The Magic of Christmas
Summary: Bella Swan and her friends are throwing a Christmas bash at the Brandon house. Just before the end of the semester, Bella meets a handsome new student the last day before finals and they share a spectacular moment. Sad that she will not get to see him until the following semester, Bella is not excited for the long Christmas break as she had been. However, merely hours into break, Bella gets quite a surprise that is sure to make the break much more spectacular than she could ever imagine. This is the short story of Edward Cullen and Bella Swan and of how just a little bit of Christmas magic can go a long, long way.
Disclaimer: I will never own Twilight. Saaaad day…
BPOV
"NO!" I shouted for the billionth time.
This, of course, did nothing to deter Alice who stared at me with the biggest, brownest puppy eyes I have ever seen her unleash. She was tragically good at that. Then again, it was only tragic because I could not resist those eyes. She was my best friend, and despite being the unsocial one of our tight knit group, I decided to let her have her way. Lord knows she would get it anyway.
"Ugh, fine!" I relented. Alice had been asking, no begging, to have me come to this ridiculous Christmas party she was planning. It was two weeks until Christmas and she was already trying to get everything in order. Before I knew it, I was tackled. Luckily, the squishy leather couch was behind me.
"Mmph," I grunted beneath Alice's tiny frame. Just because Alice was small, it did not mean she was not strong. "Okay, okay! I know you're excited!"
"Oh c'mon Bella! Where is your sense of excitement? It is going to be a blast! You know me! I have never thrown a dismal party! That would be blasphemous!"
I giggled at her serious tone. "True, Alice; very true."
"Now c'mon! We need to go shopping!" she exclaimed while pulling me toward the door. Oh boy, I thought. Alice and Christmas decoration shopping was bound to be headache inducing.
"Alice, you do realize that finals are this coming week, right?" I asked, exasperated. I had a lot of studying to do for biology. It definitely was my weakest subject and hardest final I had coming up.
"Of course I do," she rolled her eyes. "But there's hardly any time left until the party!"
"Two weeks is more than enough time, you shopping crazed pixie!" I joked.
She smacked me lightly on my arm. "Fine, we'll go shopping on Saturday."
I still was not thrilled to go shopping, but at least I could put it off for another two days. "Al, I have to head home. It is dinnertime and I have not seen my parents in days. You, Rose, and I have been together a lot lately and I can tell my parents miss me." I said with a sad smile. I missed them too. I had always been very close to my mother and father. I was their only child
"Okay! I'll see you in the morning then!" I waved to her and left her house, walking across the street to my own.
It was rather convenient really. We had lived across the street from each other since we were born. Our parents met through our daycare and really hit it off. We had dinner together at least twice a month. Usually, though not always, the Hales and McCarty's joined us. They lived just down the street in the same cul-de-sac. Rosalie and Jasper Hale were twins and were beautiful. Both had sandy blonde hair and gorgeous features that made any girl and boy swoon at their good looks. Rose had a confidence unlike any girl, but was far from bitchy. Jasper was quiet and humble and the perfect opposite to Alice's hyperactive spastic personality. As a couple, they could not get more perfect. Then there was Emmett McCarty who was Rose's boyfriend. A complete goof with a heart like a marshmallow and wonderful bear hugs, Emmett's silliness contrasted well with Rose's snarky attitude. We had all known each other and had been friends since elementary school. Now, here we were halfway through our junior year of high school.
Nothing had changed between us when my friends coupled up. If anything, it brought us all closer. Occasionally, I felt a little out of place. If we were watching movies together or doing things that generally would work well with couples, I felt a little lonely. However, it was not enough to separate us. We were a family of our own connecting our families. I could not ask for better friends.
"Mom, I'm home!" I called as I walked in through the front door.
"Hey honey, how was your day?" she asked as she cut up carrots for the chicken soup simmering on the stove.
I breathed in the delicious scent and felt my muscles relax at the familiarity and comfort that chicken soup brought. It may sound silly, but it was a sign of Christmas nearing and brought much nostalgia with it.
