For the Love of Emmett
Chapter 3—Metamorphosis
Bella paced back and forth in the front of the store. What if he didn't show up? Would she have to start all over with a new tactic?
"Bella, calm down. You're going to wear a hole in the floor." Alice didn't even move her eyes from the rack of clothes she was looking at as she admonished her friend in a bored voice.
"What if he doesn't come? We'll be back at square one! Ugh, I hate square one."
"Relax. He'll show up. I mean, what guy turns down an invitation from a girl who is as far out of his league as you are? Besides, even if he doesn't show up, we're hardly at square one. Didn't you say you talked to both of them yesterday in the parking lot?"
"Not really. I spoke to Edward, but Emmett was there next to him."
"See? You stood out. He knows who you are. And you were talking to his brother, who is like his Achilles Heel. He probably thinks you a saint or something, being nice to him when you don't need to be."
"But I do need to be nice to him. You are making me be nice, remember?"
"Yes, but he doesn't know that," Alice added with a conspiratorial grin.
Bella was about to retort when she saw a somewhat familiar face headed towards them. Edward was talking to someone next to him, and for a moment hope flared up in Bella's chest at the thought that maybe Emmett had come along with his brother. Her hopes were dashed when she looked next to him and saw a blonde head instead of the adorable dark curls that she had been hoping for. She recovered quickly, however, and was able to greet them both with a wining smile.
"Hey guys." Her greeting drew Alice's attention away from the clothes, as she looked up at the two new arrivals.
"Hey. So, uh, we're here." Smooth, Edward. Real smooth way to state the obvious, he berated himself.
"So I see," Bella responded with a smirk, pleased that he seemed a bit nervous. It was good for him to be nervous, he would be so much easier to persuade that way. And considering what she had planned, that was a very good thing.
"So, boys, was there anything you wanted to get while we're here?" Bella merely asked out of politeness. She already knew that they would not be leaving the mall empty-handed.
"I, uh, think I saw a music store that looked interesting."
Bella laughed lightly. "No, silly. I meant from this store."
Edward looked around at the clothes and the pictures of models on the wall, then down at what he was wearing. "I don't think this store is really my style."
"What style?" Alice mumbled under her breath.
"Well, did you ever think of trying a new style?" Bella asked him, ignoring Alice's comment despite her personal agreement.
Edward didn't know how to respond. He had never really given much thought to what he wore. Emmett had always been much more stylish, and had simply given clothes he didn't care about anymore to Edward. Looking around at the pictures of models on the wall, he wondered if perhaps he should start paying more attention.
Bella took advantage of his hesitation to press further. "Come on, let's try an experiment. We'll try out a makeover on you and then see what you think. What do you say? Are you in?" Bella's mischievous and teasing glint was Edward's undoing. He knew in that moment that he'd probably agree to almost anything she suggested.
"Um, sure?" he managed to unstuck the words from his throat that had suddenly closed.
Bella's tinkling laugh squeezed his heart as her hand reached out to wrap around his arm. "On that note of overwhelming confidence, let's go!" she teased, pulling him forward. She glanced over her shoulder at the blonde who had been thus far standing in the background. "What about your friend? Do you think we should do a makeover on him as well?"
"What do you say, Jasper? Are you in?" Edward's eyes pleaded with his friend. He really wanted to look as good as possible in Bella's view, which included having cool and cooperative friends.
Jasper visibly started at being addressed so unexpectedly. He had thought he was just here as moral support. He had no idea that he was going to get roped in. "Um, sure, I guess. Why not?"
"Excellent," piped up Alice. "Bella, why don't you take care of Edward's look, and I'll take care of Jasper's."
Bella shrugged. "Sure. Why not?" she echoed Jasper's acquiescence. She noticed then that her hand was still on Edward's arm. As her awareness grew, she realized that the arm was not nearly as scrawny as she had expected, judging from the way his clothes swallowed him up. She pushed the thought away. This had nothing to do with Edward. It was all just a means to get to Emmett. However, she figured that she might as well do a few good deeds in the meantime.
