A/N: All characters belong to SM.
Chapter One
And, lately, I know
Somehow if there with nothing,
I'd having something to show.
Raiding my head,
Raiding my death
Too many restless summer nights,
Too many drunken, lonely pints.
Sadie - Fences
Late August, 2012
Tonight will be awesome.
I can already feel it.
After a long and hot summer, the days are finally beginning to cool off, the leaves changing into pale yellows and deep reds. In the morning, the dew that once covered the earth has turned into frost, and when I step outside in the morning for a much-needed smoke, my breath is visible in the crisp, moist air.
The summer is rapidly coming to an end, and tonight, I am going out with my girls. In just a few weeks they will be starting a new semester of school at the University of Washington Tacoma. Alice, in her fourth year of education, will be completing her internship, and Rosalie, beginning her second year of nursing, will also have a lot of work cut out for her.
Who knows when and how often I will get to see them. Luckily however, the city that we all grew up is also where they chose to go to school, and if I only get to see them once a week in light of their busy schedules, it is at least better than only during holidays, like those who are attending school elsewhere in this vast country of ours.
Regardless of what the new school year brings, we at least have tonight. And I for one plan on having a shit-ton of fun tonight. With my younger brother Seth and his brand new driver's license driving us to the bar, we don't have to worry about a DD, and that means that even Alice, who is usually our designated driver, will be letting loose tonight.
In fact, both Alice and Rosalie should be arriving soon for pre-drinks, courtesy of Rosalie's brother, Eric.
With a sigh, I head from my bathroom, where I have spent the last hour showering, shaving, straightening my hair, and applying some makeup, and into my bedroom to decide on what to wear.
When my parents decided to redo the basement, being the eldest child meant that I could have my bedroom down here, away from their prying eyes and ears, not to mention away from my two younger brothers, Seth and Brady. Believe me, it has definitely come in handy when I would rather my parents not see exactly what I was doing in the company of some of my friends… if you catch my drift.
My bedroom is small; much too small to comfortably house my bed, desk and dresser. But I make it work. It`s really just a room that I sleep in anyway. No actual time is spent in here.
And therefore, it's a complete disaster.
Clothes form piles all around the floor, on the desk, and even on my bed, making it hard for me to find that one sexy dress that I know I have to wear tonight.
It`s cream colour with a black lace overlay. It`s tight all the way down to where it hits me mid-thigh, just covering my ass. It even gives me a decent amount of cleavage. And with my almost non-existent boobs, trust me, that`s an accomplishment.
It`s a dress that hopefully will turn some heads tonight.
I sit down, hard, on my floor, preparing myself to look for the hot little number. Rifling through the piles of clothes, and still not seeing it, I am becoming more and more conscious of the time, of the fact that Alice and Rosalie will soon be here.
I am notorious for keeping them waiting.
Getting more and more desperate, I dig through piles of clothes that I haven't touched for months, still not coming up with the dress.
But the soft cotton that I pull forth, out from under an old sweater, is enough to make me stop looking; it's enough to make my breath stop short.
The dress is light and airy. It's blue cotton with small white flowers imprinted throughout the fabric. It has a fitted bodice, but flairs out at my hips, falling down to my knees.
It's a beautiful dress; I cannot deny that. But it's definitely not one that I would wear anymore, for more than one reason.
And the thought of the last time I wore it, over two years ago on July 23rd, 2010, brings bile up to my throat.
I push the blue fabric down of the dress over my slim hips, hoping that he will find me pretty enough.
But I know he will.
James, my boyfriend of three weeks, has been nothing but thorough in the amount of compliments he gives me.
It makes me feel special.
It makes me feel beautiful.
I love it.
And, although I've only been dating him for three weeks, I'm pretty sure that I love James too. He is like nothing I've ever experienced before. Well, considering before two weeks ago I had never kissed a boy before, ever, let alone been in any kind of relationship, I guess that makes sense. For a seventeen-year-old, five-star virgin like myself, having James take an interest in me is an amazing, powerful feeling, one that I cannot get enough of.
My mom calls down the stairs, letting me know that he is here.
James is here!
I rush up the stairs, not wanting him to spend any more time with my parents than necessary. And it's not that he will leave a bad impression on them, no, it's quite the opposite.
I seriously don't want my eccentric, crazy parents embarrassing me in front of this special, beautiful boy.
