Thursday (8 days till Dance)
Bella POV
By the end of the day, all of the students were buzzing with excitement over the gifts that they were bound to receive over the coming days. Alice and I were walking down the hallway to get our books out of our lockers before heading to the mall. Alice was determined to pick out the perfect first gift for Emmett, and she also wanted to help me with what to give to Edward.
"Bella! Can't you move any faster? Before we know it, everyone at school is going to be at the mall and all of the good stuff will be gone! If I am stuck giving some dumb reindeer antlers because you decided to morph into a tortoise, there will be hell to pay, sister!"
Just to drive home her point, she stomped her foot and glowered at me. I wanted to laugh, but I knew she would just get even more pissed off, so I grabbed my books, tossed my scarf around my neck, and closed my locker.
After almost dragging me down the hallway, Ali jumped into her black Chevy Malibu, threw it into gear, and sped off towards the mall. She pushed the button to switch on the stereo, and The 12 Days till Christmas blared through the speakers. We sang along happily, enjoying the Christmas-y atmosphere and just being silly with each other.
The mall was a madhouse. There were people doing last minute Christmas shopping, squealing children standing in line in hope of taking a picture with Santa, and of course swarms of teenagers just hanging out on a Thursday afternoon. We decided to take a pit stop to get hot cocoa and discuss strategy. Alice wanted to stop at a sports shop to pick up a football or something, and I wanted to get something classic, but was having a hard time coming up with ideas.
"Bells, come check this out! I think I found you the perfect gift!" Alice exclaimed, jumping up and down and clapping her hands like a child.
"Alice, is the clapping really necessary?" I asked, hoping that she would take the hint and stop.
"Just get your cute little self over here and praise my awesomeness!"
I walked over to the display that she was standing over, and at that moment I knew that she had really found the perfect gift. It was a green Christmas tie with little candy canes and peppermints all over it. I knew the color would make his eyes look that much more amazing, so I just had to buy it.
"Alice, I would comment on the weird way that you know everything, but you will just go on your psychic rant again, so I will refrain!" I grabbed the tie, walked over to the gift bags, and picked a cute one with snow flakes with matching tissue paper. I'm such a girl.
Alice came with me to the cashier line and tried to think of the best game plan to get some of her shopping done. We figured that while we were shopping for secret santa, we might as well knock a few people off of our lists.
While Alice headed to a sports shop to check out something for Emmett, I just glanced around. All of the twinkling lights hanging from the ceiling paired with the people in their winter gear just made everything that much more enchanting.
"Bella, are you ready? We have lots to do to prepare for tomorrow!" She grinned at me, walking towards the exit.
We headed to Alice's house because she insisted that 'inspiration just came to her' when she was in her room. She came at me with wrapping paper, ribbon, peppermint scented pens, and bows. She called it a gift wrap party. We sprawled out on her floor, putting the finishing touches on the first installments to the game, and watching Grandma Got Run-over by a Reindeer.
About half-way through, she muted the television and turned my way. "So, Bella, do you think that this is your chance to get to really know Edward?
"I think that this is the way that we can officially break the ice," I said. "It's about time that I get over my fears of falling and just jump."
Alice squealed and hopped on my back. We fell into a laughing heap, and I knew in that moment that I had the most amazing best friend in the world.
Too soon, it was time to leave. When I got home, I talked a bit to my dad, bade him goodnight, and got ready for bed.
That night, I dreamt of Edward Cullen, images of us twirling around the dance floor lulling me to sleep.
Edward POV
"EDDIE!" Emmett bellowed. "Let's get a move on! It's already after five and traffic is going to be crazy. COME ON."
I swore sometimes I didn't know why I hung around him. He and Jasper decided to come and lounge at my house after school, eating all of my food and watching my television. It apparently just registered in Emmett's brain that the secret santa officially started tomorrow, because now he was in a rush to get to the mall. Why, I will never know, because if I had Lauren, I would just buy a dog toy and call it a day.
