CuttlefishRock's The July One-shot

1) Must be set in July

2) Must be a one-shot

3) Must include a reference to a cuttlefish

4) Must include the line: "Ties and punched holes make interesting binding methods."

Bella POV

Christmas In July.

It was July; the middle of winter, and there was a thick layer of snow covering everything.

My family and I had just moved to the small island of Tasmania –just below Australia- about four months ago and were attending the local High School in the town we were living in.

I had never even heard of the place until Carlisle had asked us all what we thought about moving there.

Our new house -which by the way was massive! even bigger than the one in Forks, and I'd thought that was big- was in a nice secluded place right next to the beach so we all spent most of our time down on the beach swimming or sun baking under the normally non-existant sun.

Edward, Rose, Emmett, Jasper, Alice, Renesmee and I all sat out on the wooden deck at the front of the house. Rose was styling Renesmee's dolls' hair, Renesmee watched her work, Jasper sat on the wooden steps up to the deck with Alice's head in his lap, Emmett sat in one of the six wooden chairs that lay everywhere around the house –inside and out- reading something on a black piece of paper with Christmas trees, presents and mini Santa's forming a border around the text, and I was sitting next to Edward on the chaise lounge with my head resting against his shoulder and his arm loosely draped around my shoulders.

This was the life. Relaxing outside with my vampire family in the arms of my vampire husband.

I had been a vampire for over two years now and I was still getting used to it. I'd had my twentieth birthday about a year ago and Renesmee had had her second although she was physically the size of a n eight year old.

"Hey check this out," Emmett crowed in delight, waving the piece of paper about in front of him.

I turned my head slightly to look at him and asked, "what?"

"You know Christian Jones?"

"The janitor from the hospital?" I'd met him once when Edward and I went to see Carlisle at work. He was kind of strange but still nice.

"Yeah, well-"

Edward suddenly cut him. "Emmett we're not going," he said with a sigh.

"Eddie boy, stay out of this. I was talking to Bella."

Edward sighed again and I reached up to gently kiss him on the cheek.

"Anyway," Emmett continued. "Christian has invited Carlisle to a Christmas in July fancy dress party he's having."

"Why did you open Carlisle's mail?" Jasper asked.

"It's not just for him," Emmett said defensively.

"If it's addressed to him then it is just for him," Jasper retorted.

"Carlisle and family actually," he replied holding the invitation out to Jasper so he could see.

"Whatever," Jazz said shortly, and continued fiddling with Alice's short spiky hair.

"Let me guess," Rose said without looking up from the doll whose hair she was braiding. "You want to go."

"We can all go," Emmett said happily, like he had just thought of the best idea in the world.

Five pairs of disbelieving eyes flicked to his face.

"Your kidding right?" Alice asked, sitting up.

"It's a party Alice," he reminded her.

"Yes, but a party hosted by a hospital janitor in his house that's probably only big enough to hold about twenty people before it starts to get too crowded and awkward. Yeah sounds great," she finished sarcastically.

"Well I want to go!" Renesmee sprang to her feet and ran over to Edward and I. "Mum, dad please can I go. Please, please," she pleaded.

"Yeah. OK, if Emmett's going you can I suppose."

How could I resist that wide grin and dimples? She reminded me so much of her father and when it came to her wanting something I was just putty in her hands.

"Thanks mummy!"

"Cool," Emmett said once again getting excited, "that's two."

"Yay!" Renesmee squealed. "I know exactly what I'll wear!" She disappeared through the door.

"What should I go as?" Emmett asked.

"Go as a fairy like Ness," Edward offered.

"Aw dad! I told you not to tell anyone!" Renesmee called from her bedroom upstairs.

"Sorry Ness."

"Na, fairies aren't really my thing. How about I borrow Rose's funny white short things and dye them purple then rip them up and then paint myself green. Yeah, I like it."

"You are not touching any of my clothes," Rose said. " Plus your legs are too fat and you wouldn't fit into those shorts."

"Babe, it's muscle not fat."

"How about you go as a cuttlefish," I suggested.

"A cuttlefish?" Everyone asked at the same time.

"Well why not? I mean cuttlefish are weird but amazing creatures," I said in defense for cuttlefish.

"They're those funny slug like things with the weird tentacle thingies are'nt they??" Emmett asked.

"Yes Emmett," I said.

"Hmm… It's not a bad idea but how could I make a cuttlefish costume?" He said thoughtfully.

I shrugged.

"Ties and punched holes make interesting binding methods," he mused.

He got up and went inside as Renesmee danced back out wearing a bright pink fairy costume with pale wings and little pink slippers on her feet.

"How is he going to make a cuttlefish costume?" I asked Edward.

"Not really sure but if it ends up anything like the picture in his head then he might as well give up now."