Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Twilight. The are property of Stephenie Meyer. I just like to have a little fun with them.
Chapter 2 - Girly Time
As I stepped out of the front door I took a deep breath of fresh air. The sun had finally broken through the clouds, illuminating the front yard with a warm golden glow bouncing off the dew that remained on the lawn.
Skipping down the steps my eyes caught Edward sitting behind the wheel of his pride and joy; his silver Volvo. His hair perfectly was tousled to look like he had just rolled out of bed and he was wearing a fitted black t-shirt. I just couldn't help but stare at the fine specimen of man that had chosen me, Isabella Swan. As if he sensed my intrusive stare he looked up and smiled at me my favourite 'crooked' grin and nodded his head to beckon me over. Damn, I just couldn't get enough of him.
"Morning beautiful," he greeted, before leaning over and kissing me. A soft, warm sensual kiss before pulling away abruptly leaving me hovering in front of his face looking like an idiot.
"Put your belt on, we've got to be at mine in 20 minutes if you don't want Alice to bitch us out," he said, before putting the car in gear and driving down the street.
"Hmph, I was just beginning to enjoy that," I moaned, crossing my arms over my chest and giving the best pout I could manage.
"Pouting like that won't work," he laughed as he put his hand on my thigh. "Plus do you really want to feel the full wrath of Alice?" Just this mere touch had my body reacting in unspeakable ways and my mind falling into the gutter. How the hell did he do that to me? Did he know the effect he had on me?
"Anyway you two have to work on your outfit for tomorrow night," he added. "For your birthday tomorrow..." he amended, noticing the look of confusion on my face and laughed.
"Oh yeah, that," I mumbled. Birthdays had never been my favourite thing. I always felt awkward when people bought me gifts, and even worse, when Alice got her way and organised me a party or something. Yeah, a 'small affair'. Right. Since when did a small affair included 150 people, DJ and enough food to feed a small country?
"Don't worry. Just let her have her fun. I'm sure it will be something tasteful and if it gets too much I'll smuggle you out," he joked, putting his finger under my chin to turn my face towards his.
"Ok, but the minute I see a dancing monkey, a dance troupe or in fact, any kind of unnecessary dancing, I'm out of there!"
"Deal." He nodded before turning down the long driveway to the Cullen estate.
No sooner had we pulled up when Alice came bounding out the front door towards us.
"You two took your time!" she shouted running towards me.
"Alice it's just after 10, we're not late..." I tried to argue before being cut off mid sentence and dragged into the house.
"Edward, I'm having Bella for the next few hours. We do not want any interruptions so go and amuse yourself elsewhere!" she shouted over her shoulder, to her bemused looking brother standing next to his car.
How the hell did this girl have so much energy? Was it humanly possible? I was going to check her for batteries one day.
Alice's room was exactly how you would expect it. Very pink, very extravagant with a closet the size of an average bedroom. On the wall opposite the door was a king-size bed with photos of Jasper, her boyfriend of 2 years, adorning the bedside tables.
"Alice…Do we really need to do this today? We've got all day tomorrow. Anyway how long can it seriously take to get ready for a simple night?" I asked weakly.
"Well no, it won't take us all that time to get you ready…" she replied, from somewhere deep inside her closet.
"Then why are you keeping me hostage for the next few hours?" I complained.
Alice walked out of the closet with armfuls of clothes and mock upset covering her face.
"Can't I spend the day with my best friend for no reason?" she pouted whilst piling the clothes into my arms, and returning for what I assumed was the next load. "It's just that since you and Edward got together we haven't been able to hang out as much and I miss you."
"Alice… I, I'm sorry"
"Look I know you love him and all that but I just wanted to spend a little time with you today. You know, I love Edward more than anything but sometimes it's just nice to have girls only time without him tagging along," she continued as she piled shoes on the bed.
"Yeah, I'm sorry Alice. Lets have an Edward free day today," I said, instantly regretting it. Was I really turning into one of those people I used to mock? The girls that couldn't bare to be away from their boyfriends for more than a couple of hours? I shook my head trying to erase that thought. I wasn't one of those. Was I?
The morning progressed pretty much how I expected it to. Alice played 'Barbie Bella', asking what I thought of different outfits and then completely disregarding my answer, before moving onto her next idea. She finally decided on a midnight blue, tea length dress. Elegant, not too revealing and just 'me'… apparently.
"So..." Alice started, popping a piece of melon in her mouth as we had lunch. "How's things going between you and Edward?"
"Hmm ok" I answered through a bite of my bagel.
"Ok? That all?" she asked, raising her eyebrow.
"Well what do you want to know Alice?" I responded, worrying where this conversation was headed. "Do you really want to know what your twin brother does with his girlfriend, your best friend?"
"Ew no!! I don't want to know the gory details. Just general stuff. You know?" she whined, pretending to stick her fingers down her throat.
