Chapter Three

Edward dropped me off at my house (Alice rode home with Rosalie) right after school. He had told me earlier that he wouldn't be able to stay, and that he had other plans. When pressed about so called plans, he had shrugged and muttered something about cherries.

I made tacos for dinner. Charlie seemed to love Mexican food now, all thanks to me and "my marvelous cooking," as he said.

As I was mixing around the ground beef, I started thinking about what Edward was doing. All different types of scenarios were running in my head – ranging from him physically in some meadow picking cherries, to him pelting people with ripe cherries.

Or maybe he didn't say cherry. Maybe I misheard him? Or maybe I was over thinking everything. What if he couldn't stay because he was out hunting or –

I suddenly I smelled burning. Looking down from my stirring, I noticed the little chunks of beef were starting to turn black. I quickly lowered the heat, added water, and the seasoning.

I sighed. I was being way to dramatic. It was probably nothing. And if it wasn't anything, he would surely tell me soon. This cheered my sprits up, and I finished the dinner with a smile as Charlie came home.

"Bella?" He called, and then as he sniffed the air he said, "Something smells good – Mexican?"

"Hey Dad," I said back, and as he entered the kitchen I replied, "Yeah, tacos. Sound alright?"

"Perfect, Bells, thanks. Are you done making them or…?"

Obviously he was thinking about a basketball or baseball game that he wanted to watch.

"Yeah, I am, but you could eat later or something if you want to watch a game."

"No, no," He said quickly, getting out plates and silverware from the cabinet, "I would rather eat with you."

I smiled, a little touched at how much he cared about me.

While we ate, Charlie started talking about his day. I honestly tried to listen to everything, but subconsciously I was only hearing some.

"…And then, just as Oscar was about to call in the restaurant, I had a sudden craving for cherries…"

I stopped eating, and started up at him. "Cherries?" I asked, half believing it.

"Yeah, cherries. Anyway…" He didn't seem to notice that I was bewildered and hadn't continued eating.

That was a pretty big coincidence. I hadn't thought or heard the word cherry in forever, and now, Edward seems to be up to something suspicious involving them, and then this? I trailed on and on, lost in thought.

Coincidence! One side of my mind argued.

Edward's up to something – find out what! The other tried to convince me.

Sighing, I picked at my food for another five minutes before I abruptly got up from my chair, plate in hand. I suddenly noticed Charlie had stopped talking a few minutes ago, and felt guilty for not listening.

"Dad, I'm going to see Alice," I told him truthfully, dumping the plates in the sink. I had forgotten the mess from the dinner, and scanned the counter, thinking about how long it would take to clean up.

As if Charlie sensed this, he said, "You go ahead, don't worry about the mess – I'll clean it up."

I smiled, really grateful. "Thanks, Dad, I really appreciate it."

Charlie looked down at his plate, his voice a little huffy, "Well you do a lot around here and I have to help when I get a chance."

I had already started walking to the door, and grabbed my coat, but turned around to give Charlie a quick wave. "I'll be back before ten."

I hadn't even stepped out of the car in front of the Cullen's beautiful white house when Alice stood next to me.

"Bella!" She squealed – in an Alice sort of way.

"Hey Alice, do you know where–"

She cut me off, grabbed my hand, and half pulled me to the door. "Of course I know where Edward is, silly." She began talking as we entered her home, "But what is he doing? Hmm, I'm not sure if I should tell you. Well, of course, we could always wait and see if Edward tells you, since he's going to be here in about 37 minutes. While we wait, I could always give you a makeover!"

Her face lit up in complete bliss, and I could practically see her (although she wasn't) rub her hands together sinisterly.

I sighed, hating to make her disappointed, but absolutely set on refusing any makeover. "I'm sorry, Alice, I just really need to talk to Edward. He seemed really into himself since Emmett's little joke. Do you know what's going on? Could you please tell me where he is?"

She puckered her lips in disappointment for my objection to her makeover, and suddenly her eyes lit with knowing.

"Look, Bella, I'll make you a deal…"

I groaned as I looked at myself in the huge mirror in Alice's room. My face was covered in so much makeup; you couldn't even see my skin anymore. My eyes were caressed with eyeliner, eye shadow, and every other beauty product starting with 'eye'. My lips were smeared with gloss, and my hair was completely changed from how it looked when I walked in (it was in a simple ponytail, which Alice and scoffed at). And on top of that, I had been stuffed into a frilly off-white dress and blue high heels.

"Oh, come off it, Bella. You look beautiful!" She played with my hair a little, adding more spray which caused me to cough.

"Alice, please. I look like a Barbie doll tortured to perfection." I stopped when I saw the hurt in her eyes. "What I mean is," I backtracked quickly, "Why are you dressing me up like this? I mean, I know how much you like painting me with makeup, but all of this just so you can tell me where Edward is?"

She flashed me a cunning smile. "Okay then, let's go. I'll bring you to Edward."

I looked over at her like she was mad. Maybe she was.

"Alice, I'm not going out dressed like this! Could you at least wait for me to get out of the makeup and dress?"

She was shaking her head no before I had finished the sentence.

"Nope, that wasn't part of the deal, Bella. Follow me to Edward…" She skipped out the door happily.

I stared back at her in shock. What was all of this about? It was crazy, that I was sure of. But making me parade around Forks as if I belonged in a pageant? Wasn't that a little too far? Perhaps not for Alice, I knew, but still.

"Alice, wait!" I called after her, running to catch up and tripping on my feet. "Please, please, please, don't make me do this."

"Bella, get in the car." She was already down the stairs and almost out the door. "Don't make me carry you."

I was not in the mood to be carried by Alice, so I bitterly clomped down the stairs in my impossible-to-walk-in heels.

I sat in the car with my arms crossed. I wasn't in the mood for Alice's obsession with fashion. I was practically dying to see Edward, to see if he was alright. I began to panic a little inside, and my makeup began to sweat a little in the heat of the car.

"Bella!" Alice screamed, when she noticed my face. With vampire-fast reflexives, she cranked the air into super cool, and hurriedly but gingerly patted my face to her standard of perfection.

I sighed. "Sorry, Alice," I felt guilty for sweating out her work, no matter how much I hated it.

She shook her head, as if it was inevitable that I would somehow manage to almost destroy her masterpiece. "It's perfectly alright, Bella." She turned another of their expensive cars, and with a slight purr, began driving away from the beautiful white, airy mansion, and down a tree-covered road towards wherever Edward may be.