Charlie said. We then pulled into the driveway of the house. Alice and my twin trucks sitting in the driveway.
" Lets go upstairs and get ready!" Alice said dragging me up the stairs. She wasn't going to take no for an answer. When we entered our room there was a white envelope on each of our beds. I opened mine up to reveal a note and plane tickets.
" to celebrate this momentous occasion I decided to play fairy godfather and grant Alice her one wish. Your hotel reservations are already set…your leaving in a few weeks for two weeks…and your passports are still good ( from when we took the family trip to Canada) I'm going to miss my babies…be careful and don't trust anybody!…Love your daddy Chief Swan!"
"EEE! WE'RE GOING TO MILAN…I CAN DIE AND GO TO HEAVEN!" Alice shrieked.
"Thank god I didn't buy lunch over the past two years ( Alice had a deal with the lunch ladies…she gave them free makeovers in exchange for free lunch) …we have enough to go on a big shopping spree there…and I have credit cards!" Alice chirped excitedly.
"And you Miss frugal…how much do you have in that piggy bank from shopping sprees that we didn't go on…was it last count $10,000!" Alice said.
"It wasn't that…that's the money I have saved up for college!" I said.
"College smollage…we got full scholarships…you don't need that money…you can spend a little of it!" Alice said. Alice had messed up priorities.
"I'll think about it Alice!" I said.
"ooh look it the time…we have to get ready…and like now…Charlie's going to disconnect our batteries in a half hour!" Alice said shoveling clothes at me like there was no tomorrow.
" HURRY!" Alice said after she applied my make up. She jumped out the window. We tipped toed around the side of the house. Alice craned her head up towards the living room window.
"good he's sound a sleep on the couch…and it looks like mom went to bed…we're free! RUN BELLA RUN TO YOUR TRUCK LIKE THERE'S NO TOMORROW!" Alice was shouting. Jesus Alice was acting like it was the end of the world! We bolted to the truck together.
"GO GO GO!" Alice shouted as I pealed out of the drive way. Alice peered over her shoulder looking for flashing lights.
"See Bella isn't this fun!" Alice said.
"um!" was all I could say. A few minutes later we pulled in front of Eric's house. The entire senior class was there. My heart sped up when I saw the silver Volvo sitting in the driveway. I mentally slapped myself. Get over it Bella…he doesn't even know you exist!. As we pulled up we saw a blonde head run towards my car.
"ALICE YOU MADE IT! YOU DIDN'T ANSWER MY TEXT…I DIDN'T THINK YOU WERE COMING!" Jasper bounced excitedly to the car. It was dead obvious he had a huge crush on Alice but she was too stupid to see it. I didn't get how …I could sniff that from twenty miles away. Kinda ironic that his twin brother had a crush on my sister. The only reason Alice never told him about my crush on his brother was because I made her take a blood oath…let's just say I'm a lot stronger then Alice.
"I WOULD HAVE…I WAS TOO BUSY FORCING THE HERMIT OUT OF THE HOUSE!" Alice said. Jasper rubbed his eyes theatrically.
" am I seeing things…Bella Swan at a party!" Jasper joked.
"Haha very funny!" I said. We entered the house together.
"the toilet's the first door on the left!" Jasper laughed.
"Shut up!" I smacked him playfully. Jasper was very easy going….very easy to get along with. I was never going to live that down though. At our thirty year reunion they were going to be like here comes toilet girl when I walked in.
"I'll get you girls some drinks!" Jasper said eagerly running to the kitchen.
"Hey Shakespeare's lover!" His best friend Emmett came walking out obviously trashed out of his mind and carrying a half empty bottle of Jack Daniels. He wasn't as easy to get along with. Every time he opened his mouth I wanted to punch him in the face. What didn't help was the fact that before he and his family moved here Emmett was the class bully.
"Hey steroid addict…did you forget to take your shot today…your muscles look less big!" I said.
"WHAT!" Emmett said running to the nearest mirror.
"Ha! Good one!" Alice snickered. It was then that Jasper returned with two margaritas.
"I think you'll find this more mild then ever clear!" Jasper said handing one to me. He handed the other to Alice.
"You know me so well!" Alice laughed taking a sip.
"Jazzy…went a little overboard on the tequila…I like it!" Alice smiled. Four drinks later we were pretty lit.
"OH NO CLEAR THE BATHROOM…BELLA THE LIGHTWEIGHT'S DRUNK!" Emmett bellowed.