"It was good! We hardly did anything worthwhile since finals are next week. It was nice. We pretty much fooled around with Glee songs in choir today! That was a blast!" I was excited when the teacher let us have a rare free day. Our concert had been earlier that week and there was nothing to do until next semester.
"That sounds fun! Can you take these and throw them into the pot, dear?" Renee asked a little absentmindedly. I loved my mother, but sometimes she was just a bit scatter brained. I smiled to myself and did as asked, tossing the carrots in to cook.
"I have to go start studying for my bio test, mom," I said, walking out of the kitchen. "Call me when dinner's ready!"
"Alright, Bella," she said before turning to the recipe card.
I woke up the next morning rather drowsy. I had stayed up too late working on my reviews. Luckily, it was the Friday before finals. It was a blow off day. Odds are, nothing of importance would happen. I almost decided to skip, but realized wasting an absence on such an easy day would be stupid. Little did I know what a great decision I had made.
As I finished curling the last part of my hair I heard Alice's horn beep from my driveway. I quick unplugged the iron, pulled my iPod from the dock, and grabbed my purse. I would not need all of my school stuff since it was such an easy day.
"Bye mom, bye dad!" I shouted as I flew out the door.
"Bonjour, mon amie!" I greeted Alice, happily. She merely grunted. I laughed lightly at her grouchiness. She had never been much of a morning person during school. However, weekends and breaks she was up and shining before any of us with an energy that rivaled the energizer bunny's.
"How are you happy this morning Bella? It's a total waste of my valuable shopping time to go to school today!" I rolled my eyes at her whiney tone.
"I am happy because it's the last day before finals and then we are done!"
Alice pulled her yellow Porsche into a close parking spot and we hopped out to find Rose, Jazz, and Emmett already sitting on the hood of Jasper's silver BMW M3. He had gotten it as an early Christmas present just two weeks prior and it was now his pride and joy next to Alice, of course.
We all walked into school together. Everyone knew who we were. We were not necessarily 'the popular kids,' but we were well liked amongst the student body, sans a small group of people. Rose always attributed their dislike (or better described as hatred) to their being jealous. Maybe she was right. Maybe she was wrong. Nevertheless, I was keen on ignoring them as much as possible.
I took my seat next to Alice in our English class when the queen bitch herself walked up. Lauren Mallory sneered at me down her most likely redone nose. "Swan," she snapped.
"Well, good morning to you, too, Lauren!" I said in a chipper voice. Kill them with kindness, Bella, I told myself internally.
"I just wanted to let you know that if you make another move on Tyler I'm going to rip your hair out," she said ruthlessly.
I smirked and held back a laugh. "Lauren, I'm not sure why I have had to tell you this so many times. Maybe it is because you are dumber than a rock. But for the last time: I…don't…like…Tyler," I said slowly and condescendingly. "So take your complaints and nasally voice elsewhere so I can hold down the bile that wants to come up every time you speak."
Alice guffawed and reached over for a high five. Lauren harrumphed and stalked away, pissed off as usual. She took her seat in the back corner of the classroom. I could practically feel her eyes boring into the back of my head but I ignored her.
As predicted, we did nothing of importance in class. Classes passed quickly and finally lunch arrived. I loved lunch because it was the only time of day we were together at school. However, I did have most of my classes with at least one of them. So, I was not alone.
I walked up to the table to find everyone already there. Rose and Alice were talking animatedly about something and Emmett and Jasper were talking about some football game in which I had no particular interest.
"Helloooo!" I said cheerily as I sat down. Both looked up, shocked. I clearly had interrupted an intense conversation.
"Oh hey Bella!" Rose greeted me. "We were just talking about this gorgeous guy Alice saw in the office this morning.
"Is he a student?" I asked, my ears perking up. We had cute boys at school, but no one I would necessarily describe as gorgeous. There was definitely no one as good looking as Emmett or Jasper.
"I don't know," Alice said a little crestfallen. I just saw him waiting in one of the chairs. I am assuming he had an appointment with the principal. If he's a student, he must be new."
