Chapter 2 - Super Sweet Party Planning
"Nessie!" My aunt, Alice called, from downstairs. "We're leaving without you!"
"I'm coming!" I cried, as I finished getting ready for dinner.
Dinner at the Cullen's is not exactly what you would expect. While others usually watch prime-time television as they pass the meat loaf from hand to hand, meal time here was a little more Animal Planet, to put it mildly. I always enjoyed tagging along while my family went hunting for mountain lions, deer, or whatever their available prey was that day, in the darkness of the woods near our house. Although I don't mind drinking blood for dinner, lately I much rather have my food without a pulse on my plate. Still, hunting can be a pretty fun activity.
"So, have you decided what to do for your birthday, yet?" My aunt whispered to me while we walked just a few yards behind my parents.
"I thought you were planning the whole thing for me, aunt Alice."
"I don't know how big you want this party to be! You're turning sixteen. Although it's a huge deal in my opinion, I don't know how much of your mother you carry in your genes to absolutely loathe any form of celebration." She rolled her eyes.
"Not that much, I suppose. I kind of wanted a big party. It's the first time I'm making friends my age. Is it wrong to want to do something fun?" I asked.
"Oh, my dear Renesmee! That makes my cold dead heart all warm and fuzzy inside! Your mother will want to murder me, but let's do this! Let's throw you an insanely extravagant party!" She cheered.
We both squealed in excitement, like two teenage girls. Although my aunt Alice only looked a couple of years older than me, I was jumping up and down with a century old vampire. Ever since I moved back to Forks, we have been constantly going on weekend trips to Seattle, shopping for clothes, bonding over the latest trends. She lets me wear some of her cool outfits and she does my hair for me mostly every morning before I go to school. I've been trying to raid my aunt Rosalie's makeup stash but my mother says she doesn't want her daughter going to class looking like a streetwalker.
Of course, vampires don't need to wear makeup. They still do, but only to fake a slight flush on their pale white cheeks, or to just rub it in the rest of the world how inhumanly gorgeous they are. All my family is unbelievably attractive. Grandfather Carlisle has been the talk of the town for years, and grandma Esme tells the jealous nurses at the hospital she has been a fan of Botox for years. Momma is hot. I tell her all the time. Now that she doesn't have scary red eyes anymore, she is a true beauty. And daddy has always been "dazzling", as my mom would say. Every time he picks me up from school, I can see my girlfriends gushing over "Nessie's DILF". I'm sure if my dad were able to blush, he would. Little do my friends know my dad can hear every vile thing that goes on in their dirty little minds. I'm glad I can't!
Speaking of reading minds...
"Nessie, what are you and your aunt up to?" My father asked.
"I'm assuming that's a rhetorical question dad, as I'm sure you already know." I answered.
"You know your mother's heart is gonna break when she finds out that you are capable of having a good time while being the center of attention." He pointed out, humorously.
"Do you think she will mind if I have a party?" I whispered, creasing my forehead.
He kissed me on the forehead and continued. "Of course not, honey. She wants you to be happy. Besides, your sixteenth birthday is a very important date."
"So I hear." Everyone keeps telling me that, but never cared to explain why. "So, can I have a party, daddy?" I asked in the lowest voice I could utter.
He looked at my aunt, and she looked at him with guilt written all over her face, but he smiled.
"Anything you want, Nessie." He responded.
"Well, Edward, get your checkbook ready. This is gonna be expensive!" My aunt joked.
We all laughed at the thought of a huge celebration, but my dad's facial features changed after he patted his hand on my shoulder.
"Who was that, Renesmee?" He asked in a concerned tone.
I cursed myself silently. I was thinking about Derek when my dad could so easily read my mind. It only takes a slight touch and anyone can hitch a ride in my thoughts. But with my dad, all it takes is close proximity. I let that one slip.
"No one." I answered sheepishly.
My aunt looked at me worried, and then glared at my father. He sighed, but walked away towards mom and grandma Esme. I just stared at the leaves on the ground in defeat. It was like somebody opening my journal and reading the first sentences. It was just enough to make blood flush to my cheeks.
"Are you inviting Jacob too?" My aunt asked, in a quiet voice.
"Of course, I am! What a silly question!" I exclaimed. Although coming from my clairvoyant aunt Alice, I knew there was no such thing as a silly question.
Jacob was the best friend I ever had. Before I was born, he was momma's best friend, so I think that's why we bonded since day one. He never had to hide from me his shape-shifter condition and sometimes, when he is in wolf form, it seems just as easy to communicate with him. Jake always found time to visit us, and my parents were always generous enough to send him plane tickets to whichever remote part of the world we happened to be living in at the time. Jake was always there for every birthday, every special occasion. He was like a brother I never had. The bond we have goes beyond words. I know it's for life. So there was no doubt in my mind my best friend would be an important part of my birthday party. If Derek was there, I would want to introduce him to Jake. See if he approves of him. Although Jake stopped growing "older" a long time ago, he is about momma's age. But Jake understands boys my age better than daddy. Daddy is way too serious and judgmental. Daddy doesn't think any guy is good enough for me.
"Aunt Alice, please tell me you see the most amazing party in my near future! Tell me all about it! We don't have much time left to plan!" I said.
She laughed with her most pleasant musical voice, and we trailed on for the rest of the night, boring my mother's ears with talks of lighting, flowers, DJs, invitations and all the challenges ahead of us to put together an event the little town of Forks was yet to witness.