Summer, 1996
"I'm SO bored!"
Nine year old Jessica was lying on the bedroom floor of her best friend Edward. He was at his desk trying with all his might to ignore her. She had burst into his room moment before complaining about the lack fun things to do. Edward was working on his summer reading homework that Jessica had forgotten about ages ago.
"You and me." She sat up and began to poke him in the side. "We need to do something crazy."
"I have to finish this, Jessica," Edward said, his eyes glues to the papers spread out before him.
She tugged on the hem of his Star Wars t-shirt. "Dude, c'mon! Don't be a nerd. I don't want to be best buds with a nerd."
Edward sighed. "Fine. What do you want to do?"
"We should call up Emmett," Jessica said. She was happy that he decided to play with her. It was almost the end of August. School was looming on the horizon and Jess was dreading her return. She wanted to have as much fun as possible in the short time she had left.
"Not Emmett," Edward said, sporting his usual frown. He rarely smiled around any of his friends (or her friends actually). "You plus him equals trouble."
Jessica sneezed.
"I'm going to call him anyway," she said, sticking out her tongue. "And you can't do anything about it! Na-na-na-na-naa-na!"
Edward watched Jessica skip out of his room singing at the top of her lungs. He grimaced. All he wanted was a quiet trouble free day. Since Jessica had entered his life nothing had been the same. She was ten times annoying than Alice (who nowadays kept referring to Jess as Edward's "wittle girlfwend").
She never listened to him and made it her job to make him beyond miserable. She thought that they were "best friends", but he wasn't as sure.
Alice poked her head into Edward's bedroom. She had recently turned eleven and got the idea in her head that she Queen of Everything.
"Were you and Jessica kissing?" she teased, smiling brightly.
Edward scrunched up his nose and said, "Leave me alone."
"You should be nicer," Alice said. "Girls don't like it when boys are mean to them."
"I can be mean to anyone I want," Edward said, indignantly. "She's annoying."
Jessica was outside of Edward's window now. She leant on the window sill grinning like a mad man. "Emmett's coming over. He's bringing Rosalie."
"I don't like Rosalie," Edward said, making a face.
"You don't like anyone."
"She has a crush on me!"
"Ew! Who would like you?"
"Rosalie?" Alice asked, interested. "Who's that?"
Edward shooed her out of his room and slammed the door. On returning to the window he saw Jessica hopping around on one foot.
"It's not my fault Emmett likes her," she said. "It's so gross how he always talks about her. She's not very nice, either."
Rosalie Hale was a year older than them. She was very pretty with her pale blue eyes that made her look like an Ice Queen. She practically ignored everyone in their elementary school except Edward. She deemed him worthy of her friendship and followed him around like some deranged stalker.
A few minutes later, Emmett arrived on the cul-de-sac. He was riding his bike with Rosalie perched atop the handlebars. Her white blonde hair was tied into a ponytail that kept smacking Emmett in the face.
"Hey you guys," he said, waving at Edward and Jessica.
The pair had been sitting on Edward's front lawn waiting for them to arrive. Jessica jumped up and waved her hands around like a helicopter.
"Only Mike and Lauren can play today," Jessica explained. "Eric's grounded again."
Rosalie gracefully hopped off of Emmett's handle bars. She sidled up to Edward who narrowed his eyes at Jessica. He was clearly blaming her for his misery yet again.
Mike and Lauren ran over to the four of them, waving and smiling. Lauren noticed Rosalie and frowned. Lauren didn't like it when people were prettier than she was. The animosity made Mike nervous and inched closer to Jessica who walloped him on the back of the head.
"Okay!" Jessica clapped her hands together. "Hide and seek!"
Rosalie stifled a pretty laugh behind her hand. "I thought that was a baby game."
Jessica put both hands on her hips and glared at Rosalie. "Fine, Rosie. How about we play EXTREME hide and seek? For grownups, y'know?"
The rules were that one person would count to a hundred while the other hid. No place was off limits as long as it was outdoors. Base was the sandbox in Mike's backyard. If you were tagged first there would be a punishment, but Jessica hadn't thought of a good one yet.
"If you're tagged first you have to kiss someone the seeker chooses." Emmett smiled deviously.
Edward and Mike blanched. Jessica laughed. "That's good! Now who will be the seeker?"
"I'll do it."
Alice was sitting on the stoop of the Cullen's house. She had been eavesdropping on the kid's plans and thought it sounded like fun.
"No way," Edward shook his head. "You can't play."
"Yeah she can," Jessica snapped. She had taken a liking to Alice. She was cute and girly and wore totally rad clothes. "You don't want to be the seeker, do you Ed?"
Edward clenched his teeth. "Geez."
Alice smiled, covered her eyes with her hands and began to count to a hundred. The kids fanned out to find a place to hide.
Jessica climbed into the dilapidated tree-house in her backyard. Her brother, Elijah, used to play in the tree-house when he was little. Now that he was in high school he thought it was dumb and childish. He was busy hanging out with his friends and trying to get girls to kiss him.
The tree-house smelled like boys. There were boxes of DC comics stacked almost up to the ceiling. Fake swords her dad had fashioned out of wood were hanging on pegs on the wall. A trapdoor was hidden somewhere on the floor, but it was getting too dark to see properly.
Jessica plopped down on the creaky tree-house floor. She was never allowed in when she was younger. There was a strict NO GIRLS ALLOWED policy enforced. Elijah would kick her out and call her annoying. Edward reminded her of pre-high school Elijah. He acted like he hated her, but inside he actually enjoyed her being around. At least… that's what she thought.
