DISCLAIMER: Characters are from The Twilight Saga, The rest is from Gossip Girl. The beginning is the same as in the TV show, but the plot will soon change. Need I say more?
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It's only been less than 24 hours since I've been back in Manhattan and I've already been the topic of 5 of Gossip Girl's updates. After I left the party I came straight to the hotel we were staying in, trying to keep myself out of the public's eye more than necessary. I still don't know what to make of Rosalie's attitude towards me. She seemed angry and frustrated with my presence. I should have anticipated a reaction like this, but I wasn't dwelling on the negative like I should have been. I should have tried to prepare myself for this. I closed my laptop, no longer wanting to look at pictures of me on , and fell backwards into my pillow. I looked around the room that I will have to call my own for the next month. I kept getting these flashbacks from last summer, I remember me getting drunk to the point of me passing out and doing drugs. I was fifteen then, it's surprising how easy it is for me to get my hands on those types of things. I rubbed my eyes, hoping to somehow clear my head. Today will be my first day back at the exclusive Constance Billard School for Girls. This school is a very prestigious private school with the reputation of being the best all-girls school in the state, and top ten in the country. This school isn't really my scene, but whatever keeps my mom happy. I rolled out of bed and went off to start my new morning routine, brushing my teeth first, than jumping into the shower.
By the time I arose from my 40 minute shower I realized that if I didn't leave in the next half hour, I was going to be late. I wrapped my hair in a towel, than wrapped another towel around my body. As I stood in front of the bathroom mirror the nerves kicked in. I'm going to have to go to school and act like nothing happened last fall. Boarding school must have changed me, because usually I'm never nervous about anything. I walked into my room and glanced at the clock on the wall. Oh shit. For some reason I'm getting distracted a lot and not realizing that I WILL be late. I rushed to my dresser, pulled out a pair of stockings and put them on. I stepped into my navy/grey kilt that I left ironed on the couch the night before and pulled it up my legs, fastening the buckle, than rolling it up so it only reached my mid-thigh. I walked to the closet and put out a white dress shirt, putting it on I walked back to my dresser and pulled out my uniform blazer, and tied a skinny tie around my neck loosely. The blazer was navy with the Constance Billard school logo on the upper right side. I walked back into my washroom and took out my make-up kit. Since it was only school, I made a quick decision to apply light foundation, a swipe of mascara and clear lip gloss. I pulled off the towel and shook my hair; I ran my fingers through my hair, separating the few tangles. My hair lay wavy down my back reaching the middle of my back; it grew a lot in the last year. I walked quickly back into my room, grabbed my white LV handbag and dumped all of its contents onto the bed. I grabbed my wallet, lip gloss, cell phone, Burberry perfume, hand sanitizer, hair clip and hair brush and threw them into my black Chanel hand bag. I grabbed a few pens and two notebooks from my desk and threw them into the bag too; I picked up one of my watches and put it on my wrist. I slipped on my favorite black vintage boots and walked out of my room, bag in the crook of my arm.
My mother wasn't home so I grabbed a water bottle from the fridge, an apple from the table and continued out of the hotel suite. I walked to the elevator and pressed the button, I waited about 3 minutes before one opened up, I walked in and pressed the main floor. The elevator filled up quickly, stopping at almost every other floor. We finally reached the main floor, and I stepped out of the elevator last. I maneuvered my way through the small crowd in the lobby, and headed for the front doors. As soon as I exited the hotel, I felt a much needed breeze of cool autumn air. I've missed Manhattan more than I thought. I continued walking towards the street so that I can hail a taxi, when I heard my name being called. I turned to seek out the voice, only to find Jasper Whitlock jogging towards me. He was wearing his school uniform; a navy blazer, and stripped tie. As he came closer I had to look away so that I wouldn't get lost in his steely blue eyes.
"Jasper?"
"Hey. Uhm, your mom told me you guys were staying here at the Palace." He said, shuffling from foot to foot.
"Yeah, we're renovating… again. You know my mom: if it's not broke, break it." I said laughing nervously. "So what are you doing here?"
"I wanted to see how you were. I didn't get to talk to you last night." He said, running his hands through his hair. I followed his movements with my eyes.
"I've got to get going, I'm going to be late for school." I started to walk away, but he grabbed my wrist.
"Bella…" He pleaded.
"No, no." I shook him off and continued to walk. He followed me.
"But your back now." He whined. I stopped and turned to glare at him.
"I didn't come back for you. Look, Rosalie's my best friend and you're her boyfriend and she loves you. That's how things are supposed to be!" I yelled, and speed-walked towards an empty taxi. I opened the door, looked around for camera phones snapping pictures (thankfully there was none), and stepped into the taxi, slamming the door behind me.
