Authors Note: I have no idea how or why this idea came to me; it just did.
Summary: Bella feels pity on the homeless people she sees living in the bad neighbourhood. Jasper says they are there purely by choice which Bella disagrees with. So she challenges the Cullen family to spend a week living on a budget and having to earn whatever they spend, instead of withdrawing it from the numerous Cullen bank accounts. How do the family cope without their luxuries?
I do not own Twilight; we owe Stephenie Meyer for the world that we play in.
I had just got back from shopping with Alice and I had definately been taken against my will. It had taken us so long to get home because one of the main roads had been blocked so we had to take a different route home. We'd driven thought a neighbourhood – one that didn't look pleasant at all.
The buildings were all three stories, and narrow; the streets were dingy and littered with rude obscene graffiti over the walls. On the streets, in the rain, were homeless people in cardboard boxes. Alice had driven past, and I'd made sure the doors were locked for Renesmee's sake, but I couldn't help but pity the people on the streets.
An hour later, the poor people were still on my mind, the images still in my head.
"What's the matter, love?" Edward asked, sitting on the Cullen sofa, and I realised I'd been staring into space. It was hard for a vampire to do that, but I'd manage to do it perfectly. His face was of sincere concern, and also frustration as he could not read my mind.
"Oh, it's nothing really," I said, a little embarrassed at why I had blanked out.
"If it's bothering you, then it isn't nothing."
"Okay, well when we went shopping earlier, Alice, Renesmee and I, we had to drive through the not nice area. And there were people on the floors and the area was filthy!" I sighed. "I suppose I have to get used to being this rich, and only being able to do so much."
"They choose to be like that." I turned round and saw Jasper descending the stairs with a pile of laundry. I doubted they'd ever be worn again.
"They choose?" I repeated, not sure how anyone would choose that life.
"Yes. People have choices in life and they decide them."
"So you're saying that the homeless people want to live on the streets? Want to get wet when it rains and cold when it snows?" I spat. How could he say that? Alice came downstairs too, her hands on her hips, most probably trying to find out who was picking on her darling Jasper.
"I'm saying they could do something about it if they really wanted to." Jasper reasoned, turning into the kitchen where the washing machine sat.
"Jasper, can I ask you something?" I said, making him turn back around to face me. "When was the last time you ever had to worry about money? I mean, really? Worry about the bills and how much the groceries were going to cost, and how much the next medical bill was?" I lowered my eyes on him and he physically shifted under my glare.
"Go easy, Bella," Alice warned.
"You've all been living in a world where, well you didn't need food for one, but Alice we just went and blew $300 on a dress for Renesmee! That could feed a family for a month!" I said, horrified by their views. I'd never really discussed money with the Cullens before; when I was human, I'd lived with Charlie and had gotten a job. I'd never been jealous, but always cautious about how much they spent on me. I'd been embarrassed by their luxury life when I didn't have that.
Carlisle then entered from outside, Esme in tow. His expression was full of confusion.
"I heard raised voices," he said simply, waiting for any of us to expand. No-one said anything, so I filled the silence with an idea. It was spontaneous so Alice had no head start.
"I want the Cullens, including me, to do a challenge. Carlisle let me explain. When Alice and I were coming back from our shopping trip, we had to drive through a rough area. There were homeless people and the area was filthy. Jasper said they had a choice about their living styles. I disagree. Why would anyone choose to live on the streets, or worry about their next meal?" I said. Carlisle nodded, but I was unsure whether he agreed with me, Jasper or just taking in what I was saying.
"I'd like, and obviously I can't make you, but I'd like the Cullens to live there – just for a week. We will have a budget to start us off but then we have to earn the money we spend. No glamour. No luxury. And we have to buy the foods necessary for a human family," I finished and looked at the family. Rosalie and Emmett had made a silent entry, Renesmee in Rosalie's arms. Their mouths were all open, slightly, but Alice's expression was hostile.
"Are you kidding me?" she gasped, truly unsure whether this was a joke.
"No. I'm serious," I replied simply, my eyes still wide.
Despite my expectations, Rosalie nodded in agreement. "I'm in," she said. It took me a moment to get over the shock – I'd thought she and Alice would have been the last to agree. But then I remembered that Rosalie's decisions were always tinted by her past, her desire to be human.
