Hey! So I'm back! And this story is going to be so much better than my others. I was reading over them a few days ago, and realised how crap they are. Anyway, so here it is. I really enjoyed writing this story. I think its going to be so good!
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Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I just own the plot. All credit goes to Stephenie Meyer.
~ CHAPTER ONE - STRANGELY GORGEOUS ~
~ BELLA'S POV ~
~ FRIDAY ~
I walked up the stairs to my apartment, after two hours of jogging. Me, Alice and Rose had the whole top floor. We put all of our money together and bought the whole top floor. It's still got four apartments, it used to have five (two small, three large), but Alice and her boyfriend, Jasper, smashed a wall down between the two small apartments and created one big apartment.
Me, Alice and Rose all got sent to a private school in Seattle when we moved into High School, but the school put us all into the same room. Big mistake. We all became rebels and were chucked out. Of course, the same happened with my brothers and Alice's brother. My father, Charlie just laughed. So we returned to Forks High School, a short walk from where we lived in Forks.
Alice Cullen is amazing. I love her to pieces. She has short black spiky hair and bright blue eyes. A strange mix but it suits her. She has wide doe eyes, and brilliant high cheek bones. Alice has a great sense of fashion, and is always dragging me, and Rose, although Rose is dragging too, to the mall. That's where Alice's brother, Edward comes into the picture.
Edward has one of the apartments on our floor. He bought it from us, the one next to mine. I always insist that if I have to go shopping, then Edward comes too. And Alice hates that because me and Edward always muck around, and never take anything seriously! Edward is Alice's twin brother, and he is of course utterly gorgeous. He has this wonderful bronze hair that you just want to run your hands through, and he has bright emerald green eyes, that bear his soul for you to see. Edward and Alice are both my age, 24. Their birthday is June 20th. Alice is short, as short as me, while Edward is about 6 foot 3.
Edward is my best friend, nothing more. Alice keeps trying to get us together, she keeps saying "one day, you'll see, one day". Of course, Edward makes fun of her for it.
Rose is my other best friend. She has long blonde hair, and it of course, beautiful. She is tall, but not as tall as the boys. She too has blue eyes, much like Alice's, and she has wonderful luminous tanned skin. The advantages of living in St Petersburg, Florida. Rose is very stubborn and doesn't take shit from anybody. She is in complete control over any boy she has dated. That is apart from by brother, Emmett. Who she is currently dating.
The Hales' are from Texas, although Rose dropped the accent immediately, and picked up a Chicago accent. Don't ask how. I've given up trying. Rose is 24. She is the best friend I could ever ask for. I love her so much, and she is brilliant at scaring away boys at clubs.
And me. Well, I'm incredibly plain. Brown hair, brown eyes. My older brother Emmett got the good looks gene. I wouldn't say I'm unattractive, I'm just not beautiful. Although all the others try to convince me I am. Of course, Emmett jokes about me being plain. But that's just Emmett.
Em and I were born in Forks, Washington, and moved to St Petersburg when we both started college. Em is 26, the oldest in our group, while I'm 24. The youngest in our group. Emmett is like a big cuddly teddy bear. He's huge and muscular, and has brown curly hair and dimples. I tease him about his dimples, but then he just teases me about my height.
My brother Jasper lives in the huge apartment with Alice. Jasper has blonde curly hair, and deep hazel eyes. He is about as tall as Edward, and is 25. He always wears his cowboy boots. He has two pairs and he is never out of them. Both the same. Both Ralph Lauren.
Jasper is my half-brother. His parents rejected him when he turned seven years old, and my father Charlie adopted him, although he took his biological mothers name. He has a Texan accent, because that's where he came from.
His family was friendly with Rose's, so when Jasper's parents abandoned him, the Hale's rejected Jasper's parents and moved with him up to Forks. That's how we got friendly with Rose.
Alice and Jasper are perfect together. They are both very calm, when I say calm, I mean personality (because Alice could never be calm to save her life), collected and very sweet people.
