Chapter 1:
"Come on Alice, how long does it take to get ready, we're only goin' to the batting cages!" screamed Angela from downstairs.
"It's not me, its erm Bella, she hogging the mirror! "She said with a cheeky grin as she looked in my direction.
I didn't understand the effort Alice was making just to go to play baseball, and then I realised that Alice always looks nothing short of perfection. Alice obviously didn't believe in function over fashion like me!
"Okay Bells you ready?" she asked with a serious face like I was the reason we were a little late!
"Yes I think I have been just about ready for almost twenty minutes now!"
"Oh, you're going like that??"She asked with a look of disapproval on her face.
"Um, yeah!" I mumbled self-consciously while looking down at my ripped jeans, dirty runners and my favourite oversized hoodie.
Alice quickly grabbed the suitcase sized bag that she called 'her make-up bag' and danced towards me with a sparkle in her eye!
"It's only baseball Alice", I whimpered as she poked and prodded me with everything from mascara to lip-gloss!
If Alice had have got her way ,I would be going in a dress and high heels but she made do with a better fitting hoodie and some clean runners of hers (that were 2 sizes too small , but I didn't want to complain, after all she was the one making the bigger sacrifice with my appearance!)
Three minutes and seventeen seconds of torture later I met Alice's standards, and so we ran downstairs, one slightly more gracefully than the other!
No one even commented on Alice's not very sporty ensemble that consisted of mini shorts, which she insisted were necessary to make her look taller and a white vest top, Alice wasn't used to 'dressing down; as she called it so this was a big step for her!
The doorbell rang but Alice had already gone to get it, like she knew it was going to happen!
Jasper had come to pick us up and as soon as Alice had jumped down from Jasper's arms we headed off on the short drive to the batting cages. As we arrived I could see balls flying, and people all having fun, and then Alice's master plan hit me as if I had just been slapped in the face, all the people here were around the same age as us and all MALE I searched frantically through the people hoping I had made a mistake and that they were just some very masculine looking girls, but no! Alice was trying to SET ME UP!!
I looked over to Alice with a look of despair written in big black capital letters on my face, mouthing the words "I will kill you later!"
She looked back with an apologetic smile hiding her delightment at the amount of guys here!
I reluctantly got out of the car but I wasn't able to ignore that fact that there were a lot of people staring at us; after all can you blame them. I highly doubt that we are the usual type of people that you would normally find here, and Alice's short shorts were not helping the matter, and by the look on Jasper's face I don't think he was too happy with her choice of outfit, but as he learnt long ago, it's a BIG mistake to criticise Alice's choice in outfit, not that you could ever fault it, she just has a slight problem dressing to blend in!
"Okay Bells, Jazz and I are just going to get some food but we'll be back in a while, kay?"
"WHAT?? You're not staying??"
"Nope , you didn't really see me playing baseball in these shoes did you Bells??" she giggled happily as her plan unfolded , all I was waiting for was the evil laugh , but I didn't think Alice would be able to make her high pitched voice go so low!
"I didn't even notice that ... YOU'RE WEARING HEELS?!" it all was becoming clearer and clearer Alice had no intention of ever actually playing baseball , and I only now noticed that Jasper must have been in on Alice's idea as he to wasn't exactly dressed for sport , in a shirt and jeans.
"I'm sorry Bella, I can stay if you really want me to!" she mumbled with puppy dog eyes
"No, no it's fine I think Angela wants to play anyway!"
"And on the Brightside Bells, there's not a bad view here!" she laughed and pointed in the direction of a group of boys only to the annoyance of Jasper "Don't worry Jazz , I'm only window shopping , after all why would I want a new dress when I have a much nicer one at home!"
Jasper and Alice walked hand in hand back to the car and I unwillingly walked over to Angela and the very large group of boys she was now with!
"Hey Bella, I take it Jasper and Alice are gone?"
"So you were in on it too?" I pretended to laugh.
"Yeah sorry about that, anywhos let me introduce to everyone; this is Emmet, Edward, Mike, Ben and Rosalie"
I looked up at the last name, and I saw long flowing blonde hair, tall and slim, she was defiantly no boy! She was beautiful, flawless pale skin and perfect white teeth!
"Hey, I'm Bella "I forced a smile to be polite
I scanned through the faces, not really remembering all the names, I stopped at the second boy, he wasn't as tall or as big as the first, but I couldn't help but look at him, almost like the way I used to look at Jacob, again I could feel tears coming but I was able to stop them, after all it wouldn't look so good, the new girl just bursting into tears for no apparent reason!
"Is she okay?" I heard a deep voice ask from the distance
I returned to the conversation and away from my thoughts, everyone staring at me with confused expressions.
"Have I got something stuck in my teeth or something??" I asked bewilderedly
"No, it's just you were standing there like you were in a trance or something!" a concerned voice informed me, I looked around to find it was the one I was staring at, Edward the only name I remembered.
Oh great I have just met these people and they probably already think I'm a freak, but on the plus side that has got to be a record or something!
"Have you ever been hypnotised or anything Bella?? Because I once saw a documentary about people relapsing into trances even years afterwards! That could be it" stated the first, bigger guy.
"Erm no I don't think so, well I'm fine now so its fine!"
"So is anyone actually planning on playing any baseball??" asked Angela
I was hoping the answer would be no, after my little reality drift, I'd say it would be better if they didn't have to cope with my attempt of sport too!
"Na, not really "Rosalie added
"Kay then we can just go to the diner down the road then!" Emmet agreed
Everyone nodded in agreement and we walked over to Emmet's jeep and half of the group got in until the jeep was full .I was the only one left standing outside.
"Edward, you and Bella follow us then?" asked Emmet
"Yeah sure" he answered politely
I followed him unsurely to his silver Volvo and I reluctantly got in , this was something I wasn't used to doing , I have only just met him and now I have just got into his car ALONE!!
His faced changed, serious now
"Get in the car i'm a friend of you're mothers!" he said, no humour in his voice. When he seen the obvious terror in my eyes, he burst into fits of laughter,.
"Jeeze ,Bella cant take a joke?" he asked still giggling at my now trembling hands
He could sense my panic, probably because I didn't hide it well as I had already dialled the first two 9s on my mobile just in case!
What was I doing...!!