When Bella had first come up with the idea of taking Edward to the mall, her plan was to give him a seriously needed makeover. There was absolutely no way she could be seen with him looking the way he did now. She did have a reputation to protect, after all! And a makeover would do Edward good too. Later on down the road, when she and Emmett were together, she didn't want any hard feelings between her and Edward. Giving him the gift of a new self was her first step in ensuring that the eventual break-up was as painless as possible. Well, if not painless, at least not devastating.
Several hours later, both boys had a new wardrobe assembled from several of the mall's trendier stores. There was one stop left before the metamorphosis was complete.
"No way. I don't need a haircut. Especially not from here!"
"Relax, Edward, you're getting stressed over nothing. And believe me, you do need a haircut. And some highlights."
"No way am I getting highlights! That is way too girly." It hadn't taken too long for Edward to find his voice after being pulled around all day by Bella and Alice and having clothes that he never would have chosen for himself thrown at him followed by orders to try them on and them parade around in them like he was an entry in a dog show. Although he secretly liked the way he looked in most of the clothes that were now in his possession, he felt that he had to put his foot down when it came to his hair. It was his hair! It was his hair, and he was the only one who would have to live with whatever radical thing they did to him. Clothes could be changed, but hair took much, much longer to change back.
"Fine," Bella huffed. "No highlights. But you definitely need a trim and some styling tips. When was the last time you got a haircut anyway?"
"Umm, I think my mom cut it about four months ago."
"Four months! Edward! You need to have it trimmed every month, at least every two months, or it will start looking shaggy."
"Maybe I like the shaggy look," Edward weakly defended himself. Bella merely crossed her arms and fixed him with a look signaling that she was not going to budge on the issue. He had grown very familiar with that look throughout the day. He glanced over to see how Jasper was faring.
Jasper seemed to be having a similar conversation with Alice, but it was manifesting very differently. Instead of glaring at him like Bella was, Alice was running her fingers through his hair, thinking aloud about the different styles she wanted to try on him. Judging by the look on his face, she could have been explaining the periodic table in Arabic and he wouldn't have cared.
Alice saw the look in Jasper's eyes as she ran her fingers through his hair, testing the thickness and texture, and recognized the look for what it was. She had seen the same look on the faces of many other guys in the past. Smitten. The boy was positively smitten. A part of her conscience twinged with guilt at leading him on like she was. It was all for Emmett, she reminded herself. Once the issue with Emmett was resolved, she'd see what she could do to help him find a nice girl to make him happy.
Edward looked back at Bella, who was still staring at him with her arms crossed, and sighed. He knew that it was inevitable that he would give in, and he figured he may as well save them both some time by doing it sooner rather than later. "Fine, but nothing too short."
Bella's face split into a wide grin of victory as she once again latched onto his arm and pulled him into the salon. Both girls positioned themselves next to the boys who were seated in the chairs to consult with the stylists. After each head was clipped to their satisfaction, each boy received a mini-lesson on styling and maintenance.
Stopping by a full-length mirror on the way out, the boys got their first look at their new selves. Edward just barely kept his jaw from dropping at his new reflection. He looked…normal. Almost attractive, even. His shaggy hair haw now trimmed and styled to look like intentional bed-head. His clothes fit him, revealing a surprisingly toned torso with jeans that fit him just right. Bella had even made him stop by the mall's optometrist to trade in his thick black glasses for trendy wire-rimmed ones. She had wanted him to get contacts, but he refused to willingly put anything in his eye.
Bella was having a similar reaction as she took him all in. She was really proud of her masterpiece. He finally looked like someone who came from the same gene pool as Emmett. Instead of a geek, he now looked more like a sexy nerd. She knew she'd never be able the get the nerd completely out of him, so she figured she may as well work with it. The results were unbelievable. He looked better than she could have imagined.