"Well there's not really much to say. We just like hanging out together, you know, stuff..." I shrugged as I broke another piece off my bagel, and took a sip of my orange juice, praying that would be enough to stop her questioning.
"Bella, I know where he goes at night. He thinks he's being really clever but I see him sneaking off when he thinks everyone's asleep. No need to be a genius to know where he ends up," Alice replied nonchalantly, causing my cursed blush to give me away immediately and nearly choking me on my juice.
As if on cue my phoned bleeped with a text from Edward.
'Hope she's not torturing you too much. Miss you. Love – E'
"That boy really can't stand being away from you for a few hours can he?" Alice chirped, before snatching the phone away from me and replying to the message herself.
"Wh…what did you just text him?"
"Nothing to be concerned with. He won't be back until later. I've told him to stay at Emmett's until this evening," she said, before putting my phone in her pocket.
"Hang on, you know he's gone to Emmett's? Is he in on this whole 'girly day'?" I eyed Alice suspiciously, only to be ignored.
"Well where else would he be going on a Saturday? Apart from yours of course and you're here so that counts that out," she stated, before putting our plates in the dishwasher.
"Yeah, Ok," I mumbled in submission. There really was no point in arguing with Alice most of the time.
"What film do you want to watch?" I called out to Alice, who was busy sorting the microwave popcorn.
"Not fussed. Whatever you want," she called back in a muffled voice. "Hmm couldn't even wait to get in here before stuffing her face with popcorn" I laughed quietly to myself, still perusing the vast DVD collection in the lounge. "How about 'Mean Girls'?" I asked, shouting to her without looking.
"No need to shout, I'm not deaf," she piped up right behind me, nearly causing a mild coronary.
"Damn it Alice! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" I chided as I playfully smacked her shoulder.
We settled down on the couch with a huge bowl of popcorn to watch the film. As much as I loved my classics, 'Mean Girls' had always been one of my guilty pleasures. I'd watched it so many times that it was burned into my memory meaning no need to concentrate. I felt my mind wander, but only as far as Edward.
I'd never felt this way about anyone before. He was my best friend who I used to be able to talk about anything to. Yet right now he was the one person I don't think I could talk to honestly. How could I tell him that I was terrified of being intimate with him, but at the same time couldn't think of anything else? What if I was a disappointment to him? He wasn't a virgin so what if he was expecting something much more than I could give him? I didn't want to end up looking stupid and ruining things between us, but if I kept this to myself I would be running the chance of ruining it anyway.
Glancing over to Alice I knew there was only one person I could possibly broach the subject with. As awkward as it was going to be, she would be the best person.
Steadying my breath I glanced over to her again. "Bella just get this over and done with..." I thought to myself.
"Alice..." I started nervously.
"Uh hmm," was the response through yet more popcorn.
"Ha, have you…erm do you…Do you and Jasper...um… I mean are you and Jasper…" I stuttered.
"Are Jasper and I what?" Alice turned to me giving me her full attention.
"You know, have you… Are you having…"
"Sex?" she cut in.
"Erm yeah, sex," I mumbled sheepishly. What was I? Aged ten and asking my mother about the birds and the bees again? "Get a grip Bella!"
"I knew this was coming! Ha-ha oh my sweetest Bella!" she sang, putting the popcorn on the floor and grabbing my hands in hers. "And to answer your question, yes."
"Oh Ok," I replied, shocked at her forwardness concerning hers and Jasper's sex life.
Maybe it was just my family, but sex had never been anything discussed openly and certainly nothing, in my fathers opinion, that I should be doing until my wedding night. I had my first birds and bees talk with my mum aged 10, a few months before she died and that was the end of my sex education until high school. It was horrific enough having my dad take me to the store to buy tampons and towels when I started my period, never mind talking to him about more personal things. Edward and Alice's Mother, Esme, was the closest thing I had to a mother but I knew there was no way I could go to Esme to discuss deflowering her son.
"Bella, you know you can talk to me about anything right?" Alice asked in a sympathetic tone.
"Yes..." I replied, my voice strained.
I don't know if it was embarrassment, the relief of getting it off my chest or the fear of where the conversation was headed, but before I knew it I burst out sobbing into Alice's shoulder. She held onto me as I released all of the tension and worry I had been holding in for the past few weeks. I really could talk to Alice about anything, she really was my best friend.
"I'm sorry Alice," I squeaked through broken sobs, my chest heaving. I had no idea how long I held onto her shoulder, I just knew that my eyes were sore and it felt like there was a jack hammer going to work in my brain.
"Shush, no need to apologise," she cooed, brushing my hair out of my eyes and tilting my head so she could look me straight in the eye. Alice was very much like Esme at times. She hada motherly instinct and underneath all of the hyperactive pixie exterior there was a very calming air to her.