"Where to, ma'am?" the taxi driver asked.
"Constance Billard, please."
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It was now lunchtime and I was looking around to see if I could spot Rose. My school day was going exceptionally well so far, everyone was welcoming me back with open arms. My professors were all pretty cool, except for one, but I wasn't really worried about Mr. Vladimir. My marks weren't really the best before I left for boarding school, and I need to work harder to bring them up. I received many stares, I guess people were trying to get used to my abrupt return. Everyone at Constance Billard knows I'm back because of Gossip Girl, I won't be surprised if everyone from St. Jude School for Boys knows too. St. Jude is the private school down the street from us, that's where Jasper and Emmett go to school. I guess you could say both the school are partners or something, when there are school formals or assemblies we are brought together. No one knows the real reason I left, and the reason I came back. I went to the dining hall and continued looking for Rose. After a few minutes of looking, I went up to the counter where they were selling food and purchased a low-fat vanilla yogurt. I grabbed a spoon out of the dispenser and walked out of the dining hall. I went around to the front of the school and continued looking around, I opened my yogurt and took a big scoop. I noticed a group of girls sitting at the bottom of the steps; I recognized Rosalie's blonde curls and started walking down the steps. As I neared them I overheard a bit of their conversation.
"These are so cute… they should be framed or something." Jessica said, a mutual friend that Rose and I grew up with. She had long brown hair with full front bangs, she looked very different, and I think she got a nose job. Lauren was also there, a blue-eyed brunette who idolized Rosalie. I use to always call them Rosalie's little minions.
"Not bad work and here's yours… as promised." Rosalie said, handing a pink envelope to a short girl who I've never seen before.
"Thanks." The girl replies bouncing up and down with excitement. She had big brown eyes, and short black hair, she looked very young, she must be a freshman.
"Hey, here you guys are. I looked all over the dining hall for you." I said finally reaching them. They all turned to stare at me but none of them said a word. Jessica and Lauren looked at each other than to Rosalie. She sat there staring at me with an expressionless face. I walked down a few more steps until I was in front of them. I looked to the short girl and she was looking at me wide-eyed.
"Oh hi, I'm Bella." I said.
"I know, uhm, I mean, hi, I'm Alice." I smiled at her, than reached down in front of Rosalie and picked up one of the envelopes. It was an invitation to a party called Kiss On The Lips.
"So, when's the party?" I asked, looking directly at Rosalie.
"Saturday. And you're kind of not invited. Until 12 hours ago everyone thought you were at boarding school. And Alice used up all the invites." She said in a fake sympathetic tone.
"Uhm, actually…" Alice spoke up, but stopped when she saw Rosalie's glare.
"You can go now." Rosalie told her, and she quickly walked away.
"Sorry." Rosalie turns back to me, softening her expression.
"No, it's okay. I've got a lot of stuff to do anyway." I dropped the invite back onto the stairs. Rosalie picks it up, gathers her things, and then stands up, the rest of the girls standing also.
"We should get going now, unless you want us to wait for you. Looks like you still got a lot of yogurt left."
"No, go ahead." They turn to walk up the steps. I look down into my yogurt frustrated. I call after Rosalie.
"Rose, think we can meet tonight?"
"I'd love to, but I'm doing something with Jasper tonight." She says smiling smugly.
"The Palace, 8 o'clock. Jasper can wait." I replied confidently. Her smile faltered, and she cocked her head to the side. My cell phone buzzed in my pocket.
"I can probably do a half hour."
"Thanks for making the time." I smiled. My cell phone buzzed again.
"Of course, you're my best friend." She smiled back, and quickly turned around. I didn't miss the eye-roll. My cell phone buzzed again, I took it out of my pocket and looked at the screen. Gossip Girl Updates. I sat on the step and placed my yogurt beside me. I opened the three updates.
1: Spotted: At the steps of the Constance, a Bella and Rose power struggle.
2: Did Bella think she could waltz home and things would be just like they were?
3: Did Bella think Rose would go down without a fight? Or can these two hotties work it out? There's nothing 'Gossip Girl' likes more than a good catfight. And this could be a classic.
I stood up and walked back up the stairs and into the school. I walked away, leaving my yogurt as well as my nice girl attitude behind.
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"So, how's your mom doing... with the divorce and everything?" I asked trying to break the ice. Rosalie and I were at the Palace having martinis at the bar. She showed up half an hour late, and still won't seem to drop the sarcasm. Rosalie had her walls up and was defensive. Sarcasm was her way of avoiding her emotions. Rose couldn't be cold to me forever, we were never good at holding grudges against each other.
