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Disclaimer: Characters belong to SM and respective owners...Plot belongs to me.

Chapter 2: Snails, Really?

I stared at my reflection in the mirror. It didn't even look like me. Whoever said, 'You can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear,' must notta known what they were talking about. I ran my fingers across my cheekbones and shivered as I realized it was indeed me in the mirror. How had Alice transformed me so completely? My skin shimmered, my eyes look wide and bright, and my mouth looked full and pouty. Normally, my eyes well dull, and while my mouth had always been full and pouty, it now looked a little…sexy.

Sexy was one thing I was not. I was awkward and so clumsy that I could trip over a cordless phone. Boys hardly ever looked my way. I had had one boyfriend in my sixteen years. I am not even sure that he counted, since he had been my friend since birth and we used to bathe together. However, he did give me my first kiss. And…well, he took my virginity on my sixteenth birthday, because I didn't think there was a snowball's chance in hell that any one besides him would ever want to take it. Anyway, the point is that I was just a Plain Jane. No one special. But now looking at myself, in the beautiful blue bandage dress that Alice had loaned me and my hair tousled in what Alice had called 'sex hair,' I looked confident and anything but boring.

"Wow, Bella. You are gorgeous. Look what just a little bit of highlighting your features did for you," Alice said.

I blushed like a pig in heat.

"And look at your freaking body. You are so going to have the guys at Pratt all over you."

"Umm…maybe I should wear something else. You don't think this'll be too much for dinner?" I asked, my face still flushed.

"No, not at all. This is New York, Bella. You never go anywhere without looking your best."

"Okay." I conceded. I figured she probably knew what was appropriate or not. She better had, because I was clueless.

About a half hour later, Alice was dressed in a yellow halter dress, and we were ready to go. Well, as ready as I was gonna be. I was as nervous as a prostitute in a Pentecostal church.

oOoOo

As we walked into the restaurant, I was as skittish as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rockin' chairs. I felt completely out of my element. The nicest place I'd ever eaten was Outback Steakhouse, and I had a feeling that wasn't saying much. My uncle walked directly up to the maître d' as if he owned the restaurant.

"Mr. Brandon, Sir. It's a pleasure to see you here tonight. We have your usual table ready for you." The maître d' looked as though he was about to pass out or possibly have a panic attack. Heck, he looked like I felt.

While we made our way to our table, I could feel eyes on me. However, I was too cotton-pickin nervous to actually make eye contact with anyone. The next thing I knew, someone was clearing their throat. As I came out of my internal conflict, I realized that the maître d' was holding out my chair for me. And I was standing there like a bump on a log.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I mumbled as I took my seat. I was making a plumb idiot of myself. Hell I was acting crazier than a sprayed roach.

As Alice giggled like a hyena, I felt myself turn redder than a tomato.

I stared down at my hands. I kept telling myself over and over that I needed to calm down. It just wasn't working. My hands had started sweating, another indication that I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

"So, Bella-Marie, what do you think of your room?"

I looked up at my uncle who was waiting for my answer. "Oh, it's beautiful. I never imagined that I would be blessed the way that you and your family have blessed me."

"Well, you're family, and I wouldn't have anything else for you."

I simply nodded and smiled softly. It was still weird thinking of them as my family. I mean, I didn't know him from Adam, yet he and my momma shared the same parents.

"You order whatever you want, all right?" my uncle said.

"Yes, Sir," I replied.

As I looked over the menu, everything sounded disgusting. I mean who wanted to eat something called foie gras? It just sounded gross. And come to find out, it was a duck liver! Gross! And what about caviar? Seriously, fish eggs? And don't get me started on the escargot. Snails, really?

I eventually settled on a dish called truffle carpaccio. It was truffles -which I am not quite sure was that is -that was mixed with mushrooms and olive oil. It was the only half-normal thing I could find. When it came to the table, I almost sent it back. It was pretty, but it looked completely inedible. It looked like a pasta fungus with some black shavings all over it. I swallowed hard and looked over at Alice who was digging into her plate like a man coming off a forty day fast.

"What did you get?" I asked looking at her plate. It looked much more appetizing than my own.

"Oh, this is the escargot with gnocchi and sun-dried tomatoes. It's baked in a garlic butter sauce. It's my favorite thing here. Do you want to try it?"

I started shaking my head. "Oh, no. I don't eat snails."

"Have you ever tried it?"

"Nuh-uh."

"Then you have to. It's really good, Bella. I promise."

"I don't think I can."

"Oh, come on. Just close your eyes and open your mouth. I give you a bite. Just don't think about what it is, and just enjoy the flavor."

I looked around. I already felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb, I didn't need to draw more attention to myself by not trying this 'rich folk' food.