Next to him, Jasper was having a similar existential moment as his self-perception was now being forcibly shifted. His blond hair that had hung in limp, untidy curls was now tamed into a burnished wave. His clothes, like Edward's, now fit him perfectly. He looked like a completely different person, and he knew it was all thanks to the petite girl next to him. Impulsively, he reached over to give her a side hug. "Thanks," he grinned.
Alice smiled up at him. "You're welcome. Any time," she winked. As she spoke, she was surprised to realize that she meant it. She had actually had quite a bit of fun helping Jasper assemble an entirely new wardrobe. And she certainly couldn't argue with the results.
"So, what should we do now?" Edward asked, hoping to prolong his time with Bella, though preferably not at the mall.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm starving." Bella responded.
"Well it is almost dinner time," Jasper commented. Surprised, Edward looked at his (new) watch and was amazed to find that it was nearly five in the evening.
"We could go get some dinner in a bit, if you want to," Edward looked questioningly at Bella.
"That sounds good. Hey, why don't we drop off your new stuff and then head out?" Bella was secretly hoping that Emmett would be home and could be persuaded to join them.
Edward thought for a moment. "Sounds good to me. Jazz? Alice?"
"I'm in. You know me and food," Jasper teased, referencing the bottomless pit better known as his stomach. It was a common joke in the Cullen household that Jasper could hold his own even with Emmett, which was a thought believed to be impossible until they had held an impromptu eating contest and tied when they ran out of food. Edward smiled as he remembered the event.
"That sounds fine to me," Alice responded. "So, should we all meet at Edward's then?"
Edward was a bit surprised that his house should be deemed the meeting place, but had no reason to dislike the idea. Truthfully, he liked the idea of seeing Bella in his home. "Sure. Let's head on out."
They each walked to their respective cars. Bella and Alice had arrived together, so they followed Edward's car, knowing that Jasper would meet them after dropping off his own clothes. Neither of the girls had bought anything as they had been too busy being fashion consultants to shop for themselves, so they were headed directly to the Cullen house.
The drive provided the first private time for them to talk since they had met up with the boys.
"So, how do you think it's going?" Bella asked the mastermind next to her.
"I think you have him wrapped around your little finger," Alice shared a conspiratorial grin before turning her attention back to her driving.
"You don't think I'm being too mean, do you?" Bella asked after a short pause.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I'm leading him on. On purpose. You don't think that's going a bit too far?"
Alice sighed. "Bella, whatever he chooses to believe is his own fault. Right now, you are just being a friendly girl who is helping him with some fashion tips. That is hardly a crime."
"I know, but what about what happens later, after we split Emmett and Rosalie up? When he finds out that it's all been a scheme, he's going to be hurt."
Alice turned amazed eyes at her friend. This was unexpected. "Oh my God, you like him, don't you?"
"No," Bella scoffed. "I don't like him. Not like that, anyway. I just think that he's a nice guy and he doesn't deserve this."
"Fine, so keep dating him and give me Emmett. Problem solved!" Alice teased.
"Nuh-uh! There is now way I'm handing him over to you that easily!" Bella quipped. They teased back and forth for the remainder of the drive.
When they pulled into the Cullen's driveway, both of their hearts leapt at the sight of the familiar jeep parked there. Emmett was home! They tried to control their faces of excitement as they pulled in alongside Edward's silver car.
As soon as they entered the front door, they were greeted by catcalls, whoops, and whistles. For once, it was not directed towards the girls. Instead, Emmett was showing his appreciation for his brother's new look.
"Thanks, Em," Edward ducked his head a bit, embarrassed by the attention.
"Damn. Who knew I had such a good looking brother?" Emmett continued to check him out in an exaggerated manner.
"Seriously, Em? I am not a piece of meat!" Edward protested in an equally exaggerated manner before they both dissolved into laughter.
The sound of the two girls joining in with the laughter alerted Emmett to the fact that they had guests and he smiled at them in greeting, unaware that his action caused them to swoon inside. As Edward headed upstairs to his room to drop off his bags, Emmett turned his attention to the newcomers.