"Jeez, can you wait for two freaking minutes while I find my hat? I'm not tryna have my hair freeze in these sub-arctic temperatures," I growled, wishing he would discover at least a little bit of the patience that he was born with.
The ride to the mall was uneventful. Jasper and Emmett talked about all of the non-girly crap they were trying to force upon their choices. Emmett was talking about buying a Chucky movie just to get a laugh when Lauren freaked. Jasper talked about a gift card to some place. I tuned them out and paid attention to the road; the snow was really coming down now.
After parking and booking it to the entrance, we shook the snow off of our clothes and headed on our way. For being in the middle of rush hour, the mall was wall-to-wall people. We wove our way in between the masses and headed to the Apple Store. Jasper had finally decided to get a gift card for some music; it seemed like a safe enough gift.
After that, Emmett decided to entertain us with his portrayal of the expressions that would cross Lauren's face when she saw what her secret santa got her. His astonishment was by far the best; he opened his eyes really wide, scrunched up his nose, and opened his mouth. That one had us all dying, abs aching from the laughter.
"Guys, can we get some grub? I'm a growing boy, and growing boys are in need of food. I NEED TO BE FED!" You would think that he had been deprived as a child or something.
"Emmett, can you calm it down? The food court is right around the corner, and I promise that you won't die on the walk there," Jasper huffed, rolling his eyes at the childish behavior of our friend.
We walked to the food court, grabbed a table, and bought a few slices of pizza and some coke.
"Are you happy now, you oversized toddler? Is your tummy full now?" I cooed at him, pinching his cheek.
"Edward, you better be nice to me before I tell Tanya that you want to go out with her. You and I both know that she would latch onto you like a leech." With that, I knew that I needed to shut up and finish eating my food.
I was in a rush, because we had been here for about two hours and I still had not found the perfect first gift for Bella yet. I wanted it to be meaningful, but I didn't want her to think that I was some creep with a crush on her. But I am a creep with a crush on her…
We walked across the entire store, and I was getting really discouraged when I saw it. It was a silver necklace, the chain dainty and girly, and a, elegant B pendant hanging from it. It was perfect, and I had to have it.
I didn't want the guys to rag on me for my gift, so I made sure to duck into the store while they were occupied with some new videogame that just came out. I tucked my purchase into my coat pocket just as they approached.
"Come on, Edward, we have one last stop before we can go home. I have to get bags and all of that gift wrapping crap," Emmett said, walking towards the closest CVS.
We picked out our stuff and headed home. I was really happy with my purchase, and I hoped that Bella would really like it as well. I would have to stealthily walk by when she discovered her gift and see her reaction. I could not wait until tomorrow.
I dropped Em and Jazz off at their houses, and then headed home to mine. My mom was in the kitchen baking gingerbread cookies, so the house really smelled like the holidays. She hugged me when I came in, asked about my day, and I told her about the secret santa.
"Aww, son, that is so sweet. I'm sure she is going to love what ever you choose to give to her." That is why I loved my mother; she was always so supportive of everything that I did.
I finished up our conversation, headed to my room, and set to wrapping her gift. Another thing to be grateful to my mother for, because she taught me to wrap a mean gift.
I set it on my desk, and then got to work on the card I would slip into it along with a candy cane. I thought that everyone should get a candy cane at Christmas time, so why not add one to all of my gifts.
The note was causing a lot of grief though, because I really just wanted to spill my guts to her, but doing so anonymously was not my idea of romantic, so I ultimately decided against it.
Before too long, the perfect little note seemed to flow from my pen and onto the tiny snowman shaped card. Bella was going to love it, I could just feel it.
I hopped in the shower to get ready for bed, trying to think of the perfect place to leave Bella's gift. I was thinking her first period class, but that was a little too weird and I didn't have that class with her, so I wouldn't be able to see her face when she saw it.
Her locker, that sounds like the perfect spot. Not to weird, and we don't have locks so I don't have to worry about breaking into her stuff.
I tossed on my pajamas and climbed into my bed, thinking one last time about the perfect gift I got for Bella before letting my eyes droop shut.