My father, Charlie, has raised Emmett and me since we were both infants. My mother left when I turned one, so Charlie took it upon himself to look after us. Then he adopted Jasper, and that brought us all together. Charlie died last year due to a heart disease, and I miss him immensely. I went into depression for three months, until Edward, Em and Jazz managed to pull me out of it. By telling me they were taking me to a shrink. I screamed and cried, and Jasper just held me for around five hours, until I stopped crying.
So, anyway, I walked upstairs, to the third floor, 'Our Nut Hut' as we call it. The boys took it personally, because they actually have nuts, which all of us laughed hysterically at. No, nut actually means crazy this time. Because we are. Literally.
"Belly! Hurry up honey! We're making a new breed of sandwiches! Chocolate, ham and yesterdays custard!" Emmett boomed. I told you we were mad. Emmett had his head peeped out of his apartment door, which was wide open. Most of the doors were. Because it was only us who came to this floor.
"Who's making the sandwiches with you, Em?"
"Edward and Alice."
"Edward? And Alice? What did you give them to make them agree to do it with you?" I asked, as I entered his apartment, which was the one across from mine. Alice and Jasper's was next to Em's, and Rose shared with Emmett. And of course, there was Alice and Edward, sitting at the counter, spreading custard and chocolate onto pieces of bread. Urgh.
"Hey, Bells." Alice and Edward smiled at me. Edward looked up at me as I placed my hand on his upper back. I stood in-between them, eyeing up their weird creation.
"That's disgusting, Edward," I said, as I watched Emmett put a slice of ham on Edward's custard covered bread.
"I didn't say I was going to eat it, that's Em's job. I'd be sick," he grinned.
"Ok, that's fine then." I looked over at Alice, and watched her as she splattered chocolate spread on a slice of bread. I suddenly felt something cold and thick on my cheek. I squealed and turned towards Edward, who was smirking and holding a spoon with custard on it in his hand. Damn idiot. He'd spread it on my cheek.
"Oh, Edward," I cupped his chin in my hand and smiled sweetly at him. He closed his eyes and put on a pretty face for me, which meant that I could put my plan to work. I rubbed my cheek against his, spreading the custard on both our faces.
"Gross Bells!" He whined and Alice burst out laughing. I turned on her and picked up her newly spread bread. I held up my hand and pushed it on her cheek, causing her to scream. Emmett and Edward burst out laughing, and soon we were all in hysterics.
"You guys had better beware, Jazz is gonna be back in an hour, from work, and when he sees what you guys have done to me, he'll hunt you down." Alice warned. Edward chuckled, and got up.
"Well, I'm gonna go take a shower."
"Me too," Alice and I chorused, causing us to burst out laughing again. Edward rolled his eyes and walked out towards his own apartment. I followed after him, but went into my own apartment. My apartment had a spare bedroom, my bedroom with en-suite, an extra bathroom, a WC, a huge kitchen and a lounge area. The best bit though, was the balcony. I had got the only apartment with the balcony, so we hung out in my place. Just because it had a balcony.
There was a door going through from Edward's apartment to mine, so we just knocked the door down, creating an arch into each other's apartment. It's pretty awesome, because it's kinda like having your own apartment, but also having a roommate. We just walk through to each other's apartment whenever we feel like it and raid the cupboards!
I quickly took a shower and pulled my hair up into a bun, leaving a few strands down. I dressed in a pair of yoga pants, my flip-flops, a fitted band tee and an orange cardigan. I walked out into the kitchen, to see Edward sitting on the balcony with a beer. I grabbed a J2O and walked out to sit next to him. I climbed out the small window, and Edward smiled when he saw me.
Edward had obviously just come out of the shower too, because his bronze hair was slightly darker and more tousled than it usually was.
"Hey," I sat down in the deckchair next to him, and watched the town buzzing.
"Hi."
