Rating/Note(s): T. These will be unrelated unless otherwise noted. Unbeta'd. We'll see how long I can keep this up.

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Prompt: Idea Completion: New Year's Resolutions

"Come on, Bella!" Alice bellowed from across the hallway. "We're going to be late!"

I huffed in exasperation and the lungful of air blew a wayward ringlet away from in front of my face. I leaned in close to the vanity mirror and examined my appearance.

Alice had spent the last hour curling my hair into ringlets and doing my makeup and was rushing to finish working on herself before we had to leave. Since I had humored her and allowed her to buy me a dress for Christmas — she promised me it had been on sale, though I assume our definition of sale greatly differs — to wear to the Cullen's annual New Years Eve party.

Charlie had been wary when I brought up the party one night at dinner, but since I was eighteen and had never given him reason to worry before, he just shrugged and told me to "be safe" before he turned his attention back to his lasagna.

Doctor and Mrs. Cullen hosted a party every year for their co-workers and friends. Except this year it would also be Emmett and Rosalie's engagement party.

Emmett was the mammoth older brother the one and only Edward Cullen. Edward was the incredibly good-looking boy I shared a lab table with in AP Biology class. He was the only boy I had deemed worthy to crush on since I had moved to Forks our junior year.

That first year, I don't think we'd spoken two words to each other, but I noticed him during lunch and whenever we'd pass in the halls. When senior year started and Mr. Banner paired us up to be lab partners I thought I would pass out, or throw up. I didn't want to ruin the illusion by getting to know him. I didn't want him to find me boring.

But getting to know him made me like him even more, when I didn't think that was possible and we slowly became acquaintances — we'd stop and say 'hi' in the hallways and study for our bio tests together at the diner — and by the time left for winter break I might have even called us friends.

Even so, I was surprised when he'd called me a few days before Christmas to ask me if I'd want to attend his family's holiday party.

"Bella?"

"Hey, Edward!"

"Hi."

"What's up?" I asked, anxiously tracing the lines on my fading floral bedspread. I couldn't guess why he'd be calling seeing as we'd only spoken on the phone a handful of times, and always related to school.

"Um.. Not much, how about you?"

"Just reading."

"Fun," he murmured. I couldn't be sure but I thought I heard him muttering "stupid" and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Are you okay, Edward?"

"Fine," he replied shortly. "Listen, I know this is last minute but… what are you doing on New Years Eve?"

"Um…" I'm not sure why I had to think about it, my plans had been what they were on most weekends, a sleepover with Alice at either her house or mine. "Just hanging out with Alice I think… Why?"

"Well, my brother…you know Emmett?"

"I know of him."

"Yeah," he barked out a laugh. "Most people do. Anyway, he proposed to Rosalie and they're having an engagement party."

"Oh! That's great…"

"Yeah, well Rosalie didn't want it to be my parents usual crowd of 'boring old people' her words not mine, and she said I could invite some friends."

"Oh."

"Do you think you'd want to come?" he asked, his voice sounding almost nervous. "You could invite Alice," he added. "I think she and Rosalie were friends before she graduated."

"I'll have to ask Alice, but I think she'll say yes."

"Okay, great."

"I'll text you and let you know?"

"Sounds good, see you soon Bella."

"Bye, Edward."

After he hung up, I closed my phone and threw my head back, banging it into the headboard behind me as I wondered what I was getting myself in to.

I'd relayed the information to Alice later that night and she'd squealed in excitement before begging me to let her buy me a new dress. Since the Cullen's party was semi-formal and the only dress I had in my closet had been from my junior high graduation, I took her up on her offer.

"Bella, let's go!" Alice called from the doorway. Her short black hair was slicked down and a pink jeweled headband adorned the crown of her head. The bright silver sequins of her formfitting strapless mini-dress reflected the overhead lights and I brought my hand to my face to shield myself from the glare.

"You're gonna blind me!" I teased.

"Shut up," she grumbled with a scowl before her face broke into a grin. "Now come on, Dad's just starting the car now…"

I nodded at her and stood up to grab my coat from the bed. I took another look in the mirror and had to smile at my reflection. The black dress hit a little above my knees and the empire waist made the asymmetric ruffled skirt swish and swirl as I moved.

I felt…pretty. It was an unfamiliar concept to me. But I had put an effort into looking nice, for myself, for Alice, for Edward… and as I took a final look in the mirror I resolved that this would be the night I told him how I felt.