End of Part One.
Lunchtime Interrogation
"There you are. After you ran out the window, I thought that you wouldn't show your face here at lunch." Edward's eyes had gone from a warm liquid gold, to hard solid amber. Though he sounded calm on the surface, he was upset, and trying to hide it. Probably for Renesmee's sake. I began to worry.
"I needed to talk to Alice in private before lunch, and you and Nessie obviously weren't going to let that happen." It seemed enough of the truth for Edward, and he let it go. Not before a quick glance at Alice to validate my story though.
I sat down with Alice on one side, and my tragically beautiful sister Rosalie on the other. I looked around the table. Sitting next to Alice was Jasper, her significant other. They weren't married, but they weren't dating either. The only words for their relationship are significant other. His honey-gold hair was pale, and framed his serene facial features perfectly. Arg. He was doing it again. He could probably sense the tension between me, Edward, and Renesmee. Now he was trying to calm us down using his mood control power. It was working. I instantly began to relax.
Sitting next to Jasper was my other best friend Jake. He was wearing his wolfy smile and darkly tanned arm was around Renesmee. He seemed to be getting taller and taller every day. He must be somewhere around '6 "11 now. His long black hair was pulled back into a low ponytail. He is ridiculously strong, and it was no secret. The boy's muscles are visible from a mile away. However, he is a lot of fun. You can always count on Jake for a good time. It was then he looked at me and said, "You rock, my beef." I started giggling hysterically. It was an inside joke. One time I had attempted to call Jake my BFF, trying to turn it into the word bff. Instead I said beef. So now it was a common nickname for each other between the two of us which no one understood. It goes to show how much of a good time you can have with him. But also, you can always count on Jake to be your knight in shining armor. It's a good balance.
Next to Jake was my daughter Renesmee. She never ceases to take my breath away. She has my chocolate brown eyes, and her father's bronze hair which hung to her chest. Her skin is very light, but not nearly as hard as mine. And, unlike me, she can be out on a sunny day. Her skin has a very light sparkle and it is gorgeous. Her personality matched her outer beauty. She cares so much about the ones she loves. She would do anything to help and would risk life and love for the ones she cares most about. She is truly brilliant, and has a great sense of humor. She loves to show us her favorite memories all of the time. That's her talent. Next to her was my husband Edward, and next to him, was Emmet. He is my big, goofy brother. And when I say big, I mean BIG.
Short, dark hair, with boyish features to match. If you had to give Emmet a talent, it would definitely be his strength. The boy is huge. His muscles ripple. I'm not kidding. No one in our family is stronger than Emmet. Equaling his strength was his personality. Always joking, and never concerned with anything, he LOVES to embarrass us. Especially me. He knows that out of anyone, I am the most easily embarrassed. He is the one you love to hate. Sitting next to him was Rosalie, and next to her was me. Quite a family we have.
Everyone is coupled. I am married to Edward, Alice is with Jasper, Emmet is married to Rosalie, and Renesmee and Jake are dating. (I won't even let Jake BEGIN to think about marriage until after Renesmee has graduated college. She is only a sophomore in high school. GOD, she will be driving soon, won't she?)
I want to get her an old Chevy for her sixteenth birthday, but Edward wants to get her a little black Porsche. It was the only thing we had left to do for her birthday, which was only three days away. At least she is a safe law-abiding driver. Unlike Edward who thinks that driving laws don't apply to him. Whoopee. (His driving still scares me.)
"Bella?" Was someone Shoot. I probably zoned out again. "Bella?" Edward. And he sounded really concerned. Why wasn't I answering?
"Yeah. Yeah?" I said quickly, coming out of Bella Land.
"Bella, I am getting really worried about you. So is Renesmee." Edward said, obviously concerned.
I acknowledged, slightly annoyed by his constant concern for me, but at the same time feeling loved, "I'm fine. Really, it's just that lately, well, I can't really say how I have been feeling lately because I don't really know myself. But I do know I am really and truly fine."
"Bella, I am still worried, but knowing you, it is all I am going to get, but would you mind telling me why in the world you hair is soaked, and why you have on a new pair of clothes?" Edward pleaded.
There it was. The little signal I had been waiting for. A little flip of Alice's hair. Then she smoothly got up and said as she was walking away, "Excuse me," and was gone.
"I should really follow her," I quickly insisted, wanting nothing more than to be out of there as soon as possible. And then I was walking away, despite all of the protests Renesmee and Edward sent after me.
I met her by her locker, not but a minute later. She was there, waiting looking as if she already had a plan. No consulting me, of course. What else was new?
Alice then whispered matter-of-factly, "Here is the plan. Every day we will meet in a different place at a different time. I will give you heads up on what has been going on. If anything really out of the ordinary happens before or after we meet, then that means meet me in the bathroom by your locker next period ASAP. OK?"
I was stunned. It was a well thought out plan. However, there were a few hitches. "Wow," I stammered, stunned, "That is really well thought out. But there are a few hitches. One: When and where are we going to meet during these seemingly "random" times? Two: How are we going to decide these times and places? And three: How are we going to keep them a secret? 'C'mon Alice, you should have thought of these things."
Alice looked a little hurt then brightened right back up. "Well I'm not perfect. You're not perfect. No one is perfect. Anyway, let's go in two's. So, start first period, then go 3, 5, 7, 2, 4, 6, 8, OK? Then, we can keep it simple on times. Beginning, middle, end. Let's see, meeting places. Let's go biology bathroom, your locker bathroom, and the girl's locker room. Then, as for the secret, just don't tell anyone. It's not rocket science. There. I think I got it all."
"Alright. Can we go back now? I already have enough to answer for."