There was a loud rustling noise coming from outside. Jessica tensed. She inhaled deeply and squeezed her eyes shut. Hopefully no one would see her.
"Stupid ladder," a familiar voice muttered.
Jessica poked her head out the front door to see who it was. Edward was trying in vain to climb the rope ladder leading up to the tree-house. He kept looking at the ground and taking deep breaths. She smirked.
"Afraid of heights?" she questioned.
"No." Edward glared up at her. "This ladder is broken."
"No it isn't," Jessica said. "I climbed up it."
"I'm gonna fall off," he said, a hint of worry in his voice.
Jessica laid flat on her stomach and held out both hands toward him. "No worried, dude. I'll pull you up."
Hesitantly, Edward grabbed onto her hands. She managed to lift him into the tree-house with ease. She noted how he was almost as puny as Mike. Once inside, Edward tore his hands out of Jessica's grasp.
"I don't have cooties." Jessica rolled her eyes. "Boys are so dumb."
"You're nails were scratching me," Edward snapped. "Girls shouldn't have such long fingernails. It's annoying."
Jessica scratched his arm, on purpose this time. He glowered at her as he massaged his wounds.
"You're the annoying one," she exclaimed. "Being so darn mean all the time! I think you and Rosalie would make a good kissy lovey-dovey couple. Maybe you should let Alice catch you so you can kiss her."
Jessica crawled over to the opposite side of the tree-house. Edward stared at her back, both eyebrows raised. Girls were so weird.
"What are you so mad about?" Edward asked, cautiously. He was rarely on the receiving end of a woman's hostility. Alice and Esme were usually cheerful and doted on him constantly. Meanwhile, Jessica was always mad at him for something stupid.
Jessica replied with a sniffle. She was crying. Edward's eyes widened.
"No – what – Jess!"
"I hate you!" she cried. "You're just like my brother!"
"Stop crying right now!" Edward shouted at her.
"You hate me too, right?" Jess kept crying just to upset him further. "You don't like me being around, right? You think I'm annoying."
Edward crossed his arms. "You are annoying. Crying so loud in the middle of a game like hide and seek. Alice is going to find us."
"My brother thought I was annoying too." Jessica lowered her voice. "Now he acts like I don't exist. I want to be friends, okay! I don't want you to pretend I'm not around!"
She buried her face in her knees to hide her red and tear stained face. She was totally embarrassed by her outburst. Even though he was mean to her, Jessica wanted so desperately to be friends with Edward. She liked to hang out with him. He acted like a grandma.
"I never said I hated you," Edward said, embarrassed too. "You're just…different than the other girls I know."
"So do you want to be friends forever?" Jessica instantly brightened.
"Forever?"
"Forever."
Night had officially fallen while they had been talking. Edward was sure that the others had given up on them by now.
"Let's go back," Edward said.
"Alright." Jessica wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Do you need me to help you down?"
"No."
Jessica laughed. She crawled back toward the door and stuck her head out. Edward heard her gasp.
"Is it Alice?" Edward whispered.
"Fireflies."
Balls of tiny light were floating listlessly around Jessica's backyard. Mrs. Stanley was sitting on the patio smoking a cigarette. Mr. Stanley was in the kitchen making dinner.
"I want one," Jessica said.
"What would you do with it?" Edward asked.
"A night light."
"Don't be dumb."
Jessica smiled. "I'm glad we're friends, okay?"
"Yeah."
Ultimately, Alice tagged Mike first. He had been hiding behind the post box at the end of the street. Alice chose Edward for Mike's kiss causing both boys to run for their lives.
At precisely nine thirty, Esme tucked her son into bed and planted a kiss on his forehead. Edward closed his eyes, but kept remembering Jessica's smile. His stomach fluttered uncomfortable and he felt like puking. That girl was even invading his thoughts.
"Psst!"
Edward froze. What was that noise? The boogeyman? The monster he knew was in his closest, but was too full of pride to ask Carlisle for help?
"Hey!" It was just Jessica. She was wiggling herself through Edward's window like a cat burglar. Well, if cat burglars wore pink Barbie nightgowns. "It's me. Jessica Stanley."
Edward pulled the covers over his head. He hoped that this was all a nightmare. It wasn't, Jessica shuffled over to Edward's bed and began prodding him."
"Wake up," she whispered.
"What do you want?" he grumbled.
"Surprise slumber party!"
"…"
Jessica sighed. How typical of him to forget best friend etiquette.
"Since we're super special mega awesome best friends forever now," Jessica explained. "we need to have a sleepover!"
"Those are for girls," Edward frowned.
"Move over, dude."
Edward didn't budge. Shearing the same bed with Jessica was gross. She would make the blankets smell like girl.
"I'll give you candy if you let me sleep here," Jessica said, clasping her hands together like she was praying. "A whole Milky Way!"
Edward paused. "Hersey Bar. King Size."
She nodded vigorously. Edward reluctantly moved over to make room for Jessica. She crawled next to him and shut her eyes.
"I like your race car bed," she whispered.
"Don't drool on it," he replied.
"I won't. Cross my heart and hope to die."
Within minutes she fell fast asleep. She didn't snore like Carlisle, so that was good. Her bushy hair tickled his nose. It smelled like a mango smoothie.
Soon, Edward drifted into a peaceful sleep accompanied by dreams of fireflies and smiles.
A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed or read or story alerted this so far :D I LOVE YOU AND WILL BUY YOU ANY CANDY YOU DESIRE! (this is not a bribe, ok?)