"Okay." I closed my eyes, opened my mouth and held my breath. I felt the fork touch my lips and I closed my mouth around it. Suddenly, my mouth exploded with flavor. It was so, so, so….I couldn't find the words.

"Well, what do you think?"

"Oh my God! That is…that is so good if you put it on top of your head, your tongue would slap your brains out tryin' to get to it," I blabbered out.

Alice's face started to make all kinds of goofy expressions. She looked like she was about to pee her pants. "Bella," she started laughing. "That was the funniest thing I have ever heard in my entire life. Where do you come up with that stuff?"

"What stuff?" I asked confused.

"That stuff about slapping your brains out."

"Huh?" What had I said?

"Nevermind. It was really funny though."

I finally turned my attention to my own plate, and decided to be brave once again and try the dish. And boy was I glad I did. If I thought Alice's was good, I was wrong. Her's was freaking McDonald's compared to mine. It was almost a fruity pasta. The truffle was really good and the mushrooms weren't gritty at all. And the olive oil had a hint of mango to it. It was incredible.

Just as I was finishing up my meal, I heard Alice squeal. I looked over at her just in time to see her swept up out of her seat and pulled into a massive hug. All I could see of her hugging companion was crazy blond hair.

Standing next to the blond haired hugger, was the most beautiful guy I had ever seen. Ever. Hands down. He was hotter than Satan's housecat. He caught me staring at him and a slow smirk crossed his face, before he raised one of his eyebrows up at me.

Alice finally separated herself from the blond guy. "Jazz, I want you to meet my cousin, Bella. Bella, this is Jasper, my boyfriend."

"Bella, it's nice to meet you. Alice has been going on and on about you all week," Jasper said, extending his hand towards mine.

"It's nice to meet you, too," I replied.

The guy standing next to him started laughing under his breath before saying, "Isn't that just adorable. She is a little country bunkin. How cute."

Alice rolled her eyes, "Ignore Edward, Bella. He is an ass."

Edward. So this gorgeous guy, who had just insulted me – I think—was named Edward.

"Oh, Alice. Why so harsh? I was simply giving your cousin here a compliment. I've always wanted my own little southern belle."

"Ughh, get over yourself, Edward." She turned her attention to Jasper, "How could you possibly be best friends with this ass?"

"Umm…we were born on the same day, at the same hospital, five minutes apart. We even had cribs next to each other. It was inevitable that we be friends," Jasper answered before kissing Alice on the nose.

She smiled but answered with a, "Whatever, he sucks."

"You would know about sucking, Brandon."

"Bite me, Cullen!"

"Where?"

Suddenly there was a loud throat being cleared. We all looked toward my uncle.

"Excuse me, I am glad that you are all enjoying each other's company, but we are here to spend time with Bella. We have a lot to catch up on, and would like to keep it family only tonight."

"Yes, Sir. I am sorry, Sir. I just seen Alice over here and wanted to say hello. We are sorry for interrupting your dinner." Jasper ran his hand through his hair nervously as he waited for my uncle to respond.

Edward rolled his eyes and looked bored.

"Not a problem son. Just be on your way now. I am sure you can catch up with Alice and Bella at school on Monday."

Jasper and Edward walked away and Alice sat back down, pouting slightly.

The rest of dinner went over without anymore interruptions, but it seemed a little tense. Maybe it was just me, but I felt like you could cut glass with the tension that was coursing between my uncle and Alice. I wondered what was going on with them.

OoOoOo

Alice dragged me to her room as soon as we got back to their…I mean our house. She pulled me onto her bed and was grinning like a fool.

"So, what did you think of Jasper? Isn't he amazing?"

"Yea, he seems real nice-like. I thought he seemed a little fraid of your dad though."

Alice rolled her eyes and sighed, "My dad and Jaspers dad do not like each other at all. I mean, it's a serious hatred for each other. Apparently, back in college me dad stole Jacks girlfriend. He never seemed to get over it. What makes it even worse is that, my mom is that girl."

"Woah…drama. That sounds like something directly from that show Gossip Girl."

"Well, where do you think they get their storylines from?"

We both laughed.

"So, what's Edward story?" I asked. "Is he really an ass?"

"Most definitely. He is also the most popular guy at school. He doesn't date, but he is a bit of a whore. Jasper say's that a lot of it is just hype and not true. However, you never hear Edward disputing the rumors."

"He's pretty," I replied, blushing instantly.

"Yea, and he knows it. I have never seen him even look at somebody like they were remotely good enough for him. Trust me, Bella, he is an ass. Forget about him…Well, no, don't forget about him. He is in our circle of friends, so it's kind of inevitable that you will be friends…just don't think about him in a romantic way."

"Yea, all right." I might have said that I wouldn't think about Edward Cullen in a romantic way, but that night when I went to sleep, I dreamed of him. And it was most definitely in a well…other than platonic way.

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