FicAwesome Gift Exchange- TAKE 2

The Best Laid Plans…A Comedy of Errors in Three Parts

Written for: Jessica Hale Whitlock
Written By: busymommy
Rating: T with some language AH/ non-canon, OOC

Summary/Prompt used: Alice needs to have a party so she chooses a small holiday to celebrate and something happens!

Disclaimer: I own none of it, SM owns it all. I just put them in jacked -up situations and see what happens! Thanks so much to Nails233 for her AWESOME emergency betaing skills.

~PART ONE~

PLANNING

APOV

Bored! God, I was so bored. I should've probably been sitting heartbroken, and yet, I couldn't seem to muster the energy to be bothered. Jasper and I were finished. And really, did I have a reason to be upset? It had been almost a week now and I'd broken up with him, after all. If I were completely honest (something I tried rarely to do), we'd had nothing in common and were better off as friends than we'd ever been as a couple. He liked history, books, and quiet, while I loved shopping, parties, and fun.

A party! Yes! That's what I needed! Something I could plan to distract from my absolute boredom. I mean, Edward was senior class president and he would have to help me get the principal behind this, but I knew we could do it. I just needed to find a good reason, a theme. We'd just had a dance a few weeks ago for Valentine's Day, so it was gonna be a hard sell. I'd need to have it all planned out ahead of time before I went to Edward for help.

Really, I loved my cousin, Edward. We'd grown up together. But, he seriously needed to get the stick out of his ass. I was sure he would know what a good time was if it walked up and bit him. His girlfriend, Tanya was even worse. She's completely vapid. Honestly, a box of rocks had more personality. But hey, if that's what made him happy, then so be it.

I pulled out my day planner to see what holiday was coming up soon. There was nothing in the near future that looked overly promising. Racking my brain, I scrambled for any idea. Well, Mardi Gras was coming up; I could pull from that for inspiration. Then, like a bolt of lightning, inspiration struck. A Masquerade Ball! It was perfect! Rolling off my bed, I sat down at my desk and booted up my laptop. Opening Google, I did a search for ideas for a Masquerade Party. Flipping open a nearby notebook, I started bookmarking sites and making notes. Bouncing in my chair, I could barely contain my excitement. This was going to be the best damn dance Forks High School had ever had!

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By the time I finished, I'd scrawled out four pages of ideas. The colors and themes of Mardi gras would be ideal for the Ball and we'd be able to get supplies on sale after the holiday was over, so that would squash the argument that decorations would be too expensive. The Gym would be the perfect place to have it. We could drape swathes of fabric around the ceiling, using the basketball hoops as anchors. I had tons of lush colored bolts of fabric that I had been collecting ever since I'd started designing clothes for myself and my friends, Rosalie and Bella, and they'd look absolutely decadent. Pulling over my sketch pad, I roughed out the gym and started filling things in. Grabbing my art pencils, I went to the studio my mom had created in the spare room and added in the fabric colors. By the time I'd finished my sketching, the gym was transformed into an opulent New Orleans antebellum ballroom, redolent with the aura of Carnivalé.

Once the decorations were out of the way, it was time to move on to the entertainment. There really wasn't much of a selection; it would have to be the DJ from Port Angeles that we used for every event in Forks. Luckily, the guy was good and reliable. He also cut the school a break because he was an alumnus. So really, that was a no brainer. I really wanted to add something extra, a little special thing to kick things up a notch. Oh yeah! I wrote myself a note to call and see how much a costumed fire eater and a couple mimes would cost. It would really fit the theme. We could use a little class in Forks and this dance was going to bring it!

Refreshments would be tricky. I wanted better than the usual cookies, brownies, and cupcakes that we talked the parents into baking. I wanted a small buffet—hot and cold finger foods, fruit and vegetable trays, pastries and a large cake decorated to fit the theme. Soda in cans was not good enough for my dance, oh no! We needed several bowls of punch. I was going to have to call Aunt Esme. She owned a wedding planning service. I was sure she would know a few caterers. Hopefully, one would be willing to give us a deal on the food, too. I can be incredibly persuasive when I wanted to be, which, really, was most of the time.

We needed a date. It was already Mid-March. Checking my calendar again, I started ruling things out. Spring break was in three weeks. There certainly wasn't enough time to plan anything before that. But, then, the only thing to contend with was Prom and graduation. SHIT! Prom! That's the ticket! We can combine my theme with Prom! That way, we could crown a King and Queen, too. Sometimes, my ideas were so genius I scared myself. I was bouncing on my bed in anticipation. Looking back at my calendar, there was really only one option. The second Friday in May. It was a couple weeks before graduation and the wedding season. That should make it easier to lock in the contracts for everything and possibly get better deals, since they wouldn't be in their busy season yet.

Rubbing my hands together gleefully, I couldn't wait to present everything to Edward. We were going to need a Prom committee, too. Of course, I would lead it all up, since it was my idea, but I still needed minions to pull it all together. See, I was feeling better already! I'd just needed to plan something fun, and as usual, it lifted my spirits. Most of the details were roughed out. There was only one thing left to figure out. Costumes.

My friends couldn't be relied on to figure these things out for themselves. It always fell to me to make sure everyone was appropriately attired for anything we went to. I sat back and reflected on my friends, their personalities, and what I knew would be perfect for them. Really, the guys were a no-brainer. Edward, Emmett and Jasper were inseparable. For years we had called them Three Musketeers. "All for one and one for all" suited the guys to a tee. Athos, Porthos, and Aramis would be the perfect costumes for them.