I nodded. "Well I have office aid at the end of the day, so maybe I'll catch a glimpse of him," I said excitedly.
Rose shot me a knowing look.
"What?" I asked, blushing slightly.
"Don't you ask me what!" she said, laughing. "I know you, Bella. Though you do not mention it outright, I know that sometimes you get lonely with us being coupled off. Who knows, maybe this guy will spark your interest."
I wish, I thought. However, to Rosalie I issued a noncommittal, "Yeah, maybe," and moved on.
"I'm so ready to be done with classes. Having a month of is the best thing in the world." Alice rolled her eyes at my change in subject, but did not press the issue. We chatted for a while, and before I knew it, it was time for class. I headed to biology, which ticked by ever so slowly, much to my distaste. Finally, the bell rang and I practically ran out of the lab.
I walked with a small bounce in my step to where the choir room was in the west wing of the building.
"Hey, Bella!" Angela said joyously to me as I entered. She was always in a good mood. I am sure she is the one that rubbed off on me.
"Hey, Angela! What are we doing today?"
"I am not positive, but I think Helen said the same as yesterday." She smiled and I returned the gesture.
One of our favorite shows on television, Angela and I were ecstatic to spend the last days of class singing popular songs from Glee.
Helen Anderson, our teacher, then walked in carrying her iPod dock and a folder chalk full of lyrics. "Alright everyone, quiet yourselves down! I have another Glee song for you all!" Everyone cheered a little at the news, even the boys. They were all fans of Glee, thank goodness. I do not think I could put up with the complaints if they were not.
"Today we're doing Forget You and Baby, It's Cold Outside." My heart swelled. These were in the top five of my favorite songs from Glee.
"Bella, you want to take the reins on this one?" Helen smiled at as she passed out the lyrics to Forget You. I was the best singer in the class next to Angela. Many times though, I would turn down the solos because I did not like the spotlight very much. Nevertheless, this time, I could not say no.
"Sure," I replied with a smile. She started the background track on her dock and we all started moving around. I began to sing.
I see you drive around town with the guy I love
And I'm like forget you
I guess the change in my pocket wasn't enough
I'm like forget you and forget him too
Said, if I was richer, I'd still be with you
Ha, now ain't that some sh...
And although there's pain in my chest
I still wish you the best with a forget you
I danced around with some of the guys and girls in the class with a huge grin on my face as I sang. I loved singing so much. It brought me such joy. Music truly was my passion.
Now, I pity the fool that falls in love with you
Well, I've got some news for you
I really hate you right now
At that moment, the choir room door opened. This tended to happen for various reasons, be they notes from the office, students, or teachers. And whenever it happened, we would start singing to the person that walked through the door. We were all just really quirky like that, I guess. However, this time was different. I turned toward the door to see who had come to pay a visit and my jaw nearly fell to the floor. The most beautiful man I had ever laid eyes upon stood before me. His angular face bore an expression of shock and a hint of a smile as he took in his surroundings. I quickly recovered from my momentary…erm…distraction…and continued singing. Angela and a tenor named Chris jumped in with their part.
Now baby, baby, baby
Why'd you wanna, wanna hurt me so bad?
I tried to tell my mamma but she told me:
"This is one for your dad"
At this point, the new guy had come further into the room in and slowly made his way toward me with a look of excitement and awe. I looked at him and started singing my favorite part of the song to him.
Uh! Why? Uh! Why? Uh!
Why baby? Oh! I love you oh!
I still love you. Oooh!
I see you driving 'round town
With the guy I love and I'm like,
Forget you!
I guess the change in my pocket
Wasn't enough I'm like,
Forget you!
And forget him too!
I said, if I was richer, I'd still be with ya
Ha, now ain't that some sh…
And although there's pain in my chest
I still wish you the best with a...
Forget you!
We all finished by pointing right at him and for a moment I felt bad about putting him on the spot. But my thoughts were then over run by questions. I wondered why he was here. It was generally not very easy to find guys willing to do choir in such a small school. I certainly hoped that is why he was here.