"What are you doing out here?"
"Just thinking," he murmured.
"What about? You seem kinda sad," I leaned over and brushed Edward's hair from his forehead. It was getting long. Soon be time for a trim. Edward's head lolled over his left shoulder, facing me.
"Nothing in particular." He smiled weakly. This was how it was between Edward and me. Friendly gestures, sometimes flirty, but if they were flirty, it was as a joke. And I liked it that way. It was the way we had lived all through school, university, and past work. Of course, Alice and Rose were convinced that we would end up together, but I liked the way it was between us. Of course, they always pushed us together. Edward and I both hadn't had a relationship in a year. And even before then, our relationships were crappy and unexcitable. They all ended after around one week.
"You sure?"
"Yeah, Bells. Come here," he held out his arms for me, and I climbed into his embrace, his arms going around me in an instant. "I know you worry about me, Bella. And I worry about you, but I promise you, I'll tell you if something is wrong. You're my best friend, and I think we know each other better than we do anyone else. So we know when something's up."
"Yes, and that's how I know now," I sighed into Edward's wife beater. "Please tell me."
"Fine. I'm sexually frustrated." I looked up at Edward with wide eyes, but he just had a grin on his face.
"Idiot," I laughed and slapped his chest. I got up to make my way over to my apartment, and carefully rubbed my crotch against Edward's, to help his 'sexual-frustration'. What a joke.
"Ooh Bells, keep going!" He chuckled and shoved me off him, following me through to the window into my apartment. I placed my bottle in the recycling box and looked at Edward, who was putting his beer bottle away.
"Do you have to work tomorrow?" I asked him.
"Nope, it's a Saturday, you don't either," he smiled. Edward and I both worked at the hospital. I work as a nurse and it was Edward's first year as a Doctor in general practice. He worked week days, like me, from 9 in the morning until 7 in the evening, in Tampa General Hospital. Carlisle, Edward's father, was the cardiologist, and he worked in Chicago, where he and his wife Esme had moved.
Alice and Rose were both personal shoppers at Tampa's main mall. They both shared the week, each doing 2 and a half days. Angela, their other employee worked weekends. Jasper worked in Tampa's huge architectural company, making big money. His hours revolve around Alice's. What a coincidence. And Emmett, well, he was a personal fitness trainer. We all got weekends off, so it was nice to spend some time together.
Edward, Em and me had managed to get today off, just as an occasional day off, and it was Rose's turn at the shop anyway, so Alice was at home too. It was nearing dinner time now, so Rose and Jazz should be home soon.
Right on cue, Alice bounced through the door, followed by Jazz, Em and Rose.
"Hey guys! We're eating in here tonight!" She squealed and hopped onto the loveseat.
"Don't we always?" Edward muttered and patted Alice's hair as he walked past her to the armchair. Em had his arms around Rose, and they were waddling awkwardly to the sofa. They fell onto it, taking up the whole sofa, leaving me nowhere to sit. Part of the plan.
I grinned inwardly, and just to please them, sat on the floor in front of Edward's chair. He of course, wasn't happy with me on the floor, so he hoisted me up into the hole where his legs were. You see, Edward had his legs curled up on the armchair, with me in the curve of his legs. A perfectly natural position. Not.
After we had eaten that night, Rose and Em left early, because they had some work to do. We could all see that they were loved up tonight, so we let them go without any complaints. It was just Edward, Alice, Jasper and me left by nine.
"Well, I'm going to head. I need my beauty sleep. Coming, Jazz?" Alice said, standing up.
"I'll be with you in a second," he winked at Alice and she giggled and ran out of the apartment.
"I'm going to go tidy my apartment. Mum and Dad are coming over tomorrow. And they want to stay with us, Bells. Sorry." Edward said.
"That's ok, I love Esme. We'll do some cooking tomorrow before they arrive." I winked at him and he got up from next to me. Jasper and I watched Edward as he walked into his apartment. He paused at the arch.