Barely able to stop myself from tripping over my own feet, I finally make it to main level of my house, and, rushing past the kitchen, I reach the front door where my mom and James are currently standing, awkwardly making conversation.
I stop running.
No matter how often I see him, he still takes my breath away.
James has blonde hair that falls into his eyes no matter how many times he pushes it back. His eyes are a deep, piercing blue and I love them. When he smiles, they crinkle at the corners, and become even more beautiful, if that's even possible. He is tall and lanky like most teenagers his age, but I really don't care.
To me, James is absolutely perfect and tonight, we are going to see Cirque Du Solei.
When James sees me, that smile I love so much lights up his face and I can feel a similar one adorning my own in response. Mom chuckles, breaking the spell, and brushes past me.
"Have a good night, Bella." she whispers. I nod in response, still unwilling to take my eyes off of James.
I rush to the bathroom, and launch myself over the toilet, hoping I will make it in time.
Thankfully, nothing comes up.
I shake my head, trying to dispel the disquieting thoughts, stop the nausea, and regain my focus. I know now I only have a few minutes before the girls get here.
And holy fuck do I need a drink.
I slowly walk back to my bedroom in search for my dress again, pointedly ignoring the blue cotton that is still balled up in the middle of my floor.
I am unwilling to go there again.
Luckily for me, however, the tight black dress is in the first place that I should have looked, actually put away unlike so many other articles. I shrug it on quickly.
It's tight; tighter than last year.
Alice and Rosalie would definitely say that that is a good thing. They were not fans of my weight loss the previous year. But it's not like I could help it. I just…couldn't eat; didn't have any appetite.
My Blackberry buzzes from where I left it on my desk at the same time I hear the doorbell go off upstairs.
A genuine smile lights up my face, knowing that my girls are here. Racing up the stairs, and spinning in my slippers towards the entrance, I see that they have already let themselves in and are taking off their shoes. Rosalie looks gorgeous like always in a sequinned tank top and dark skinny jeans, her feet encased in silver flats. Her makeup is done to perfection and her blonde hair is straightened down her back, all shiny and long. Alice is wearing a grey one-sleeved tee and black jeans. She has gold flats on and a beautiful gold-coloured necklace that falls into her cleavage. Her short brown hair has been straightened, and falls in pieces around her ears and eyes.
They both look stunning.
We all grin at each other and my grin widens once Alice pulls out the bottle of vodka from her huge purse, holding it triumphantly above her head in mock-celebration. Out of the three of us, only Alice is 21; Rosalie and I are both 19. We do have fake IDs, thus us going to the bar tonight, but Alice still usually gets the alcohol for Rosalie and I.
Chatting excitedly, we move into the kitchen and I find us three tall glasses, plus soda for mix.
"Oh-my-goodness guys, you have to see this picture of Otis. Look, Look! Isn't he the cutest?" Rosalie thrusts her IPhone into my face, then Alice's. A picture of her brown dog fills up the screen, and I don't really see what is so cute about it.
Alice and I roll our eyes at Rosalie. Out of the three of us, only Rosalie is a dog person. And by the way she talks about her dog, Otis, you would think that he was her baby.
Trying to change the topic of conversation, Alice says, "Hey! Did either of you happen to watch the game last weekend? I really think they are going to do well this year, they were amazing! They beat the Titans by 10 points and you should have seen the pass that Wilson made to Edwards. Just amazing!"
By "they", Alice means the Seattle Seahawks. Only Alice pays attention to football out of the three of us, and whenever she brings it up, Rosalie and I groan in unison. Of course, it never actually deters her. I think out of anyone that I know, Alice knows the most about the sport. Hell, I'm pretty sure she could "out-ref" the ref.
Conversation swirls between new stories that we haven't told each other, and reminiscing on old memories that we have shared. Sometimes we all get involved in a topic, laughing and speaking over one another to get to the best part, and sometimes the conversation is really only of interest to one of us, like Rosalie's precious dog or Alice's precious Seahawks. But it doesn't matter; that's just how we work. Besides, I'm currently concentrating more on drinking as much as I can before it's time to leave than anything else. Judging by the way Rosalie and Alice are pouring drinks, they feel the same way.
When it comes to alcohol, the three of us are hardly ever on the same page. Last year, when I was drinking quite irresponsibly, or when my drinking had led to other "activities", Rosalie and Alice barely touched the stuff at all. It's better now though, or at least we all pretend it is.