He smiled at me with a slightly crooked but breathtaking grin I had ever seen and proceeded to walk up to me.
"Hello," he started. "I'm Edward Cullen. I'm looking for Ms. Helen Anderson." After taking a few seconds longer than normal to form a coherent sentence, I smiled broadly and pointed to a chair where Helen sat looking at us. She was smiling even more than I was. She was probably ecstatic about a potential student.
"Hello, Ms. Anderson," he said, holding out his hand.
"Hello, Edward!" she replied enthusiastically. "Please call me Helen. All the students do. What can I do for you?"
"Well my family and I just moved into town and I'm trying to get my schedule set up for the next semester so I can start on time. They told me I should come see you for an audition?" he said, but it came out more like a question. He was nervous. Not extremely so, but it was a noticeable. And absolutely the most adorable thing I had ever seen. I had to suppress a girlish giggle that threatened to escape. Angela looked at me with an amused expression. I stuck my tongue out at her childishly and it made her laugh.
"Yes, of course. We can always use more people. As you can see, our group is not very large. There are only about 25 or so of us. You have wonderful timing, dear. We were just about to do a duet. You could do the male part for Baby, It's Cold Outside. Would you like to audition right now? No pressure or anything," she said with a smile. I had always loved Helen. She was my favorite teacher. She did not stress us out and she was always so sweet.
"Uh, sure, I guess so," he responded uncertainly but with a hint of enthusiasm in his eyes. I stood up from the chair I was in, ready to start the song. It really could not get much better than this. I was about to sing the most adorable song with the most breathtakingly handsome guy I had ever set eyes upon.
"Bella," I introduced myself, taking his hand. "Bella Swan."
"Wonderful to meet you, Bella," he said softly.
He put down his things and stood next to me, preparing to sing. I went to hand him the lyric sheet but he shook his head with a smile and pointed to his head with a finger, signifying he already knew the words. I smirked and laid the music back on the piano as Helen started the backtracks.
I began singing softly. Instantly I fell into the music and completely forgot my surroundings sans Edward.
I really can't stay - Baby its cold outside
I've got to go away - Baby its cold outside
This evening has been - Was hoping that you'd drop in
So very nice - I'll hold your hands, there just like ice
We moved around the room, him chasing me, acting out the song. I rather liked the idea of him trying to make me stay with him. Not that he would have to try that hard. I would stay without hesitation. As he sang of holding my hand, he grabbed my hand gently and tried to pull me toward him. I smiled coyly and back away, withdrawing my hand reluctantly, but trying to keep up with the acting.
Ought to say no, no, no sir - Mind if I move in closer?
I sat down, shaking my head and watched as he literally moved in closer. I blushed slightly and prayed he did not notice.
At least I am gonna say that I tried -What the sense of hurting my pride?
I really can't say - Baby don't hold out
Babe but it's cold outside
He pulled me up out of the chair and brought me to him. He took my waist and hand and began to sway us back and forth in dance. I smiled goofily and enjoyed his presence as he twirled me around. He was a great dancer. I looked into his eyes and almost got lost in them. He had piercing, emerald green eyes that out shone even the brightest stars in the sky. I was taken with him and there was not a thing I could do about it; not that I wanted to.
We continued singing and ended with a harmonized "Oo baby its cold outside" as our dance came to a halt. I lowered my head a little out of chagrin. I looked up at him and smiled feeling a bit faint when he unleashed his drop-dead gorgeous smile.
"Thank you for singing with me," he murmured. "You're an amazing singer."
"Thank you," I replied. "You're pretty good I guess," I joked, laughing a little. He chuckled and released me from his arms.
The loss of contact saddened me a little but class was getting ready to end and Helen was waiting to talk to him. I quickly made my way to Angela to get my things. I kept my head down hoping people would not stare. It was a futile attempt, though. They all stared. I blushed scarlet and walked with Angela to the door as the bell rang.