"Oh, Alice is collecting them, at nine from the airport. So, we need to get up early to do some cooking, otherwise Mum will be telling you off for not cooking right," he said, yawning, He walked through the arch, and I could hear his iPod playing through the speakers.
Carlisle and Esme Cullen lived in Chicago. They had moved there just after we all moved to St. Petersburg. They said they didn't need a huge house if their six children weren't staying there anymore. Carlisle and Esme were like second parents to all of us, well, apart from Edward and Alice. They counted us as their own kids, which was nice. We all spent most of our time at their mansion. But they complained it was too big, and so moved to Chicago. Into a bigger house.
"Well, he has it for you, Bells," Jasper grinned.
"Funny, Jazz. He doesn't, he's just a good friend." I got up and went to sit on the sofa next to him. He put an arm around me and I rested my head on his shoulder.
"You know how Charlie wanted y'all to be happy?"
"Yeah."
"Well, Edward makes you happy. And Bells, you make him happy, it's clear that you belong together."
"That was unfair, Jazz. You know I'm a push-over when you bring up Charlie." He chuckled and I smiled.
"Just think about it, Bells. I'm gonna get to sleep, I have to pick up the parental unit with Alice tomorrow." He got up and hugged me. "Love you, Bella."
"I love you too, Jazz." He kissed my hair and then left, murmuring songs as he went.
"Bella?" I heard a voice whisper, and I groaned from being woken up. "Bella?" This time it was whispered slightly louder. I cringed and got out of bed, walking to my bedroom door. I saw a figure in the arch between Edward and I's apartment and walked up to it. Edward. He was standing there, clutching his duvet and his pillow. His hair was all over the place, and his eyes were squinting.
"What are you doing? Its 1am!"
"Rose and Em are going at it like bunnies. Can I please sleep here?"
"Yeah, sure honey, just let me wake up a little more."
"Bells, what are you wearing? Don't you usually wear my old track shirt and a red pair of silk pyjama pants?" I could hear the grin in Edward's voice. Today, I had had a nice relaxing bath, and had decided to wear some nice girly pyjamas to bed. Well, a black fitted vest top and a pair of black boyshorts.
"I wasn't expecting visitors." I scowled back.
"So do you dress like this every night then?" He chuckled.
"Harhar, Edward. Get in." He walked in and began laying his duvet out on the couch.
"What are you doing now?"
"I'm getting into my makeshift bed."
"Silly Edward, you can sleep in my bed, it's not like you're going to molest me or anything. Come on." I led him through and he collapsed on my bed. I climbed in my side and as almost asleep when I heard Edward whispering.
"Bella?"
"What now?"
"Thanks." I was taken aback.
"That's ok, anytime." It was the best night sleep I'd had in a long time.
SATURDAY
Click. A camera?
"Shh, Esme, you'll wake them up." I heard a hyper voice whisper. Alice.
"You're the one who's whispering!"
"Shh, y'all are going to wake them up." I recognized Jasper's Southern twang.
"Guys! Leave them alone. Let's leave them some peace." I heard Carlisle say. Then a shuffling of feet as they all left the apartment.
Oh My God.
I know what they were all watching. Edward had stayed over last night. We hadn't woken up. Alice had collected Carlisle and Esme. And they were all looking at us sleeping in the same bed. Thinking we were together.
Crap.
My eyes shot open. I was lying on my right side, and Edward was facing me on his left side. Our noses were nearly touching.
"Gah!" I gasped. I leaned back and Edward stirred. At least we both had clothes on.
I studied Edward as he slept. His eyes were gently closed and his lips had slipped into a pout. He had a gorgeous bed head, and his breathing was low and deep. Why does he have to look gorgeous in everything he does? He's not even conscious for crying out loud!
What the hell? Gorgeous? He's my best friend!
