Chapter One- Bella's POV
"Bella, this is getting ridiculous," Alice said exasperatedly, snatching the book from my hands.
"Alice! I was reading that!" I cried, trying to grab the book that she was holding above me, just out of reach.
"I know. You always have your nose stuck in a book," Alice said, glancing at the book with a slightly disgusted expression.
"But-" I began, but as usual my pint sized best friend interrupted me.
"No buts Bella. You need to get out of this library. People are starting to get kinda creeped out."
I sighed and stood up, pushing the hard backed chair back in under the table.
"Fine," I said, folding my arms tightly against my chest. "What do you suggest we do then?"
Alice grinned, and I experienced a strange sinking feeling in my stomach. Whatever Alice had in mind, it was not good.
I trudged along after Alice as we walked through the campus, pausing every few moments to stop and chat when she recognised one of her legions of acquaintences. I had no idea where we were going, and Alice refused to tell me. Sometimes, even though she was my best friend, she could be extremely irritating. Nevertheless, I was glad that we had been assigned as room mates at the beginning of the year. Being a freshman in college was not exactly the easiest occupation, but Alice navigated the murky waters with apparently effortless grace. She liked to party, there was no doubt about that, but she still managed to achieve near perfect grades, much to the pleasure of her for me, I was the shy girl. I spent most of my time studying in the library, which annoyed Alice to no end, and she was constantly criticising my lack of confidence and "party spirit" as she liked to call it. I had been out with Alice a few times, but frat parties weren't exactly my cup of tea.
"Ta da!" Alice announced, stopping in front of a tall wooden door. She had dragged me right through what seemed like a million floors of dorm rooms, and I could feel the muscles in my legs aching with the strain of keeping up with her boundless energy.
"Um Alice, what am I supposed to be amazed at?" I asked uncertainly, staring at the door in the hopes that something spectacular would jump out at me.
"It's Rosalie's room," She rolled her eyes before knocking on the door.
I grimaced at the name. I had never met Rosalie, but from what Alice had told me about her friend she was a regular on the party scene, as well as being one of the most desired girls on campus.
The door swung open, and a tall, painfully thin girl with long blonde hair stood in the doorway, her hands on her hips.
"Alice!" She cried, embracing Alice in a tight hug.
"Hey Rose," Alice grinned, greeting her friend. "This is Bella, the one I was telling you about."
"Ah, I see what you mean," Rosalie said, looking me up and down. I felt like I was being studied, and I squirmed uncomfortably. What had Alice told her about me?
"Um, hi Rosalie. It's nice to meet you," I said politely, and she laughed lightly.
"Alice was right, you do need to loosen up."
I sat on the edge of Rosalie's bed, feeling completely out of place. Her room was nice, but it was blanketed in a cloud of smoke from the cigarettes that Alice and Rosalie were smoking as they rifled through Rosalie's wardrobe. They had offered me one, but I had politely refused. There was no way I was going to coat my lungs with tar just to fit in.
"Hmm, she could wear this," Rosalie said, holding up an impossibly short skirt. "She has long legs."
"Yeah, maybe," Alice said, glancing at the skirt.
"Um, what exactly is happening tonight?" I asked anxiously. All Alice had told me was that we were going to "hang out" with Rosalie and her friends.
"You know that new club in town, Melrose?" Alice said, excitement flashing in her eyes.
"Yeah, who hasn't?" I shrugged. The whole campus had been buzzing with the news ever since the plans had been drawn up. Apparently this place was the epitomy of cool, and it was also harder to get into than North Korea.
"Well Rosalie's cousin is the bouncer, and he's gonna let us in!" Alice squealed, smiling from ear to ear.
"Your taking me to a club?" I asked, my heart sinking. "Alice, I don't think that's a very good idea....."
"Bella, you need to start having some fun! You're at college, live a little," She rolled her eyes, tossing another midriff baring shirt on the floor.
"She's right Bella," Rosalie said, stubbing out her cigarette in a glass ashtray. "We're gonna dress you up and take you out for the night of your life. Sit back and enjoy the ride."
"I guess...." I said, feeling less confident with every word they spoke. I had never been to a club before, which was only proper considering that I was only 19, but Alice was a club regular. She had managed to secure a fake I.D from another student, and so far she had never been caught out. So far.
"Hey Rose, why don't you do her hair while I go and get my make up?" Alice suggested, halfway to the door. Rosalie nodded and started sifting around in her bedside drawer, emerging triumphantly with a pair of silver scissors.
"Wait, you're going to cut it?" I asked, horrified. My hair was pretty average, long and brown, but I liked it that way. I certainly didn't want it hacked to shreds by an amateur with a pair of scissors.
"Don't worry Bella, I cut Alice's hair all the time," She assured me, flexing the scissors and sitting down behind me on the bed. Before I could say anything more, long clumps of hair began to fall, and I closed my eyes. Maybe if I focussed on something else, I would forget about the damage that Rosalie was doing beind me.