"Ugh, could that have been more embarrassing?" I mumbled to myself. However, Angela heard me and giggled.
"Are you kidding me, Bella? That was incredible! You guys sounded amazing together! Not to mention you guys look good together," she said with a knowing look and a little wink. "I'm sure you'll be taking over the choir next semester," she said with a laugh.
"Yeah, maybe," I said for the second time that day. My mind was still on Edward and how incredible it was to sing with him. He was very talented. Not to mention how great he looked. I could look into his eyes for the rest of my life and be the happiest girl on Earth.
"Hey, Bells, I have to go. I am meeting Ben to go Christmas shopping. I'll see you at the party then?" she asked, referring to the Brandon's big Christmas bash Alice was planning.
"Yeah," I said with a smile, though my mind was not all there. "See you then." I waved briefly and made my way outside to Alice's car. I felt a little star struck. Almost as if I was not fully aware of anything I was doing. I was doing it out of reflex.
"Bella!" Alice shouted. "It's the weekend!"
That shook me out of my reverie; rather violently, might I add. "Yes, Alice, I'm aware," I said with a small smirk.
"Rose is coming home with us so we can have our girls' night," Alice prattled on, but I wasn't really listening. My mind was completely encompassed with thoughts of Edward's performance and mine. I think at some point we must have gotten in the car. Because before I knew it, we were in Alice's driveway. Rose and Alice got out and I followed quietly into the Brandon's two-story house, the largest of our group and therefore the best to have a sleepover. Mr. and Mrs. Brandon were lenient parents and trusted Alice very much. This was with good reason. We were all good kids and never did anything stupid. This was also the reason why the boys were allowed to stay the night as well, just in separate rooms, of course.
We went up to Alice's room, my mind still on Edward. I was now thinking of his hair. The beautiful, bronze hair that had me dying to run my hands through it. The boy was seemingly perfect in every way. Witty, gorgeous, talented, and sweet; everything I looked for in a man. I started thinking about how I would not get to see Edward Cullen again until the start of term, and this deeply saddened me. I knew nothing about him other than his name. I would have to wait a month to meet him again. Granted we did not live in a big town, the chances of me seeing him were rather slim. During the winter, the five of us stayed in as much as possible since it gets so cold up in the Pacific Northwest. I frowned at the idea of waiting so long without even being able to have a proper conversation with Edward.
Of course, I should have known I could not go long without Alice and Rosalie jumping down my throat.
"Damn it, Bella," Alice snapped me out of my thought process.
"Huh?" I said, distracted.
"I asked you four times if you wanted pizza or Chinese for dinner. Are you all right? You do not zone out very often." She seemed genuinely concerned. Rose looked at me a little baffled, but as I stared at her, she seemed to see something on my face. A look of realization washed over her face and she smirked slightly.
"I am fine, Alice," I said, trying to put my attention back into girls night. "And Chinese sounds wonderful. We had pizza for lunch, remember?"
"Oh yeah," she said vaguely. Well I will have my mom order us a bunch of food. The guys will eat more than enough I am sure. Are you positive you are all right? You seem very distracted."
"Yeah, Al, I'm cool," I shifted slightly on her bed, uncomfortable. I was not sure I wanted to share my secret with them yet or not.
"Spill, Bella," Rosalie commanded.
Damn her, I thought.
I sighed and decided it was best not to fight the almighty duo. "Okay, okay…I met someone."
Alice looked confused and Rosalie looked like she was going to burst. "Oh I knew it, Bella! How exciting! Who is he? What is his name? Where did you meet him?" She prattled off several more questions before I finally stopped her by holding up my hand.
"His name is Edward—" Rosalie squealed before I could finish.
"Oh what a romantic, old-fashioned name!" Rosalie was funny sometimes. She had this hard exterior, but really was a hopeless romantic at heart. Emmett could make her melt in seconds whenever he wanted to.
"I met him in choir today. He came in to audition for Helen and so we sang a song together for his audition." I blushed, thinking of how perfect his voice was and how well our voices seemed to mesh.
"Was he any good?" Alice asked.