Edward's eyes fluttered open and he smiled lazily when he saw me watching him. I gasped. In recognition. This is why I get on so well with him, because I am in love with him.
I love him.
That's why, all this time, we have had a strange pull towards each other. We are attracted to one another, and have been for ages, but haven't realised.
"Bella? What have you just realised? You have your realisation face on..." Edward said curiously.
"Um, nothing. Nothing."
"Whatever, I know you're lying." He sat up and wrapped his duvet around him.
"Oh! Your parents are here. We've slept in!" I said anxiously and he quickly climbed out of bed.
"Damn!" He padded out of the bedroom, but suddenly appeared again at the door.
"Um, Bella. Thanks. For letting me sleep here, I mean. And for telling me my parents have arrived." He grinned and then walked out. I let out a deep breath I didn't know I was holding and groaned as I fell onto the bed in frustration.
I emerged from my bedroom a few minutes later in a short denim skirt, a vest top, and flip-flops. The Nutty Bunch were all already in my apartment, enjoying breakfast. I spotted Esme and Carlisle sitting beside Emmett, watching him make his sandwiches. I squealed in excitement and ran over to them hugging them.
It felt like they were my real parents, my birth parents.
"Bella! Oh My God, you're gorgeous," Esme exclaimed.
"Oh, I've missed you so much, Esme," I whined.
"I know, honey. Do you fancy some breakfast, I made some blueberry scones?" She smiled and put one on a plate for me with some butter inside. I walked around the table, looking at the seating. The Round Table today, was a very clichéd seating plan. Rose, Alice, Jasper, Em, Carlisle, Esme, Edward, and then a space. Obviously for me.
I smiled as I sat down. Edward nudged my shoulder and I smiled up at him. He had a spot of jam on his chin, so I used my fingertip to wipe it off. Edward's eyes closed in contentment and I was suddenly aware of the awkward silence that had invaded The Nutty Bunch. I looked around the group, and almost burst out laughing at their faces.
Alice and Esme were bursting with pride.
Jasper was confused. As was Carlisle and Rose.
And Em. Well, Em was still buttering his sandwich.
"Have I been missing something? You guys wipe each other's food off your faces; sleep in the same bed -" Esme started.
"WOW! Back up! The same bed?" Rose and Em chorused. They were obviously still doing their animal impressions this morning.
"Edward and I are not together. He slept in my room because Em and Rose were going at it like bunnies all night, and making far too much noise." I said. Rose was grinning like the Cheshire cat, and Emmett just stared at me in shock. He suddenly covered his mouth with his hand and made a girly giggle, then started spreading whipped cream on his bread. Yuck.
"What? What were you doing on the balcony last night then?"
"Talking." Edward interjected. I glanced at him quickly and gave him a thankful look.
"About what?" Alice asked with suspicion.
"Well, um, work," I stuttered.
"I don't believe you." I was surprised to hear Esme's voice this time.
"We did! Honestly. I promise." I said, and got up to wash some dishes.
"Stop annoying them, guys, if they don't want to tell you, leave it be," Jasper piped up and got up from the table to put his plate in the dishwasher. He kissed my temple and then sat back down, his arm slung around Alice's chair. Rose and Em stood up and brushed themselves down.
"We're going to go food shopping for the barbeque tonight, anyone else want to join us?" Rose said, looking around.
"No thanks, dear, Alice and Jasper are going to take us to the beach." Esme smiled.
"Ah, Rosie, can we go to the beach too?" Emmett whined.
"After we've been shopping. We'll meet you at the beach, Ali," Rose said and dragged Em out of the door.
"Thanks for breakfast, Esme!" He called, even though he didn't have any of her scones.
"What are you doing today, Bella?" Carlisle asked.
"I'm going to do some cooking for tonight. Edward promised me he'd cook with me this morning." I grinned at him.