"Finished," Rosalie announced, just as Alice walked back through the door with a huge makeup bag in her arms.
"Bella, you look great! Good job Rose," Alice said approvingly, dumping the bag on the bed. "Don't let her see a mirror until we're completely finished though."
"Wait, what else are you going to do?" I asked warily, tensing up.
"We're just making sure you're ready for the club," Alice smiled, brandishing a pair of tweezers.
I gulped, wishing like anything that I was back in the library.
Over the next hour they plucked my eyebrows, massaged some horrible smelling cream into my skin, curled my eyelashes with a device that looked more suited to torture, and applied copious amounts of various different powders, creams and glosses. I just sat back and let them do it, knowing that nothing I said would ever make a difference. When they had eventually finished Rosalie handed me a smile piece of black fabric.
"What's this?" I asked, confused.
"It's your outfit for tonight silly!" She replied, giggling. I held the garment up and realised that it was an impossibly short, flimsy black cocktail dress with a daring, v-necked bodice.
"Rosalie, I can't wear this!" I cried, feeling embarrassed just for looking at it. It looked like it belonged on a Vegas stripper, not a respectable, underage college student.
"Yes you can! It'll look gorgeous on you Bella," She said, daring me to challenge her. I sighed, and pulled off my beige sweater reluctantly.
"Good girl," Alice said approvingly.
"Oh my God Bella, you look amazing!" Alice exclaimed as I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I was speechless, amazed at the stranger staring back at me. Her hair was shoulder length and layered with a sideswept fringe, arranged in a careful disarray. Her porcelain skin was flawless, her eyes were smokey with coatings of eyeliner and mascara, and her lips were glossy, pink and plump. The black dress hung over her perfectly, the low neck draping alluringly over her chest while the drastically short hemline accentuated her long legs. The look was finished off by the towering black, strappy heels on her feet, more weapons than footwear.
"Is that really me?" I asked disbelievingly, pressing my fingetips to my face.
"Damn straight," Rosalie grinned from across the room, where she was pulling on a pair of fishnet stockings under her scarlet minidress. Alice was attired in a similiar fashion, with a tight, lacy jade top and a short, sexy black pencil skirt that created curves in all the right places on her petite figure.
"Wow....I don't know what to say," I said, smiling a little. This stepping outside of my comfort zone thing wasn't that bad after all, and I had to admit, I looked good.
"You can thank us later," Alice grinned, rummaging around in her purse. "Hey Rose, do you want a smoke?"
"Sure," Rosalie nodded, catching the cigarette that Alice threw her.
"Bella?" Alice turned to me, offering me a thin, white cigarette.
I opened my mouth to reject her offer, but then I caught sight of myself in the mirror. I looked nothing like myself, and confidence surged up inside of me. I was high on adrenaline, looking for another excuse to shed my good girl persona, just for this one night. Besides, it's not like I would ever do anything like this again.
"Yeah, thanks," I said, taking the cigarette and lighting it with the lighter she handed me. Alice and Rosalie both grinned as I inhaled deeply, choking back a spluttering cough, and then took another drag.
"Come on, lets go," Alice said, linking arms with Rosalie and I and dragging us out the door.
From the looks of things, Melrose was living up to the hype. Situated on the main boulevard, the club was ostentatious but classy. A red carpet had been rolled out along the footpath, and two burly bouncers were seperating the underage and unsuitable from the valued patrons. The waiting line to get into the club stretched along the footpath and up the road, and I realised with a sinking feeling that we would be unlikely to even see the door before the place closed. Alice and Rosalie on the other hand didn't seem phased, and Rosalie parked her glossy red convertible in the closest park. Once again we linked arms, three girls out for a big night on the town, and sauntered off towards the front door. Okay, truth be told I wobbled along, struggling not to trip over in my towering heels,while Rosalie and Alice held me up. Ignoring the angry and conceited glances and murmurrs from the people waiting in line, Rosalie pushed past them and dragged us up towards a burly,dark haired bouncer, dressed completely in black. He was one of the most intimidating people I had ever seen, and I felt sure that he would tell us to get lost.
"Jake!" Rosalie squealed, throwing her arms around his neck.
"Hey Rosie, what's up little cousin?" He asked, his voice amused as his eyes washed over us.
"We're hoping to have a good night, if you live up to your promise," She hinted in a pointed, hushed tone.
"Of course, head right in," He grinned, stamping our hands and unclipping the rope to allow us entry.
"Thanks," I smiled before letting the others pull me inside.
It had been so easy to get inside, and I felt excitement fluttering like butterflies in my stomach. I was inside the hottest club around, dressed to kill and with two sophisticated, experienced friends. Tonight was going to be wild.