Falling Stars
BPOV
I awoke with a start to a shrill screech coming from the kitchen below. My mind raced frantically, trying to identify the sound, and hoping it wasn't coming from anything alive. My body relaxed as realization kicked in. "ALICE!" I yelled, hoping to out-scream the kettle she had left on. When my scream garnered no response, I figured she must have already left. I heaved my tired body out of bed and clumsily walked down the stairs, making sure to avoid the broken bottom step. I padded in to the kitchen and unplugged the screeching kettle in time to see Alice's head pop in from the screen door.
"Where were you?!"
"I was just out waterproofing my new Aubergine Jimmy Choo stiletto boots!" Alice nearly squealed; her face lighting up with excitement.
"What? Was that even English, Al?" I shook my head; Alice's level of fashion awareness was almost frightening. She shot me a cheeky grin as she squeezed past me to grab the teapot. It was impossible to stay mad at her when she seemed so upbeat, even in the dreary grey of Seattle.
I had known Alice almost as long as I could remember. We had grown up living next door, and despite our drastically different personalities, we made quick friends. It was my father Charlie that encouraged me to befriend Alice after I had moved in with him, though I always suspected it was due to the fact that he had a "thing" for Alice's mum, Esme. Esme was beautiful, just as Alice was, and even in my childhood mind it had never escaped me that Charlie must have been in love with her. Over the years Alice and I had grown inseparable; and though we were completely different people, we did everything together.
When we first found out we had both been accepted to the University of Washington, there was no need to discuss who we would be rooming with. Esme had generously chipped in to help buy us a small apartment in a dreary Seattle suburb, using the money from the sale of her own house after she and Charlie had decided to move in together. They had married last summer, right before Alice and I left for college, and I smiled every time I recalled the night Charlie nervously sat me down, wringing his sweaty hands in the kitchen, nervous to give me the news. I think I must have caused him temporary deafness; my screams of excitement were so loud. I was over the moon happy for them both, and Alice absolutely shared my feelings.
I smiled as I thought of the memory, looking up to see Alice eagerly spooning sugar in to her cup of tea.
"Geez Al, you'd think five sugars would be enough?" I shot her a pointed glance. Somehow it became very apparent where all her energy came from.
Alice flashed me an impish grin and sat down on the stool. "I saw the most charrrming boy in my history lecture yesterday." She purred with an almost cat-like contentment.
"Oh?" My eyebrow shot up as I turned around to pop my bagel in the toaster. "And what about Jasper, you remember, your boyfriend?!"
"Oh Bella, of course I remember Jasper, I was merely making conversation!" Her eyes fluttered innocently as she sipped her tea.
"Hm." I paused for a second, my interest piqued. "So what exactly is so charming about this boy, Al?"
She grinned like a Cheshire cat as I took her bait.
"Well, he is only gorgeous and built like a greek god!" She giggled. I rolled my eyes pointedly.
"Oh Bella really, you have to see Edward, I nearly fainted when he asked to borrow a oen in class!" she feigned a swoon and nearly fell off her chair.
"You're not talking about Edward Cullen are you?!" I asked with a bit too much furvor. I had never exactly seen Edward before, but his bad reputation was widely known around the university.
Alice shot me a questioning glance. "How do YOU know Edward Cullen?"
I shrugged. "There are probably as many rumours about his bad behaviour as there are about your sexual conquests." I smirked as Alice violently threw a bagel at me.
"Al, I'm just kidding!" I managed to squeak out between giggles. Alice's barrage of bagels stopped.
Her face slumped as she looked outside the window distractedly. "It's raining again. I guess I'm glad I waterproofed those boots."
I groaned inwardly. Was there ever a day where it didn't rain in Washington?
Alice turned back to face me, and eager expression on her face."Anyways, what's so bad about him?" she asked, attempting to steer the subject of conversation away from the weather.
"Who, Edward? I don't know exactly, I've never even seen him. But Jas told me that Edward is kind of…..messed up. I think he picks a lot of fights with people." I shrugged my shoulders, not really interested in pursuing the topic anymore. I quickly glanced at the clock.
"Ugh Alice I am SO late for class! Please, please, please remember to drop off my dinner at work tonight?!" I nearly screamed, running out the door wearing the clothes I had slept in. I threw my backpack violently in to my old clunker of a truck, turning the keys in the ignition and wincing at the sputtering sound coming from the motor. I sighed, nothing ever changed.