"I can't breathe Miss Mae!" I cried. "Now, now Miss Swan you know you can't catch a man unless you've got a tiny waist. Now hush up so I can finish you up and get you ready for your ball!" I then just continued to hold onto my bed frame while Miss Mae finished up the corset and feeling the blood suck down all the way to my toes. This is so ridiculous, I've wanted to be treated like a woman now for quite some time now but if I knew I would have to wear to this devise I would have just run away! "Come on Miss Mae, you need to hurry on up and finish with Isabella so you can go down stairs and help with the kitchen". My mother said barging in through the door. "Mother, why are you calling me Isabella when you know I prefer Bella?", " Because you are a woman now and is high time you start acting like one and you will be called by your proper name from now on!". I can't believe this, it's bad enough I have to start wearing death traps but I can't even be called by the name I prefer! At least I can have whisky now because I am going to need it! Miss Mae finally finished with my corset and took her leave. She patted my back and said "there you go now Miss Swan, happy birthday Miss Swan. I know you'll have men linin' up at the door in no time. You've become such a beautiful lady." With tears in both our eyes she left to tend to things needed for the party. I heard the music start down stairs and suddenly became very nervous. What if there aren't any men down there who would be interested in me? At least I know my friends will be there. My mother roused me from my musings by showing me the dress I'd be wearing that had arrived from Boston by train earlier this week. My father wasted no expense. It was the most beautiful dress I had ever seen! "I think daddy outdid himself with this one" I said grazing the dress with my fingers. "Yes certainly is lovely!" my mother confirmed. This dress had light blue satin with thick ivory lace for trimming. It seemed to almost sparkle in the light. My mother helped me with the hoop then had the dress put over my head and pulled to the floor. I stood in front of the mirror as my mother fastens all of the buttons down my back. I didn't recognize myself, I rarely looked in a mirror growing up which disgruntled my mother in the past but I just didn't care. My body has changed to a womanly figure and my father's features are more prominent now in my face. I have his big brown eyes and even though we live in Houston, Texas my skin is still as fair as it can be. Of course that's how it should be for women of my upbringing. With daddy being a banker, we lived very comfortably and I didn't need to be outside and in the hot Texas sun. "You look beautiful Isabella, don't mess this up and make a fool of yourself tonight" she said sternly. "Thank you mother there was half a compliment in that statement." "I try not to flatter too much" she said with a smile. "There all done. Now I'm going to go down stairs, find your father and have him go to the bottom of the stairs. When you come out you wait at the top and let him introduce you then you GRACEFULLY walk down the stairs. Take his hand and then you will have the first dance with your father, after that you are free to dance the night away with suitors!" "I know the routine mother thank you!" I said rolling my eyes. She's had me practice going down the stairs and dancing for the last month! She kissed my cheek and left me alone in my room. I'd sit on the vanity chair if I could move but had to stand while I looked at myself 1 more time. I lightly powered by face and stained my lips with my mother's rouge and walked toward my unknown future.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am now the proud father of the most beautiful 16 year daughter in all of Harris County! Miss Isabella Swan!" My father was not much for emotion but I could tell he was choked up a little. We are very close and he always let me be who I was in front of him. He loved me for me and not of my proper etiquette that my mother wished I would show more often. I gently laid my hand on the banister to our dark wooden grand staircase and GRACEFULLY walked down the stairs. I didn't look at anyone else but my father. He has been the man in my life for 16 years now and I was too afraid to look around the room because I might lose my footing and fall down the stairs. I finally reached the bottom of the stairs and took my father's hand. His eyes had watered some and briefly coughed a little to collect himself and led me to the dance floor in our ballroom. The waltz had started playing, my father bowed and I curtsied and we waltz like mother had us practice for a month! "You look stunning Isabella. Do you like the dress?" daddy asked. "Thank you daddy and yes, I love this dress. You didn't need to go to such expense." "Nonsense! You are my baby girl and my baby girl gets nothing but the best!" "Why are you callin' me Isabella too? You know I prefer Bella!" My father laughed and said "Because you are a lady now and it's time to be called by your proper name. Do you know how ridiculous it would sound if people still called me Charlie and not Charles! Charlie sounds like 5 year old school boy". I laughed seeing the logic behind his statement but I still liked Bella. "Mother would say you still act like a school boy" "Haha yes she would" I finally started to look around to see who mother had invited and what caught me by complete surprise was seeing Jasper Whitlock standing at the side with the most intense gaze I had seen on him. All of a sudden I felt a blush crawling across my skin. "My, my who caused that reaction out of you?!" "No one daddy!" "Sure". The waltz ended and we bowed and curtsied again. Daddy took my hand and kissed it and said "have fun baby girl" he winked at me then headed to the parlor with the rest of the men. My friends Mary and Emily came almost running to me and started gossiping like crazy. I still couldn't get my mind off of Jasper being here. We used to play together along with Peter McGrady when we were very little. Then Jasper had to start working for his father's ranching business and I rarely saw him again. Peter made it a point to sit behind me in church every Sunday morning just to mess with my hair, dress or anything else he could come up with. He drives me crazy! But I love him like a brother and he sees me as a sister. He has bailed me out of several jams in the past and I for him. I couldn't understand why my mind was stuck on Jasper! Sure he looks extremely handsome in his tuxedo and his hair tied back a little but I never had a reaction to him like this before! "Bella! I got a shot of whiskey for you!" Peter called to me and handed me the glass. "Peter! You know my mother would shot me if she saw me drinking whiskey! I can hear her now that only ladies drink wine and champagne!" "Well she ain't lookin' now so do you want it or not because I'll take it." "Just give it to me!" I took the small glass and sipped the whiskey. I started coughing up a storm and both Peter and now Jasper were laughing at me! "You're not supposed to sip it sweetheart, you're supposed to shot it back all at once! Let it all slide down your throat." Peter said chuckling. "Thanks for the lesson" I said sarcastically and finally got the whiskey down. Ugh, I think I'll stick to wine and champagne like my mother said. "Would you care to dance Bella?" Jasper asked me. "Um, sure". That was eloquent! He smiled, offered his hand and I took it. A shiver ran down my arm as I placed my hand in his and he led me to the dance floor. I curtsied as he bowed to me never taking his eyes off of me. And we started dancing. He looked so strong to me while in his arms. He was sturdy but not stiff. He led me with ease as the song continued. "You look beautiful Bella. Far better than the dirt covered, frog chasin' girl I remember." He said laughing. "Thank you Mr. Whiklock, I had to come out of the creek sometime I guess" I joked. "Yes I guess you did." We didn't say anything else just danced but I gathered that Jasper wasn't talking kind. You could have a conversation by just looking in his intense bluish grey eyes. The song came to an end and he thanked me for the dance. He took my hand as he bowed and kissed it while I curtsied to him. He winked at me and that damn blush came back again! He smiled like he knew he could get me to blush and headed for the parlor.