Too soon it is time to head to the bar. After making the mistake too many times of going too late, and thus waiting in line for hours, we now know to arrive earlier. I send a quick text to Seth, who is currently holed up in his bedroom, and let him know we are ready to go when he is. Once we all pile into my parent's van, I plug in my IPod, turn on Bombay Bicycle Club, and we are off.
Loud music pounds in my head and my body pulses and twists to the rhythm. Bright lights swim all around me, disjointed with moving bodies and touch. Alice, who is officially obnoxiously drunk, pulls on my arm, trying to drag me to meet another one of her friends.
Being that Alice is of legal age, there are many more people here that she knows than I do. But I like it. Her friends from high school and university are all pretty great, and despite really trying not to, I'm keeping my eye out for any hot ones.
And there are definitely a few.
After I meet Brennan, or Brendan, or whatever-his-name-is, Alice and Rosalie each take one of my arms, and I find myself mashed in-between them, being squeezed from all sides. We are swaying and moving our hips to the music, pushing and forming and combining. I can smell Rosalie's shampoo and the pungent smell of alcohol on Alice's breath.
It's a heady feeling and for right now, right at this moment, I feel okay. The tightness to which the girls are holding me makes me feel secure and safe. Furthermore, my own inebriation has done wonders to numb the dull ache in my chest, to make me forget. Like always, the alcohol has settled over me like a thick blanket, protecting me from the thoughts and memories that I can't seem to escape from on my own. And at this point, I don't want this moment to end. However, after the song finishes, Rosalie shouts in my ear that she wants another drink and I watch her and Alice leave, stumbling and giggling through the crowd towards the bar. I watch them go, and I don't even mind that I am still out here, on the dance floor, by myself.
Because I know that they will come back. They always come back.
After countless more songs, drinks, dances, and even a few phone numbers entered into my Blackberry, the main lights are suddenly turned on. It is blinding, and we all look around ourselves, as if a spell that we have been under for the past five hours has suddenly been broken. Getting a clearer view of Alice and Rosalie, I am somewhat alarmed at how unfocused Alice's eyes are, much more than they should be.
Fumbling with the touch screen on my phone, I manage to place a call to Seth, asking him to come get us.
Some of Alice's friends are still milling around, periodically coming over to talk to us, laughing at Alice and her inability to stand on her own.
One of the guys definitely stands out, and I can't remember if I have met him tonight or not.
He is tall, over six feet, with a well-defined chest and arms. He has scruff on his cheeks, and dirty blonde hair, almost red-tinged. He is wearing a black tee and well-fitting jeans. And by the look of his hand gestures, and the laughter coming from the circle of guys surrounding him, he is telling a really funny story.
.Alice must get a glimpse of him too, because it is only seconds later that she shouts, "Hey! Edward!" She has a ridiculous grin on her face, and he turns to her with an equally enormous smile.
"My, Alice, aren't you the soberest one of all!" He says, suddenly standing close, taking her all in.
She laughs, throwing her arms up and around his shoulders and he picks her up, holding her under both of her thighs so that her legs wrap around his waist. It would seem pretty intimate, if I didn't know Alice. Alice doesn't really get intimate with anyone, a by-product of her overprotected heart. She lets out a soft sigh, letting her head fall onto his shoulder.
Only then does he look over at Rosalie and me.
His eyes, framed in dark lashes, are a vibrant, shocking green.
"You got a place where I can put this?" He jokes, indicating the girl who is all but passed out in his arms. I nod, knowing my brother should be here any minute, and we all head out of the bar. Rosalie and I have our arms wrapped around the other's waist; trying to use each other for balance. Edward follows behind, chucking at our antics and seemingly uncaring that he has a full-grown girl in his arms.
Luckily, we wait only a few minutes before the big, red van pulls up, my brother at the wheel. This seems to get Alice's attention because she perks up, looking surprised at finding herself in someone's arms.
"Edward!" she shouts excitedly, seemingly delighted to find out that he is the one carrying her, "Have you met my friends yet? Rosalie and Bella?"
He shakes his head, still grinning.
"Well, you know Rosalie's brother, Eric, of course. And this is Bella, my friend with the clit piercing!"
I stare at the Alice, open-mouthed.
Oh My God, Kill me now!
A/N: Seriously, that is how the two first met! Lol!
