CHAPTER 2 – FAMILY LIFE

"BREAKFAST!", the deafening roar startled me out of sleep. With a loud groan I pressed the pillow against my ears and dragged myself onto the other side. To my right I heard an amused chuckle and from the bottom- end of the bed Alice's indignant voice reached my ear.

"For God's sake Bella, you can't possibly still be tired! Do something!", she implored Edward, who obviously had a hard time pulling himself together, as he advised: " She simply isn't fully awake yet. But as soon as you get her out of bed..."

"Oh, no!", I murmured into my pillow, as a premonition of what would follow overcame me. A second later I was deprived of my blanket. Now Edward bursted into ringing laughter and I threw an angry glance at him out of one half-opened eye. Suddenly I was lifted out of his newly purchased bed and in the next moment I stood on my own two feet in the bathroom, while Alice splashed water at my face. Snorting, I lifted my hands to ward off the chill wetness and admitted defeat.

"Alright, I'll come. As soon as I had a shower –alone!", I added quickly. One could never know with Alice.

Suspicious, she closed her eyes for a second, concentrating. I couldn't quite believe it. Was she really abusing her talent to check if I would keep my promise? She obviously was, for, a moment later, she reopened her eyes, nodding satisfied. Unbelievable!

"See you downstairs, then!", Alice chirped, grinning into my scowling face, and off she was, closing the bathroom door behind her.

Sighing deeply, I shook my head and began to undress myself. I really loved Alice, but sometimes she could be a bit...difficult. Especially when she didn't have her way immediately. In this way she really resembled her 'younger brother' (Edward was neither younger nor her brother, well, not in the blood- related sense of the word at least). He, too, was painfully persistent when it came to defending his ideas.

During the last 3 months almost no day had passed, on which we hadn't discussed the issue of me becoming a vampire. And the nearer graduation came, the more often Edward let loose some casual remark on how painful the transformation would be and that it wouldn't be him, who would do the job of biting me, which was still a sore point of mine. Only because I wouldn't marry him... Even under the hot water I could feel my blood rising to my head, as I remembered his 'proposal'. I shuddered at the word.

Shoving the topic off my mind, I got out of the shower, rubbed myself dry and wrapped my body in the soft, white bathrobe, which bore my name on the breast- pocket. The robe had been a gift from Esme, which I hadn't been able to refuse, as it had been delivered together with a tight hug and a thrilled "Everyone in the family has one!". I had to admit that I was embarrisingly touched and felt a slight sense of pride whenever I got to wear it.

Feeling somewhat revived I climbed down the wide staircase. The complete Cullen-clan was assembled in the vast living room, or in Alice's case, in the kitchen and at entering the room a merry chorus of "Good Morning" greeted me.

"Morning.", I mumbled, as always I felt humbled by their perfection, but warmed by their openly displayed affection for me.

"So, what would you have for breakfast? Today.", Alice asked, before I could occupy my reserved space on the couch, next to Edward, the amusement obvious in her voice. My mouth twisted into a grin as well, as I remembered the morning after my first sleep-over in the Cullen residence two days ago.

I had entered the kitchen, still sleepy and somewhat troubled by my first encounter with the nightmare, and nearly had a heart- attack as I saw what awaited me there:

The dining table, usually vacant and rarely used (and if, then not for the actual purpose), was almost bending under loads of all varieties of food which, in some country or the other, could be served as breakfast. My eyes wandered over doughnuts and pancakes with all kinds of toppings, past sausages and eggs and stopped at a selection of cornflakes. Why on earth would someone voluntarily eat cornflakes, if they could have pancakes for breakfast?

As if he indeed could read my thoughts, Edward had appeared next to me and explained at my incredulous look "Just for the case you don't feel like grizzly or mountain lion, Alice thought it proper to offer you some rats as well." I laughed, especially because Alice looked slightly offended at his remark, as she didn't get the insider.

"I see. But I am fine with mountain lion or grizzly. However I think my stomach is not fit for eating the whole stock on this planet."

Edward grinned my crooked smile and raised one eyebrow. "Not today, but maybe tomorrow."

Well, I had been working on that goal for a grand total of three days now and not only for breakfast. But the load didn't seem to get any smaller. I sighed, readying myself for another food-orgy and made my way to the kitchen, where Alice waited for my order.

"I can help myself, you know. You don't have to treat me. I mean, you already bought this whole bunch of food just for me!"

"Well, as it is, not only for you, but for me as well.", Alice grinned at my confused expression. "I doubt my brother would be too happy if you were to starve. And as he was so oblivious to your taste in food, I had no choice but to buy anything that came to my mind."

"As if knowing her taste would have held you back!", came a muttered remark from the living room. While everybody else almost choked with laughter, Alice glowered at Jasper, who somehow managed to maintain a straight face.

"Go on, Jasper, laugh away. There will come a time, when you will regret what you just said." At Alice's threat Jasper swallowed visibly. Alice wasn't to be trifled with. But as she proudly added "And by the way: All breads, cakes and pastries were twenty percent off!", not even Jasper could keep his poker- face.