Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of it's characters. They belong solely to Stephenie Meyer, though I'd love to have my own Bella.

Alice immediately pulled me inside, leaving a shocked Rosalie and Angela standing at a door slamming in their faces.

"Alice that wasn't very nice."

"You just brought…how could you…how could you have the nerve to…Isabella!"

Okay, that was pushing the limit. No one, and I mean no one, called me Isabella. Yes, it was my given name but it sounded so old that I refused to use it.

"Alice look, it was either I went and talked to her and brought her back…or watch you suffer in complete and pure misery this year at school. I chose the first and I'm sorry you find that so wrong but…"

"Bella I…" Alice was at a loss for words. She didn't look angry so much as she looked…nervous? Wait, Alice was nervous and that's why she had that reaction? Well if I would have known she'd be nervous like this I might have called to tell her first.

"Come on, give her a chance to talk to you. It'll be fine. And if you need an interruption just give me some sort of signal. I'm going to help your mom and Rosalie finish getting the decorations in place before everyone gets here."

Alice simply stared at me. Now was the time that I couldn't read the expression on her face. I was forcing her into the situation and I knew that sometimes that wasn't for the best, but this time…it was. Rosalie had already opened the door back up and was in the kitchen with Esme. Angela was still standing shyly in front of the open door. I nudged Alice a little to get her to invite Angela in.

"Um, hi…Ang. Come…come in." Alice was definitely nervous. Why she would be? Oh, I knew why. It was the same reason that I was nervous to talk to Edward later, which I knew would happen. First he'd blame me for this big deal of a party his parents were throwing, then he'd do something weird, and then things would go back to normal between the two of us. Or well, that's how it usually worked out anyway, but I was nervous for part one of the entire thing.

I gave Alice and Angela some space. I knew Alice would need it, and having someone else around when you're about to talk to your crush isn't all that comfortable. I mean, okay I didn't really have a crush on Edward when I lived in Phoenix with my mom, but I got nervous if she ever came in while I was on the phone with hi…oh my gosh I did have a crush on him before I got back! Now what was I going to do when he talk…

"Bella."

Oh no, that was…he was…and I was…and, oh crap. I turned around and tried my best to manage at least a small smile. Wait, was that a smile that I just gave him. Why wasn't I saying anything. You know 'hi Edward I didn't hear you come in' or 'oh hey Edward'. Nothing. I was a mute.

"Um…Bella is everything okay?"

He was asking me if everything was okay. Oh sure, great, yea it's fine, I'm fine. "Yea, hi. Sorry I didn't know you'd be back before this whole…well…surprise?"

"It's fine I knew my mom was planning something. Though I didn't really expect you to be behind it too. Very unlike you Bells."

Wait, what did he just…"You, you haven't called me that since we were little. And that was only when you wanted to taunt me. What's going…"

"I'm not going to taunt you, or tease you. We were little, like you said. I kind of, well, last night I wanted to talk but I knew you'd be too worried about Alice so I decided against it. It's just…well…Bella, what I'm trying to say…"

Great, now Edward was nervous, and it was making me nervous that he was nervous, and Alice was in the other room and really nervous talking to Angela, and Angela was probably nervous too. What had I come home to? Wait, Edward was talking to me and I was totally zoning out…

"Did you just hear anything I said?"

"Sorry, Edward, I just…"

"You sort of went completely Bella on me?"

I shoved him hard in the shoulder. He only laughed though and took my hand in his. Wait, he…my hand was starting to feel kind of clammy, and I knew that I was starting to go flush.

"Bella, since my parents are making a huge deal of this party, will you be my escort when they announce me to the room full of people? I know that, being the center of attention isn't really your thing, but…it's not mine either and I thought, maybe if I had someone with me, it wouldn't be so bad?"

"Yea, sure, I mean…yes."

Great, what had I just done? I said yes to escorting Edward into the middle of a room full of people when his parents announced that it was his birthday.

"One more thing, if I might?"

I felt my nerves growing stronger by the second. "Sure, anything…"

"Bella…beautiful, sensible, extremely bright Bella…" oh great, what was this? "Bella I started liking you about two summers ago, well, not just as a friend but more like…well I started noticing you. I would do just about anything if maybe you and I could perhaps, well, go out some time? Maybe we could see a movie, or go to dinner…or get coffee?"

Wait, hold on, Edward was asking me out? And it wasn't a confident 'will you go out with me' it was a shy, awkward, but very cute way of asking me to go out. I'm not a hopeless romantic but this was, okay maybe I was turning into one?

"Edward you…and I…and…" oh God, I was starting to feel kind of dizzy. Wait, no, not just dizzy I was actually hyperventilating. Why on earth was I doing that?

"Bella, Bells…sit down." Edward had guided me to a chair at the table in the kitchen. "It's fine if you don't want to, I just thought that maybe you and I could hang out…"

Edward looked disappointed, but here I was, trying to control my breathing. I was being completely swooned by someone I'd known my entire life, and yet I was freaking out as if he were the hottest boy in school and he just ditched all the other, prettier girls, for me. Wait, he did kind of do that, and he was pretty hot. Oh…my…I had to put my head between my legs just to not look at him. I felt him let go of my hand but I reached out to grab it back. I wanted to go out with him. I wanted to know what it was like to be cared about by someone other than one of my parents…

"Edward wait. Don't go…"

He kneeled down in front of me and took my hand back. I had to get some courage in me right? Okay, maybe it wouldn't be a lot, but, something at least.

"I want…I want to go out with you. Sorry, I just got really, extremely, undoubtedly nervous. That's never happened before." I finally looked up to see him looking directly back into my eyes. "Yes."

Right then, we heard a squeal of delight coming from the other room. It was from Alice. Well, something must have gone right because she came bounding in, Angela in tow, to see me sitting in the chair with Edward still kneeling in front of me.

"Angela and I are going to go on a date. Well, or try to go on one anyway. Bella, are you okay?"

Oh great, I was going to go on a date with her brother, I looked like hell just washed over me, and she was my best friend. I was going on a date with my best friend's brother…and…the panic in me started to rise again and I had to look away from Alice.

"Bella…" She and Angela both came around the other side of the chair to look at me.

"Edward and I…are…"

"Well we're going to be doing that too little sis."

Another squeal of delight came from Alice. Wait, what did she know that I didn't?

"You finally got the guts to ask her Edward? I'm shocked, really. I thought it would wait until after Christmas break really…"

"Very funny Alice." Edward looked down at me and lifted my face in his cupped hands "Maybe you'd like a few minutes to talk to one of these girls here?"

I nodded, but I grabbed Angela's hand and looked up at her. I needed to talk to another girl, but, Alice was Edward's sister and that would just be weird right? Alice took the hint though and pulled Edward out of the room to leave Angela and I to talk. This time, she was all the support I could use!