Sitting myself upright and trying to take steady breaths, I looked into her eyes; piercing green just like Edwards, and full of concern and confusion.
"Now, are you ready to tell me what this is all about Bella?" she asked, taking my hands into her own once again and rubbing soothing circles into my palms. Yeah, Edward and Alice, two peas in a pod. How did they both know what to do to comfort and calm me?
"I, I don't know… I don't know why that happened..." I stuttered, looking away to avoid her, often far too, perceptive gaze.
"Well it's obviously something to do with you and Edward and with your reaction just now I'm assuming it's something serious," she frowned. "He, he hasn't hurt you has he?!?" she suddenly exclaimed, her eyes wide.
"NO!" I screeched back.
"If he has done anything to you…so help me God!" she snarled, whilst gripping my hands harder to the point of pain.
"No Alice! No, no, no! He hasn't done anything to me at all!" I shouted, holding her hands tight to stop her moving from her spot and castrating her unsuspecting brother. "That's the problem. He hasn't so much as touched me," I sighed, as I moved to the other end of the couch and curled up in a ball, trying to hold in the sobs which were threatening to leave my throat.
"Please Bella. I can't help you if you don't tell me and I can't bear seeing you like this," Alice whispered, as she knelt in front of me on the floor and wiped the fresh tears away from my cheeks.
"I want to take things further but I'm scared…and don't know what the hell to do," I mumbled into the couch cushion, trying to hide my growing embarrassment.
Sensing the awkward silence and tension in the air I realised that I had gone past the point of no return. There was no way on this planet that Alice Cullen was going to let me out of this house alive without a reasonable explanation for my rendition of a manic depressive poodle. I nodded weakly, and pushed myself up into a sitting position straightening my top.
"Please, don't mention any of this to anyone, especially your brother. I seriously can't believe we're going to talk about this…" I sighed.
Crossing her heart with her finger, Alice bounced back onto the couch next to me and placed a reassuring hand on my thigh. I simply looked down at the floor not knowing where to begin. Noticing, Alice fidgeted slightly before turning us towards each other slightly more and looking intently at my face.
"Bella, you asked about whether Jasper and I are sleeping together. Does this mean you want to take it to the next level with Edward?" she asked.
"Uh huh," came my barely audible response.
"Well, I don't really know what the problem is Bella. Have you spoke to Edward about this?" she questioned.
"That's just the point Alice! How can I talk to him about this? How can I tell him that I really want to be with him, in every possible sense of the meaning, but am shit scared about it?!" I shouted, snapping my eyes up to meet hers, my voice an octave hight than usual.
"Bella, don't you think I was scared the first time with Jazz? Hell, I nearly ran from my room in fright the first time I saw his erection!" Alice exclaimed, motioning an impressive length with her hands which couldn't fail but bring a smile to my lips.
"So..." Alice started, whilst picking up the half eaten bowl of popcorn from the floor and throwing some in her mouth. "What exactly have you done with my brother?"
"Huh?"
"Come on, I don't need all the details but a little heads up would be nice so I know what I've got to work with…" she groaned, stuffing yet more popcorn in.
"Well, not much really. We've kissed and stuff…"
"Stuff?"
"Yeah stuff," I shrugged. "You know? Cuddling, sleeping next to each other…" I sighed, suddenly realising how pathetic my 'love life' really sounded.
"You're telling me that Eddie hasn't copped a feel?!" she gasped incredulously.
"Alice!" I screeched, much higher than was actually acceptable and smacked her shoulder in jest.
Before Alice had time to interrogate me further the front door swung open, and the guys entrance was announced by Emmett's booming laugh.
"I kicked your ass Eddie! Don't even try to deny it," he thundered, before taking Edward in a headlock and ruffling his hair.
"Oh for all that is Holy!" Alice exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "The peace is shattered. So much for a girly evening."
"Emmett get off me you jackass!" Edward growled, swinging a fist towards Emmett's stomach and twisting his body to free himself, looking flustered and trying to sort out his hair; although there really much point on that. His hair had always been an uncontrollable, but oh so sexy, mess.
"You're lucky Eddie my boy, I've got a hot date with Rose. Later peeps!" he laughed, before marching out the door and jumping in his Jeep.
Rosalie, or Rose as she prefered to be called, was Emmett's girlfriend of three years. Nearly 6ft, blonde hair and legs that appeared to go on forever. Emmett might have been twice her size and built like a house but she definitely wore the pants in that relationship.
Catching my eye, Edward winked and made his way to the kitchen. Just this one look had my stomach doing flips and the heat returning to my cheeks, and in other places below the waist.
"Go and talk to him…" Alice whispered, nudging me in the ribs before getting up and heading towards the stairs. "I've got to get ready and head over to Jasper's". Within a blink of an eye she had disappeared.
