Chapter One - Bella's Eighteenth.
Today is September 13th – It's Bella's 18th- Edward and I are waiting outside in the parking lot waiting for Bella to arrive at school.
Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie have already left to go to first period.
We could hear Bella's truck before we could see it, a few seconds later and Bella pulled into the parking lot.
"Alice, don't make too much of a fuss, you know how Bella feels about her birthday." Edward was always so worried about Bella's reaction to everything.
Bella got out of her truck and slammed the door; a shower of rust fell onto the wet black top.
Bella started to make her way towards myself and Edward, but she was walking way too slow, so I skipped forward to meet her.
"Happy Birthday, Bella!" Bella's wasn't exactly excited about it. I don't know why I loved birthdays they are so fun to plan for.
"Shhh!" she hissed back at me while looking around to see if anyone heard me. The last thing she would want was for anyone else to make a big fuss over her today, luckily for her no-one did Shame.
I ignored her 'shh' and continued my conversation with her "Do you want to open your present now or later?" I asked her eagerly while we made our way over to where Edward was stood.
"No presents" she mumbled to me in protest about the thought of opening her present in front of everyone in the parking lot.
"Okay... later then. Did you like the scrapbook your mom got you? And the Camera from Charlie?" she sighed at my question as if to say trust you to know what my mom and dad got me for my birthday. Of course I know I can see the future like had she forgotten.
"Yeah. They're great." She groaned
"I think it's a nice idea. You're only a senior once. Might as well document the experience."
"How many times have you been a senior?"
"That's different."
We reached Edward then, he held out his hand to take Bella's like a gentleman should. He lifted his free hand and traced his finger around her mouth as he spoke to her
"So, as discussed, I am not allowed to wish you a happy birthday, is that correct?"
"Yes. That is correct" she replied
"Just checking." He ran his fingers through his hair.
"You might have changed you mind. Most people seem to enjoy things like birthdays and gifts."
I laughed "Of course you'll enjoy it. Everyone is supposed to be nice to you and give you your way, Bella. What's the worst that could happen?" I asked rhetorically.
"Getting older," she replied her voice was not very steady.
Edward smile turned into a hard line as he stood next to her when she said that.
"Eighteen isn't very old. Don't women usually wait until they're twenty-nine to get upset over birthdays?" I asked not really sure about what her answer might be.
"It's older than Edward," she mumbled.
He sighed.
"Technically" I replied my tone light "Just by on little year, though."
She didn't reply to this she seemed to be lost in thought. So I decided to break the silence.
"What time will you be at the house?"
"I didn't know I had plans to be there."
"Oh, Be fair, Bella" I had to complain about this.
She will be there I thought to Edward.
"You aren't going to ruin all our fun like that, are you?"
"I thought my birthday was about what I want."
"I'll get her from Charlie's right after school," Edward told me, ignoring what Bella had just said.
Yay thank you Edward you're the best.
"I have work" she was not trying to use the work card on me was she, she should know that I had taken care of that for her, who does she think I am, I was not going to let her work ruin this for us.
"You don't, actually. I already spoke to Mrs Newton about it. She's trading your shifts. She said to tell you 'Happy Birthday.'" I sounded a little smug but hey!
"I-I still can't come over." She was not doing thins to me please. She was trying to look for an excuse I could tell by her face, no way she was not doing this.
"I, well, I haven't watched Romeo and Juliet yet for English."
That was so not going to work this girl had seen Romeo and Juliet so many time it wouldn't surprise me if she knew every single word to the film.
"You have Romeo and Juliet Memorized."
"But Mr Berty said we need to see it preformed to fully appreciate it- that's how Shakespeare intended it to be presented."
At this Edward rolled his eyes he knew as well as I did that she was trying her best to get out of tonight and I would not allow this.
"You've already seen the movie," I accused.
"But not the nineteen-sixties version. Mr Berty said it was the best."
NO NO NO Edward she can't do this to me it's all set up now please help me!
"This can be easy, or this can be hard, Bella, but one way or the other-"I started but Edward interrupted me.
"Relax, Alice. If Bella wants to watch a movie, then she can. It's her birthday."
"So there" Bella added to this statement.
Edward
"I'll bring her over around seven that will give you more time to set up."
Yay, thank you, Edward, thank you, thank you.
I laughed, "Sounds good. See you tonight, Bella! It'll be fun, you'll see." I had a grin on my face so big that my teeth were non show; I give Bella a peck on the cheek and danced off to my class.
Hmmm, more time to set up now everything can be perfect.
I couldn't help thinking about how I would set up the house tonight for Bella's birthday party that we were throwing for her.
All day I had new ideas for the main room, each different but perfect for Bella's party.
After school I went straight home to get everything set up.