"Then she's going to help me finish tidying our apartments." He grinned, a crooked grin back to me. I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Oh, well, Bella, Alice said we could sleep in your spare bedroom. Is that ok? I figured it would be safer to sleep here rather than in her apartment, what with Jasper there too. And you and Edward aren't active, yet, so I'll stay here."
"Ok, that's fine. You can put your bags in here now if you want. Before you go to the beach," I said, as Edward and I stood up to tidy the table and begin cooking.
"Thank you, Bella. You too, Edward. This is as much Bella's apartment as it is yours," Esme smiled as she grabbed Carlisle's hand and they went to get their bags. Edward stretched and stood up.
"So, what are we making?" He came up behind me and placed his hands on my shoulders.
"Um, I was thinking we could have a barbeque tonight, and then have a cheesecake for pudding. So we need to make a quiche, various salads and, obviously, the cheesecake." I turned around and smiled at him.
"Ok, so where do we start?" He grinned.
By noon, Edward and I had finished cooking. He had made the baked cheesecake all by himself, even the red currant sauce for the top. We finished up by doing the dish washing, while singing and dancing to our playlist that Edward had made for us.
"Hey, Bells, do you want to go for a walk?"
"Sure, but I really feel like a Starbucks," I scrunched my face up.
"Well, let's go to Tampa Square and we can go shopping too." I liked shopping with Edward. It was so much different than shopping with Alice.
"That sounds good; I think we need a break." I lay down the towel on the worktop and we went into our bedrooms to get changed out of cooking clothes. I changed into a short denim skirt and some biker boots. I pulled on a purple t-shirt and met Edward back in the kitchen. He was dressed in dark jeans and a dark blue t-shirt. I picked up my bag and we headed down to my convertible Porsche Boxster.
I climbed in the driver's side, much to Edward's disgust; he always drives. Well, it's my car. I drive. I started the car with a smirk on my face.
"And what might you be smirking at, Miss Swan?" He grinned.
"Nothing, Edward," I imitated him.
"Yeah right." He grinned and turned to look out the window.
We spent a few hours trawling the shops. Edward let me go into Victoria's Secret while he went into a 'man shop', as he called it. I had bought a matching bra and panties in a deep red colour, and a few more lacy boyshorts. Edward had bought me a new Marc Jacobs handbag that was in the sales. Alice would be so proud.
"Hey," I said, meeting him in Barnes and Noble, beside the crime section.
"Hey you, had fun?" He said, picking up his bags. He closed the book he was looking through and took the one I had out of my hands.
"Where are you going with that?" I followed his long strides.
"I'm paying."
"No, Edward, wait! Can I change it? I'd like this one!" I plucked the one from his hands and picked up another one that I had looked at. He read the blurb on the back, and looked at me amusingly.
"Seriously, Bella? Vampires?"
"Yeah, they're all the rage at the moment. Come on," I dragged him off to the till, and he paid for the books. Bless him.
We walked out of the shop and I spotted Starbucks across the street.
"We haven't had our Starbucks yet!" I turned to face Edward with a grin.
"Come on then," he said, grabbing my hand as we ran across the road. Edward was being very touchy feely today, and I liked it. I don't know why. It just felt safe, and right.
We sat down outside on one of the garden chairs and I went to order the drinks.
"I'll have a Caramel Macchiato, and Edward will have a Caffe Latte. Both tall please. And can we have two Rocky Road Muffins as well, please," I smiled at the man and gave him the correct amount of money. I picked up the coffees from the counter and went to sit down again.
"Thanks Bells." Edward said and took one of the muffins from the centre of the table. We talked about random things and smiled at the kids play area in the cafe next door. All the children seemed to like the flume the best. I laughed along with Edward as he talked about various events at the hospital, and I wondered, would this be different if we were a couple?
So, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. The second chapter is written, but needs a little finishing and touching up. I will put out the second chapter once I have written the third.
In the mean time, PLEASE PLEASE add me on Blogger and I will put up some sneak peeks and update times.
Thank you for reading and PLEASE review! Or no update...