"He was amazing, perfect!" I exclaimed. "He's definitely the best guy I've heard sing at our school."
"Wow," Alice breathed. "I can tell by the way you talk about him. You like him don't you?" she asked with a smile.
I sighed, hopelessly. "Yes, yes I do."
Alice then squealed and it was a hundred times louder than Rosalie's was. "Oh, Bella I'm so excited for you! We'll have to get you a date with him!"
"Alice…I don't know. I do not even know him or anything about him. Not to mention I will not see him until next semester. Such a pity too, seeing as how perfect he is. I think even you two would find him attractive," I said with a wink. It was running joke that Rose and Alice hardly glanced at other men. Emmett and Jasper were everything to them and then never needed or wanted to look at anyone else.
Alice pouted when she realized I was right about not seeing him until next semester. "Well then," she said, trying to cheer me up, "we'll just have to make sure you go back to school looking hotter than ever and ready to stake your claim!" she laughed.
"That's actually not a bad idea, Alice," Rosalie commented. "You know Lauren will pounce on him like freaking puma," she practically spat Lauren's name.
The thought of Lauren getting her skanky hands on Edward made me frown. I did not like that idea one bit. Edward was too good for her. He did not need someone like her to be his first girlfriend here. He needed someone who would rival his talents and witty sense of humor, someone who deserved him.
Someone like you? My conscience piped in. Maybe, I argued with myself. What is not to like about him? He is perfect.
The doorbell rang, bringing me out of my internal dilemma.
"Alright, Al," I said changing the subject, much to their disgruntlement. "I'm hungry and the guys are here. Can we save this conversation for later?" I asked her desperately. I really did not want Jasper or Emmett piping in on this conversation or trying to pull a 'big-brother moment' and try and save me from anything potentially harmful.
"Fine," she said reluctantly. "Well at least Jazz is here," she said with a hopeful smile.
"What are we, chopped liver?" asked Rose in mock anger. Alice giggled and the three of us headed down stairs to meet the boys who had been let in by Mrs. Brandon.
We walked down into the basement, which had been converted into a movie room with a flat screen, sound system, and several game systems. A large case to the right of the TV stood holding hundreds of DVDs. The Brandons were huge movie fans and had an extensive collection we all borrowed from frequently.
When we reached the bottom floor, I froze midway through talking to Alice about an old 80s movie I wanted to watch. Peaking over the top of the couch was a head of bronze colored hair. The boy was talking happily to Emmett and Jasper who had started laughing at something funny he had just said.
I felt my eyes widen as I turned to look at Rose and Alice. They both looked confused at both my expression and the boy sitting on the couch.
"Hey, babe," Rosalie broke in, speaking to Emmett. "Who's your friend?" she asked tentatively.
All three boys stood up, facing us and I gasped. My assumptions had been corrected. He spoke before I could.
"Bella?" A smile graced his perfect lips and I felt mine assume the same position.
"Edward…"
A/N: Hey guys! So you are probably wondering if I am dead, right? Haha…well the good news is no! I am not dead! However, I have stopped writing for my other story Soulmate simply because I could not come up with anything that was not lame haha. I was in the mood to write today and this just poured out of me. Twelve pages of writing in one night! I'm sorry I have been away for so long. I lost my passion to write when the start of college came. But here I am, back for the time being! I am about to begin my Christmas break from school and it will be about a month long. Keep in mind, I still have finals to worry about, and of course, I work. Not to mention having a social life when I find the time! So I will try to keep up with this story. I cannot promise super quick chapters though. And don't be surprised if this is the longest one you ever get. But I sincerely hope you enjoyed this! I sat down with the intention of writing a one shot and realized my idea was too big to fit into a few thousand words. But, know this. It will be a short story. Less than 10 chapters no doubt. I hope none of my disclaimers deter you too much. I just want to make it clear so you guys aren't disappointed later on. Thanks for sticking with me! I love you all and will love you more (and give cookies) to those of you who give this story a chance and review it!
All my lovin',
Amanda