When I got home I went straight to Esme.
"Esme, are you ready to help me set up everything for Bella's party?"
"Yes, Alice, I'm ready. What first?" Esme was walking down the stairs.
"We need to go to the shop first I need to pick up some more things and I need to pick up Bella's cake."
"Okay dear, let's go."
Esme and I got in Carlisle's BMW and drove toward Port Angeles.
When we got to Port Angeles we went straight to a party shop where I picked up the last couple of things I needed for getting the house ready for Bella's party, then we went to the cake shop to pick up the cake I had ordered a week before.
Esme and I got back to the car and placed the bags in the boot and I sat in the passenger's seat with Bella's cake on my lap and Esme drove home.
When we got home we started the preparations.
We hung a long line of Japanese lanterns from the porch and crystal bowls of pink roses on the stairs up to the front door.
We covered every flat surface with pink candles and crystal bowls filled with roses in, we set up a table by Edwards Piano and filled it with crystal plates, Candles and of course a pink Birthday cake and her presents which were wrapped in silver wrapping paper.
It was now a few minutes to seven and everyone was stood in the room where the party was being held waiting for Edward to bring Bella over.
We could here Bella's truck pull into the drive; it wasn't exactly the kind of noise that would be hard to hear even for human ears.
I heard her moan. Edward took a few breaths "This is a party; Try to be a good sport."
"Sure," she muttered to him.
"I have a question." Edward didn't answer to this to Bella continued.
"If I develop this film, will you show up in the picture?" we could hear Edward laugh and so did everyone else in the house.
Silly Bella.
Edward opened the front door for her and she seen us all here waiting for her, we all greeted her with a huge "Happy Birthday, Bella!" she blushed and looked down naturally this was such a Bella thing.
Edward wrapped his arm around Bella's waist and kissed the top of her head.
Esme hugged Bella very carefully and kissed her on the forehead.
Carlisle put his arm around Bella's shoulder and said "Sorry about this, Bella, We couldn't rein Alice in."
Rose and Emmett we stood behind Esme and Carlisle, Rosalie didn't seem to be very interested in Bella being here even though it was Bella's birthday party and Emmett had a huge grin on his face.
"You haven't changed at all, I expected a perceptible difference, but here you are, red-faced just like always," he said with mock disappointment.
"Thanks a lot, Emmett," she replied blushing deeper.
He laughed at this "I have to step out a second" he paused to wink at me "Don't do anything funny while I'm gone."
"I'll try."
I let go of Jaspers hand and skipped over to my best friend with a grin on my face. Jasper smiled at Bella but kept his distance.
"Time to open presents," I declared.
I put my hand under Bella's elbow and towed her along to the table that held the cake and presents.
Bella's face went sour "Alice, I know I told you I didn't want anything-"before she could finish I interrupted
"But I didn't listen. Open it." I told her as I took the camera from her hands and replaced it with a big, silver box that contained the present from Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper.
She tore off the paper and looked at the box. Bella decided to open the box, only to find that it was empty.
"Um...Thanks"
Rosalie smiled at this, Jasper Laughed. "It's a stereo for your truck, Emmett's installing it right now so that you can't return it" he explained.
"Thanks, Jasper, Rosalie," she was grinning over something that she must have been thinking about.
"Thanks, Emmett!" she called louder.
All you could hear was Emmett's booming laugh from out the front of the house in Bella's truck, Bella laughed at this.
"Open mine and Edwards next," I told her while passing her a small, flat, square present.
Bella turned to Edward "You promised."
Before Edward could reply to this Emmett bounded in through the door.
"Just in time!" He pushed past Jasper who had moved closer to us.
"I didn't spend a dime," Edward replied to Bella assuring her as he brushed a stray hair from her face.
Bella inhaled deeply and turned back to me. "Give it to me," she sighed.
Emmett chuckled.
She took the present from my hand when I passed it to her, rolling her eyes at Edward while she stuck her finger under the edge of the paper and pulled at the tape.
"Shoot." The paper sliced her finger. A single drop of blood oozed from the tiny cut.
"No!" Edward roared.
He threw himself at Bella so fast that it knocked her over flinging her right into the table with her presents and cake on. She landed in a pile of shattered crystal.
Jasper slammed into Edward.
Jasper was now growling at Bella.
He tried to push past Edward, Snapping his teeth just inches from Edwards face.
Emmett grabbed Jasper from behind, locking him into his massive steel grip, but Jasper still struggled against his hold, his wild empty eyes were focused on Bella.
Bella's face looked in pain, she had tumbled onto the floor by the piano, shards of glass were now stuck into poor Bella's arm.
She looked up from her arm, which was now covered in blood, to see six now ravenous vampires looking down on her.