NOTE: This is really just a big hunk of cheese I needed to get off my chest. My apologies. And this story takes place about ten years after Bella marries Edward and gets changed (which will hopefully happen in Breaking Dawn!). The high school in the story is NOT Forks High, but a nameless school in a nameless place.
I sighed and stretched out on the white leather sofa next to Edward. I snuggled up in his arms. He smiled warmly, dazzling me for the billionth time. That was one of the things that hadn't changed when Edward made me a vampire. As awesome as it was, being with Edward all the time and having beauty, strength, and speed to match his, attending high school again was dreadfully boring.
"If this is what you had to go through for a century before we met, I really, truly pity you," I said him. Edward smiled sadly.
"You must really feel sorry for me, then. It's one of the less fun parts of being an immortal," he said quietly. I moaned.
"We really need to think of something fun to do," I remarked. Edward nodded wistfully.
Just then, Alice came barging into the room, Jasper on her right side and Emmet on her left.
"I got a vision that you two would want to find some kind of hobby, something fun to do. The entire family agrees that it would certainly make life a bit more interesting. So we all teamed up and decided to form a family band!" she announced proudly.
"A BAND?!?!?" Edward and I said together, mortified.
Emmet grinned menacingly. "Yup. Whether you like it or not. Even Carlisle agreed."
Edward rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Emmet. But don't expect us to actually enjoy this madness."
"You don't have to, brother. That's not the point. We decided to do this to bond as a family," Emmet replied happily. After that, everyone but him rolled their eyes.
Carlisle opened the door to a large closet I'd never noticed before, surprisingly.
"Bella, we call this our music cupboard. We keep all the instruments we play or used to play in here. Since Alice, Emmet, and Jasper convinced us to do this whole band stunt, it appears that this closet will be coming into use for once. So, the first order of business is to select a position in the band for everyone," he said. Alice hurried into the little closet and was back a split-second later holding a large box of various different musical instruments.
"I've already got that taken care of. First of all, Edward will play the keyboard, of course, and do leading male vocals," she said, pulling an old microphone and a keyboard with a folding stand out of the gigantic box and tossing them to Edward, who caught them unenthusiastically. "Emmet will play the drums. Emmet, they're too big to fit in this box, so you'll find them in the back of the music cupboard," Alice said, this time to Emmet, who smiled mischievously and darted into the closet. Alice pulled an electric bass out of the box and handed it to Jasper. "You were always good at bass," she remarked as he took it. Next to be pulled out of the pile was an electric guitar, which she gave to Rosalie. "I know you never were all that into guitar, Rose, but you were really good and we need an electric guitarist," she said apologetically.
"It's all right, I guess. It's not like we could be a serious band anyway, seeing as playing in front of other people would draw unwanted attention to our family," Rosalie said with a shrug, taking the guitar. That statement was clearly true, and it seemed to reassure everyone but Alice, whose face was arranged in a pout, and Emmet, who swore loudly from inside the closet, from which a sound that sounded like cymbals falling came. Alice quickly moved on and gave Esme a shiny silver saxophone. "Your sax skills are good, Esme. It's been too long since you've played," Alice said. The others nodded and Esme looked down in embarrassment.
"I can't say I really agree, but thank you," she said softly. Carlisle's gaze warmed and he pulled her closer, pressing his face into her hair.
Noticing Carlisle for the first time, Alice pulled an acoustic guitar from the box. "While Rose does the electric guitar, you take care of the acoustic," she instructed. "Now, we just have Bella and me to cover. I myself will be the lead singer," she said smugly. Everyone knew better than to say anything to burst her bubble, so we all remained silent. Suddenly, Alice let out a squeal so high-pitched that humans wouldn't have been able to hear it and pulled something from the instrument pile. It was a stringed, classical instrument, but a cord was wrapped around it. Could it be? . . . "My electric violin!" Alice screamed. "I thought it was lost forever!" She yanked it out of the box and examined it with bright, excited eyes. Even Emmet groaned this time. I just stood there looking like an idiot, staring curiously at the violin.
"Alice went through a time where she and that violin were inseparable. She was incredibly good at playing the thing, but she played so much that it was always there, ringing in our ears. And she always turned the volume up really high. We messed with her visions and convinced her that it had been destroyed," Edward explained to me, guessing correctly what I was thinking.
"Hey, Alice, before you get too worked up over your violin, don't forget about Bella," Jasper said quickly, clearly trying to distract Alice from her instrument.
"Bella can play backup percussion, like the xylophone, maracas, and the gong, when necessary," she said without looking up.
"Sounds good to me. The only other thing I can play is the recorder," I said, indifferent.
"Now we need to think of a good band name," said Edward, also trying to distract Alice. Finally, she looked up from her prize.
"That's true," she said reluctantly.
"Let's be . . . the vampires!" shouted Emmet, emerging from the closet.
"That might make people suspicious if word of our little band were ever to get out," said Carlisle, much to Emmet's apparent disappointment.
"I think I have an idea that won't blow our cover . . ." I said uncertainly.
Alice suddenly was stock-still. She closed her eyes.
"Bella's idea will be the best. Apparently this family isn't the best in thinking of names . . . no offense, guys. So, what're we going to be called, Bella?" said Alice, staring at her violin with crazed eyes once again once she finished talking.
"Well, like Alice said, it's not all that cool of a name, but it won't blow our cover, at least," I said. "Our band will be called Artist Unknown."