"Great. So my dad left her for another man. She's lost 15 pounds, got an eye-lift. It's been good for her." She replied, sarcasm as thick as ever.
"I'm really sorry." I said genuinely.
"Yeah, I could tell since you didn't call or write the entire time it was happening." She said, finally looking into my eyes.
"No, I know... I was just... boarding school... it's like..." I said tripping over my words. I didn't really know how to explain.
"I don't even know why you went to boarding school to begin with." She said, she was finally letting her feelings show. "Do you know how it felt, calling your house when you didn't show up at school and having your mom say: Isabella didn't tell you that she moved to Connecticut?"
"I just... I had to go. I needed to get away from everything. Please just trust me." I was pretty much begging at this point.
"How can I trust you when I feel like I don't even know you." She looked away, and took a sip of her martini.
"Let's fix that. I saw you at school with Lauren and Jess and I get it. I don't want to take any of that away from you. I just..."
"Because it's just yours to take if you want it?" she said getting defensive again.
"No, that's not what I mean. I... I miss you. I just want things to go back to the way they used to be. You know, walking to school together, dancing on tables at Bungalow, the nights when we were at your mom's country house. You were like my sister... and with our families... we need each other." I said, my eyes welling up with tears.
"Well, you missed some classic Lillian Hale melt-downs. If it wasn't such a tragedy it would have been funny. Actually kind of was." She said, giggling and wiping a tear from my cheek. I smiled,
"Well, I wish I could have been there."
"You are now. I have to meet Nate. I kind of have something special planned and..." she looked away, flustered. She stood up.
"Well, I don't want to keep you but..." I pulled her into a hug. "I love you, Rosie."
"I love you too, Bells." She said, squeezing me.
Spotted: At The Palace Hotel, Bella and Rose having a heart to heart.
Rosalie slipped on her jacket, and grabbed her clutch. She took a final sip of her martini, then hugged me goodbye. I watched her leave, and then turned back around to face the bar. I let out the breath I was holding and gulped down the rest of my drink.
Hmm, why so thirsty, B? You may have won over R for now but we still think you're hiding something.
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Angela held the door open to a department store and I walked in, she walked in behind me. Angela Weber is my second cousin on my dad's side. She comes and visits every year during the third week of September, and I get to spend two days with her. I don't really have a lot of family that's around my own age, but She comes to New York to spend time with her mother, and I offer to show her a good time. Today I decided to take her shopping, buy her some new clothes to take back home to Washington and show off. We walked into the store and started looking around.
"How about this dress?" she asked holding up a black dress with a ruffled skirt.
"That's cute, every girl needs a little black dress," I said smiling. "Is that your size?" I started looking through the rack she picked it up from.
"Yeah, it's my size, but why would a little black dress cost this much money." She said putting it back on the rack. I picked it back up.
"If you're not getting it for yourself, than I'm getting it for you." I said smiling and walking past her.
"B, you're too much!" She said following after me. "You always do this." I just smiled and continued my walk. I saw the girl I met the other day standing by the changing rooms with a tall bronze-haired guy who look kind of familiar, I think her name was Alice. She looked like she was trying on dresses, I decided to go and say hi. I walked up to her, Angela followed behind me.
"Oh my gosh, it's Bella," I heard her say. The bronze-hair boy with her looked around, than hurried off. "Hi Bella."
"Hey, hey Alice right?"
"Yeah."
"This is Angela, my cousin." I introduced.
"Hey, nice to meet you." Angela said politely.
"Uhm… This is my, uh brother…." She said looking behind her, than realizing no one is there she blushed.
"So is this your dress for that "Kiss On The Lips" party?" I asked, looking down at the red strapless dress.
"Sort of. Speaking of that," she went into her bag and pulled out an envelope. "Here I made one during free period, but if anyone asks where you got it. I know nothing." She said beaming at me.
"Thanks." I said smiling. "And by the way, that dress would look way better on you in black." I waved my goodbyes, and then walked away with Angela.
As I walked away, I heard Alice calling out the name 'Edward'.
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A/N: Next Chapter will be filled with drama and Bella finally meets Edward… again
The truth comes out, and Bella & Rosalie's little truce won't mean a thing.
+ The Kiss On The Lips party is also next chapter!
A heads up: Yes, The La Push pack will be in this story playing hoodlums from Brooklyn. They will only be in at least 2 chapters.
You know you love me, xoxo Lariches!
Bahahahaha, ;)