"Look who's talking…your not sober yourself!" I said pissed.
"Go shove it up your ass Em…this is the first time I got her out of the fricken house to drink in like a year and your opening up your big trap…besides I seem to remember that at the last party you had alcohol poisoning and you spent some time with the toilet bowl your self…not to mention that we had to call an ambulance and YOU HAD TO SPEND THE NIGHT IN THE HOSPITAL!" Alice snarled. Emmett rolled his eyes and walked away. Heading into the living room I saw him. The blonde bimbo formally known as Tanya was standing next to him but I could see her eye wandering to different parts of the room. The look on his face said that he wasn't happy. They were an on again off again couple. Tonight they were definitely off…their faces spoke volumes. I didn't have the nerve to talk to him though so I just sat there and quietly watched him for the rest of the evening. I so wished I had either Jasper or Alice's personality. Jasper wasn't afraid to talk to Alice though he was enamored with her…hell he bowed cow and turned into her faithful servant! WHY couldn't I do that!
"Good…he dumped the blonde hoe…hopefully its forever…I couldn't stand her…she was too domineering…hell she even tried to control when he went to sleep!" Jasper said from behind me.
"Well whatever makes him happy." I said I grabbed a chip from the bowl next to me and pretended to read 17 magazine as he walked over. Jasper and him walked to another corner of the room and proceeded to talk. Alice sat down right next to me.
"Way to go…you just blew what was probably your one and only chance to talk to the school's most eligible bachelor …he walked right next to you and you said nothing!" Alice said pissed.
"Don't remind me!" I moaned.
"if I were you…make a move and do it like this summer. You and I are leaving…your probably like never going to see him again once fall comes and I don't want to hear you kick yourself for like the rest of your measly life about the one that could have been." Alice hissed. Alice had a point there. If I didn't make a move soon I would probably loose my chance forever. I started to make my way over there but was pushed out of the way and down the stairs into the basement by Emmett who was about to upchuck in the bathroom. I wasn't hurt but somehow I became trapped under a work bench by Eric's toppled over snowmobile. I was discovered by Alice and Jasper a few hours later.
"Someone's going to have to talk to Emmett about how much is too much and pushing people around…he could of really hurt someone this time." Jasper said. He then whipped out his phone and sent a text message to someone. The door opened and a more sober but still lit Emmett bounced down the stairs
"Your brother said that you need my services?" Emmett asked.
"Yeah…move that over there and stand it back up!" Jasper said pointing to the jet ski.
"Man how did that happen?" Emmett asked staring at what he could see of me.
"You…Emmett you really need to control the drinking…you almost killed Bella!" Jasper said.
" Shakespeare's lover…we'll have you out in just a sec!" Emmett said. He lifted the snow mobile and dragged it away from me.
"ugh please don't tell dad about this!" Alice begged.
"I wont if you wont!" I said. Alice beamed.
"well I'm off…Bella you have some black shit on your pants…sorry about the shove!" Emmett said running up the stairs. Alice tried to get the dirt off.
"We're going to have to shout that out…and if it doesn't come off I'll get Emmett to repay the $40 that I spent on those jeans…thank god I have a backup pair in your truck!" Alice said after a few minutes of trying to clean me off.
"Why do you have a back up pair in there?" I asked.
"in the off chance we get busted by dad…do you really want to explain why you have a huge stain there?" Alice asked.
"Good thinking!" I said.
We cleared out soon after. Alice bugged me the whole way home about blowing my chances. I was just about to tell her to put a sock in it when we pulled up into the driveway. Charlie was still deeply asleep on the couch as we passed the living room window.
"Yes!" Alice whispered as we scaled the side of the house. Alice jumped in the window in two seconds flat. she had skills that most thief's would be envious of. Me it took a little while longer as I almost lost my footing a few times.
"Geez Bella you really do need your inner ears checked or something!" Alice said as we both tossed Pj's on at lightning speed
"Hey it's not my fault you didn't use the perfectly good ladder that was laying on the ground outside the window." We could hear the sounds of Charlie snoring like a truck driver downstairs. Mom was talking in her sleep in her bedroom. From what we could hear she was having a dream about my father.
"like mother like daughter ay…try to keep the dreams about him at bay tonight…if I have to hear "'I'll always love you for ever and ever and ever" once more I think I'll kill myself…last night you woke me from a sound sleep!" Alice said as she turned out the light. Two minutes later Charlie woke up and checked on us. I always wondered how Alice knew he was going to do that.