"Well, I don't know how you did it, but you girls did an amazing job. What, did you wave a magic wand? Is he going to turn back at midnight?" he laughed.
Bella reveled in the sound of his laughter for a moment before answering. "Nope, no magic wand. Just good old fashioned fashion sense," she smiled. "The potential was always there, it just needed to be brought out." She slyly glanced at Alice, acknowledging that it was she who had first claimed that Edward had potential.
"Well whatever it was, the results are amazing," Emmett responded. "So, what are your plans now?" he inquired as Edward descended down the stairs.
"We were talking about getting something for dinner," he responded, catching the last sentence.
"You guys could join us for dinner," Emmett offered. "I was just about to order a few pizzas when you guys came in."
"Sounds good to me. Bella? Alice?" he asked them with a look.
Secretly, both girls rejoiced. This could not have possibly worked out any better. Alice was indeed an evil mastermind. Either that, or they were extremely lucky. "Sure, that sounds good," they responded as nonchalantly as possible.
"Great! I'll just double my order, then," Emmett grabbed the phone to place his order.
"Better triple it, Jasper's coming over in a bit," Edward warned. Emmett let out a good-natured groan before finishing his dialing.
Emmett had just finished the call when Rosalie entered the room.
"Knock, knock!" she called.
Emmett's response was instantaneous as he sprang up from the chair and rushed to grab her in an enfolding hug. He spun her in circles, inciting a stream of giggles to erupt from her. Bella and Alice remained frozen where they were as their hearts clenched at the sight before them. Sure, they had seen the two of them together many times at school, parties, and cheer practice, but it was so much different in the home setting. It was much more intimate, uncomfortably so.
They were saved by Jasper entering the house at that moment, acting as a divergent for their attention.
"Hey, Jazz, change of plans. Looks like we're going to stay here for pizza. That okay?"
"Sure, just so long as your brother ordered enough for me to eat."
Edward rolled his eyes. "Jazz, there isn't enough pizza in the entire country of Italy to fill your stomach."
Everyone, including Jasper, laughed at his expense, when Rosalie finally noticed Edward's new appearance for the first time.
"Wow, Edward. What happened to you?" She smiled to let him know that the new look was definitely an improvement.
"Um, Bella and Alice happened," he looked down in embarrassment. He was still not accustomed to the attention that his new look was garnering, even if it was only from his brother and Rosalie. He had a sudden foreboding about school on Monday. If he couldn't handle the attention now, what would he do then?
"Well, it looks great," Rosalie affirmed. It was true. She hardly recognized him, except for the way he spoke and acted. He looked like a completely new person.
Jasper noticed his friend's discomfort and moved the topic to more pressing matters.
"So, what should we do tonight?" he asked, posing the question that was on everyone's mind.
"Rose and I were planning on watching a movie. Do you guys want to watch with us?'
"Ooh, which movie?" Alice couldn't really care less about which movie it was, but it seemed like an appropriate question. All that she knew was that they were about to spend a couple hours in a dark room with Emmett Cullen just a few feet away. Inwardly, she was squealing and jumping up and down, but she had worked hard on projecting the cool, almost bored expression that she was known for.
"Dark Knight," answered her favorite Cullen. Hmm, a night with Emmett in a dark roomandChristian Bale playing the hero? Sold!
"I love that movie. Bella, are you in?" Alice knew that she didn't really have to ask. The girls had shared a fascination for Christian Bale ever since Newsies. There was no way she'd miss the golden opportunity of combining her fantasy crush with her real life one.
"I'm in," Bella answered, just as Alice knew she would. They shared a secret smile. This night was turning out better than they could have dreamed. It was just too bad that there were three extraneous people in the mix.
Edward was likewise fascinated by the turn of events. He had thought it amazing that he had been able to spend the day with Bella. Now he was able to extend their time into the evening? This day was truly a good day, better than he could have hoped for.