Chapter Four

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine. Just Edward. Kidding, not even him. :'(

Author's Note: This chapter is dedicated to Jessica Schweizer, because she asked. Also… TURKEYS! And Schweizer is a turkey, so it works. Just kidding! ;)

Oh, I was going to hold this chapter until I have #5 written, but I was compelled to post it early. Consider it a belated Thanksgiving present.

Bella's Point of View:

One day later…

I checked the oven in my apartment. Yup. The turkey was coming along just fine.

The phone rang. I set my oven mitt down and ran to get it before the answering machine picked up.

"Hello?"

"Bella!" said an outraged voice. Uh oh. I was definitely in trouble. "You didn't call me!"

I remembered now. I was supposed to call the pixie and let her know how the interview went. Oops.

"Why didn't you call me? How did it go? Did you wear the shoes? Were people nice there? Did they-"

"Alice!" I interrupted her. "One question at a time! Okay? I didn't call you because I forgot. The interview went fine I think. Angela was very nice. I didn't wear the shoes becau-"

"Bella? You didn't wear the shoes? Don't you love me?"

I could just picture her face right now. By the sound of her voice, she was probably doing her 'My puppy just got run over' look.

"Of course I love you Alice. But I slept late and I didn't want to kill myself running to work…"

"Oh my god. You overslept? How late were you? What did you say? What'd they sa.."

"Alice!"

"Sorry."

Stupid hyperactive pixie. She had a tendency to get over-excited.

"It's fine. I took a taxi and I was eight minutes late. Like I said, the boss, Angela, was very nice. She was cool about it. And then we left."

I edited out the part about Edward. Give Alice something to work with and she'd never let it go. Especially when it came to guys.

Unfortunately, she picked up on it. I had never been good at lying, or 'editing' the truth for that matter.

"Bellaaaa…" she drawled out. "You're not hiding anything from me are you?"

There really was no use denying it.

"Okay, there might have been this guy…"

Alice squealed into the phone, and I was forced to hold it away from my head.

"Okay, ow. I used to have an ear."

"I knew it. I knew it! Oh my god Bella is he hot? I bet he's hot! What did he look like? What did he say to you? Did you sa…"

Again with the 20 questions.

"Alice, calm down! Breathe with me! In… Out… In… Out… Okay?

"Yeah yeah. Now spill before I have to hurt you! That's not an empty threat!"

"Yes, he's hot. He's effin' gorgeous! But that's all that attracts me to him. He's an insensitive jerk. Plus, he's taken."

I tried to sound nonchalant. I didn't want Alice to know how hot and bothered I really was.

"It doesn't matter Alice. You know why I don't date."

"Bella." She whispered sadly. "That was years ago. It's time to get over it. Live a little!"

"Well now, let's look at your example. You go through two new guys every week and you still haven't found a decent guy!"

"They're all decent Bella; they're just not the one! I told you. When I find the right guy, I'll know. There's just no use wasting time on anyone who's not my soulmate."

I snorted. I hated when she got all dreamy and 'love is so wonderful, lalala.'

Whatever.

"Well, I'm not your soulmate, and you waste time on me. Or maybe you're not telling me something?"

"You know what I meant!"

Alice was convinced that one day her Prince Charming would come along and sweep her off her feet. Then they'd get married and have two-and-a-half kids and live happily ever after, just like in a pretty little fairytale.

Well, fairytales can kiss my ass.

"Whatever Alice." She knew my feelings on her 'plan'.

"Be a skeptic Bella. But you'll see. Mark my words."

I rolled my eyes. Alice was such a character. She was my best friend. We were closer than sisters.

She was also an orphan. But when I transferred to grade school from Washington, she had been the only one to make me feel welcome, and we'd been friends ever since. She was so outgoing, and you couldn't help but like her, or get caught up in her eternal energy.

"So what time are you picking me up again?"

It was Thanksgiving, and the whole family was meeting at my mom's house. Alice, having no family of her own, had become an integral part of ours early on. Alice had the car, so she usually drove me everywhere.

"Soon."

~ - ~

True to her word, about 20 minutes later, she pulled up. I came out with the turkey, being very careful and concentrating very hard. I didn't want to trip and drop it.

Of course, that also meant I was walking very slow. Alice honked at me, impatient, and I stuck my tongue out at her.

When I got closer, she reached back and opened the door for me.

"You and turkey boy are in back."

I complied.

Alice had an ostentatious yellow Porsche. I wasn't that car savvy, but I did know that it was expensive.

Alice had really made a name for herself, despite her humble beginnings. She had her own fashion line. I wasn't sure exactly how rich she was, but I had seen the price tags on some of her dresses. At an average of a thousand dollars each, I would guess she was rolling in money. But she never bragged about it. I guess she just liked nice things.

"So you got stuck making the turkey again, huh?"

"Yeah." I was pretty much the only person in my family that could cook, so they trusted me with the turkey. I had no idea where I got my culinary prowess.

Certainly not from Charlie.

We chatted about nothing for the rest of the way. Thankfully, Alice avoided the Edward topic.

After about 15 minutes, we got to the house my mom shared with her new husband, Phil.

My parents had gotten divorced when I was 9, and my dad had died about 5 years ago. I didn't miss him, and I felt guilty about that. I wasn't heartless, in my defense, I didn't really know him. When Renee and Charlie got divorced I came here to live with my mom. We used to live in a rainy little town in Washington. I didn't remember hardly anything of that time. Sometimes I felt sad about it, because he was gone without my remembrance. I'd never get the chance to get to know him. But other than that , I felt nothing.

I was startled from my reverie by a giant bear hug.

"Bella!"

"Well I', glad someone's happy to see me."

"No, not you. I'm glad to see the turkey. I'm starving!"

I laughed. "You're always starving."

I looked up at my big brother, Emmett.

"You get bigger every time I see you."

It was true. Emmett was all muscle. It would frighten me if I didn't know what was beneath it all. Inside, he was a funny, cuddly, and slightly crude teddy bear.

"Bella." came a soft voice.

"Hi mom."

She wrapped me into a hug, which I returned. Then she realized we were still standing on her porch.

"Oh come in, come in. It's cold. Alice dear, how are you…"

I walked into the house. There where about 15 people already there. I recognized a few people, but I figured most of the unfamiliar faces were Phil's family. Speaking of which…

"Hi Phil."

I waved shyly at my step-dad. I didn't really know him that well either.

"Hey Bella."

He pulled me into a kind of half hug, but it felt awkward and he let go.

I made my way over to the kitchen and put the turkey in the oven to keep it warm.

Then I returned to the living room. There were people of all ages. Most of the family was Phil's, but I saw a couple of my cousins, and my aunts.

Then I saw one face that made me freeze.

He saw me too, and made his way over to me.

"Hey Bella."

Author's Note: Oh snap! Who did she see?

vfireflies: I know! I know!

Reviewers: Of course you know! You're the author! Besides, no one asked you.

vfireflies: Yes… you asked me who she saw…

Reviewers: It was a rhetorical question, stupid!

vfireflies: Meep. Really?

Reviewers: Duh! And you call yourself an author.

vfireflies: Actually, no I…

Reviewers: Shut up! Incidentally, why are you having a conversation with yourself?

vfireflies: idk. My bff Jill?