Rosalie was also fairly easy to figure out. With her statuesque beauty, she was often referred to as a goddess. For Prom, she would be. Her classic blonde, blue-eyed beauty would make her the perfect Aphrodite. A gorgeous one-shouldered, Grecian column dress, embellished with bronzed accents and jewelry would create the perfect look for her. Bella was a little harder. She was so quiet and self-deprecating. She really didn't see herself as pretty as all. Rolling to my back, a playbill from the last time we went to the Broadway shows in Seattle caught my eye. Of course! Bella would make a absolutely perfect Christine Daaé from Phantom of the Opera. The costume from the Opera Ball would be phenomenal on her!

Scribbling the ideas in my notebook, I was quite pleased with myself. Now I just needed a costume. I'd spent years being called a pixie; I was going to finally use it to my advantage. I'd always loved Shakespeare's play a Midsummer Night's Dream and dreamed of being Titania since the first time I read it. I'd never get a better opportunity. Flipping to a fresh page in my sketchbook, I began designing my costume. Flowing, gossamer fabrics in shades of green and brown that would float over top of each other, reflecting the natural environment that fairies lived in were the ticket. As the Queen of the Fairies, I'd need a crown and decided on an elegant tiara. My hands flew over the paper as I sketched it all out. Iridescent wings that would capture the strobe lights the DJ would use rounded out the costume. It looked magnificent. Nothing I could rent or buy would ever be more perfect than what I could make myself.

The only thing that was missing for me was a date. There really wasn't anyone at Forks High that remotely appealed to me. Hell, even when I dated Jasper it was only because he was the best option available. That was an idea. Jasper and I were still friends. We could go to Prom as friends and no one would think anything of it. He hadn't shown an interest in anyone since we'd broke up. I'm sure, when the time came and all the announcements about Prom were made, he'd call me first. I was still the best option out there for him and I was sure he knew it, too.

A sharp knock on my bedroom drew my attention away from all the stuff scattered around on my bed. I called out for whoever it was to come in. My mom peeked her head in the door.

"Dinner is almost ready, honey," she said. "Do you think you could come down and give me a hand setting the table? We are having company. Your Aunt Esme, Uncle Carlisle, and Edward are coming over."

"Sure thing, Mom," I answered, pushing everything to the center of the bed so I could get up.

"Working on some new designs?" Mom asked, spying the open sketch pad.

"Well, sort of. I really can't talk about it yet, not until I talk to Edward, but once I get that out of the way, I'll be more than happy to tell you what's going on." I placed a kiss on her cheek as I passed her at the doorway. "You can rest assured though, it will be epic!"

Mom laughed. "Ali, honey, everything you do is of epic proportions. They just usually end in some kind of disaster. Promise me you'll be careful."

"Of course I will. It's not like it's anything dangerous. I was working up some ideas for Edward to go over for Prom. I just want to get his feedback first, before I tell anyone else."

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Surprisingly, Edward was receptive to all of my ideas, even the one about his costume. The first official meeting of the Prom Committee was the next day after school and they would be electing a committee chairperson. Damn! Someone else was probably already gunning for the position. Well, I'd just have to up my 'A' game if I wanted to have a chance at organizing things. Really, though, it just made sense. It was my ideas, my vision that was being recreated. I'd be the best woman for the job.

After we helped clear up from dinner, Edward and I headed in to hang out in the family room to watch some TV until his parents were ready to leave. He seemed a little nervous, almost wired with tension. I didn't push the issue. I'd learned a long time ago that the fastest way to find anything out from my cousin was to ignore the obvious. It always worked, and that night was no exception. After we had sat in companionable silence for a while, Edward cleared his throat.

"So, uhm, I suppose Bella has called you by now, right?"

"No, I haven't talked to her all night, now that I think about it." I pulled out my cell to see if all the bells and whistled were turned on. Everything was fine and there were no missed messages, from Bella or any one else. "That's strange. She and I are usually talking or texting all night long. I need to give her a call."

"Oh, cuz, I wouldn't advise that right now if she hasn't called yet. I have a funny feeling that she is decidedly unavailable.

"What do you mean, E! We are best friends, we share everything."

"Well apparently you are sharing more than you ever thought you would." He shook his head, as if he were trying to wake up after a long sleep. "When we were driving over, I saw Bella and Jasper coming out of Carver's Café. They looked really close for just friends. Jasper opened the door for her and was holding her hand. He gave her a kiss before helping her up in his truck, too."

I was shocked. My ex boyfriend and my best friend. That was a pair that I would have never pegged. As a matter of fact, I'd hoped for years that Edward would look at Bella as more than my best friend. I guess he waited too long.

Edward was still looking over my notes while my brain tried to wrap itself around the idea of Jasper and Bella together. I could see his eyes hurriedly scanning over my notes.

"It looks really good, Ali!" he exclaimed, "It's a good thing you got over your superstitions, too."

"What do my superstitions have to do with anything?" I asked distractedly, still in shock over Edward's news about Bella and Jasper.

Well, you have Prom scheduled for Friday, May 13th, 2011," he answered. Turning the page so I could see it too, and tapping his finger on the date I'd written down.

"It's actually perfect, Ally Cat! It is one of the few weekends all spring that something else won't be going on."

Oh, I couldn't believe it. Me, the most superstitious person in the world, had picked the biggest day for them to come true and scheduled one of our most important events of my life for that day. I shook my head and refocused. Friday, May 13th. What the hell was I thinking?

A/N: Here you are Jessica! I hope you enjoy it! Part 2 will be up tomorrow morning, with Part 3 following on Thursday. We are going to drag out your fun for a little while!