"I think this is a very good idea, Bella. It can teach us all the values of money – I often think we have things we want too easily. I agree and I am in," Carlisle said, his face was full of pleasant surprise and eagerness too. Esme took hold of Carlisle's hand and nodded happily.
"It will be a challenge to us all. We can see how others live. And we could help too. We could donate some money to the homeless people; they could do so much with it," I said, hoping the generosity would persuade Alice. But I noticed that Emmett's ears had been picked up on the word challenge and he walked over to me, and patted me on the shoulder.
Without realising, we had formed two teams. On one side of the room, the side nearest to the kitchen remained Alice and Jasper and also Edward. Near to me was Rosalie, Emmett, Carlisle and Esme; Renesmee in Rosalie's arms.
"Edward, do this with me. Please." I said, my eyes stared at him pleadingly. If Edward did not do this with me, then I didn't think I would either. He would dampen my fire – this was something I really wanted to do. Living with Renee, things had been tight, but I'd never experienced the cold and rain because I had no place to live. I wanted to prove that Jasper was wrong.
Edward said nothing, but walked from the opposing side of the room to my side. I smiled, just a little, as he stood next to me, taking my hand in his.
"Alice? Jasper?"
"It's Alice's call," Jasper whispered, turning to face Alice. Alice was torn, and her face was horrified. Did luxury mean that much to her?
"I'll think about it," she huffed, and I was confident that she was on board. I looked at Edward through the corner of my eye and he gave me a short nod. He thought so too.
"When then?" I said, turning on Carlisle, the leader for this kind of organisation. I was beginning to get excited. How strange was that?
"Whenever you think a good time."
I pondered this for a moment. When was it a good time? Our diaries were pretty much always empty. "I'll look at properties tonight, and maybe, hopefully, we can start on Monday. Monday to Monday, yes?"
"Yes." They all agreed in unison, and I was pleased to see Jasper and Alice included in this. A wide smile spread across my face, as we all separated, going back to our own little thing.
I started looking at properties instantly, and I didn't find much at all. I assumed that was affecting why so many people were living on the streets, not necessarily lack of money, but lack of housing. I decided to broaden my search; I was now looking in most bad neighbourhoods instead of just the one that we had driven through earlier today.
I'd never have thought I'd be doing this, searching purposely for a place with bad reputations. But then again, I'd never have thought I'd be a vampire living forever with supernatural ability.
Eventually, after nearly a three hour period on the laptop at the dining room table, I found a place. There were no pictures which hinted that there was nothing to show off about. It was in a place I would never have even entered during my human years, and the details were basic: three bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen diner and a small living room – rent only. Bedrooms were not really an issue; it was only Renesmee that slept. And the rest of us could last a week without any action, surely? It was then that Edward chose to make his entry. Maybe not, I thought instantly as he kissed me on the forehead, eyeing my findings.
"Looks… good," he muttered sheepishly, after he'd finished reading the minimal description. Good wasn't really the word I would have used, but it served my purpose perfectly.
"I'll give them a ring," I said, looking at the telephone number. I dialled the number and had to wait for over ten minutes before I was put onto the estate agent. I had to battle with the him, and I found my usual stubborn self with a hint of frustration too. In the end, I handed it over to Jasper. Half an hour later, he put the phone down.
"No-one is allowed to rent a house for just a week," he said, his eyes full of wonderment.
"So we can't do it?" I growled more at the situation than at Jasper.
"Well, yes. But it won't completely work out the way you wanted. We have to rent the house for a minimum of six months, so I said we would do that." He shrugged his shoulders. Jasper always dealt with the difficult situations – he seemed to remain calm easier than the rest of us, excluding Carlisle, but he was working a night shift tonight. He had darted off almost as soon as our discussion had ended.
"I am not doing it for six months!" Alice said quickly, frowning.
"No, and you don't have to. We can easily work out a weeks worth of rent. We just have to pay the rest of it aswell, but that won't be a problem," he said, not thinking how his words would anger me. I suppressed it as best I could - this whole challenge was to prove that money had values that the Cullen's didn't know of. Not everyone could rent a house for six months without actually living in it!
That night I spent a while carefully packing clothes. This was something Alice usually did, but I wanted to make sure I packed appropriate things. How weird would we look if we turned up to a run down area in designer expensive looking clothing? I packed my kind of clothes; jeans and t-shirts, but not many – clothes would have to be bought too. I smiled smugly to myself that my plan was going ahead.
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