Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns the characters and I certain plot points, I just own the manipulations.
A/N: Gotta give it up to my be-yotch SendMeAnEdward. Also, need to thank GoldenMeadow for all the support she sends my way and for being my inspiration behind the 'stache scene. Go read her shit. She gives good smut. You are so win, bb.
Thanks for all of you who added this to your story alerts and favorite stories and/or reviewed. It's nice to get feedback. You are so appreciated.
Usual Pairings, AH/AU, probably OOC, Mature
This week's rec's:
You Get Me Closer To God by Americnxidiot- it is completed, and its good. Read anything she writes.
Deconstructing Dracula by hmonster4
Chapter 3- The Gangs All Here
Singing Hail, Hail, the Gangs All Here.
Leave your worries at the door boy, they're not going anywhere
Hail, hail the gang's all here
When the going gets tough, I know my friends will still be there
Well you're walking down the road and the wind is in your face
You're down and out and the unemployment line's a mile long
The money in your pocket may not get you through the day
But cheer up son I know a place where mugs like us belong
- The Gangs All Here, The Dropkick Murphys
~//~
Making my way carefully down the path, it took me most of an hour to reach the meadow. I stood at the edge of the forest for a moment, taking it all in. It was as beautiful in the moonlight as it was in the daytime. When was the last time I was here and was he with me or was I alone? At that moment I honestly couldn't remember, but I knew it had been a long time.
We used to spend hours together here. I still remember the first time I was here, when he shared the meadow with me… I stopped the memory before I could be lost in it. I wasn't quite ready to delve into that memory just yet; it would drown me.
~//~
Five Years Earlier
I awoke the morning after my shopping trip with Alice amidst a mess of shopping bags. At some point during my tossing and turning I had even managed to get a few bags tangled around my flailing arms. I was lucky that I didn't asphyxiate myself in my sleep. I groaned and looked at the clock, 9:00 am, just as my phone beeped from… somewhere.
Shit! I had to be at Alice's in an hour and I still needed to shower and eat and locate my bathing suit. Did I bring my bathing suit? When I left Phoenix, I had left behind a bunch of clothes that I deemed unsuitable for life in Forks and I was pretty sure that the bathing suit stayed. I would have to worry about it later. Right now I needed to locate my phone.
Without the damn thing I wouldn't be able get directions to her house and I couldn't just show up since I didn't know where she lived and I wouldn't be able let her know I wouldn't be coming cause I couldn't call her... I needed to stop; I was going in circles and getting no where.
I started to frantically search my room for my phone. Please beep again. Come on, beep! Just as I started dumping the contents of my shopping bags into a big pile in the center of my room I heard a loud beep emanating from somewhere on my bed.
I looked at the clock again, 9:05. Had it really been only five minutes? I dismissed the thought, pounced on my bed and starting throwing things off. Quilt- tossed towards the chair in the corner. My Little Pony comforter- thrown in the direction of the closet. Pillows- one hit the door, the other hit the wall next to the bookshelf. Thud! Hmmm? What the…
I rushed over to the pillow that was now laying on the floor by my bookshelf and shoved my hand inside the case and felt around. I wrapped my hand around a thin rectangular shape and prayed. 'Please don't be broken. 'Please, please, please work. I promise I will never drop you again.' Lie. The screen was blank when I pulled it out and I held my breath as I pushed the 'lock' button on the side to wake it up.
To my relief it turned on revealing I had three new… beep… four new texts. I hit the 'lock' button again to unlock it and then pressed the prompt on the screen that would open up my messages as I went into the bathroom. I turned the water on and while I waited for it to warm up I read through, oldest to newest, and replied to my texts, all from Alice.
I didn't bother grabbing any clothes or my robe to take with me into the bathroom. Charlie wasn't home and I was in a hurry.
B-
Don't forget, my house 10:00.
-A
B-
R U awake? You didn't reply.
Don't make me come over there.
Wakey, wakey Sleeping Bella!
- A
B-
Ok. U R awake but what does Cu rr8 b00b
Mean?
- A
I quickly scrolled to my sent messages to see what she was talking about and sure enough there it was-
A-
Cu rr8 b00b
- B
I checked the water, hot, and quickly scrolled back to Alice's last message as I undressed.
B-
Better b n shower. Wear the blue
bathing suit in the Victoria's Secret
Bag.
- A
Bathing suit? Victoria's Secret? I know I did not buy a bathing suit yesterday and I most certainly did not buy anything from Victoria's Secret. "Alice!" I said her name like an expletive. We had already had this conversation, just yesterday in fact.
As I was about to step into the shower, my phone beeped again alerting me of a new text. I tapped 'Read It Now' and the message appeared on the screen.
B-
Looked thru ur suitcase when u were n shower
yesterday & noticed u had no suit. It was ½ off
U can $ me l8r if u must. Just wear it.
- A
I quickly replied and jumped into the shower.
A-
Fine. But I am $ing u back. Text directions.
- B
I washed and conditioned my hair with the new strawberry scented products that Alice and I had picked out and then used the freesia body wash that I found at some boutique that she drug me to in downtown Port Angeles. I shaved every surface of my body and only cut myself three times. Not bad for how quickly I went, but I was going to have to consider Alice's offer to giver me her aestheticians number.
Waxing might be painful, but at least there is no blood or risk of scarring.
I turned the water off, stepped out and wrapped myself in a towel before hurrying across the hall to my room. I closed the door behind and me and then leaned back against it and stared at the mound of yesterdays purchases that that I had dumped on the floor. I looked at the clock, 9:35 am.
Rather than search aimlessly for a bikini in a pile of clothes and empty bags, I decided that the fastest method to locate the bathing suit would be to locate the Victoria's Secret bag and hope that it wasn't one of the many whose contents were now gracing my floor.
I found the pink striped bag almost immediately on the far side of the bed. That it was shoved halfway underneath the bed is the only thing that saved it from joining the pile. I took the bottom of the bag in both hands and turned it over spilling across my bed several pink tissue paper wrapped packages, a pair of white Bermuda shorts, a midnight blue halter top, and a white terry cloth something.
I could only assume that Alice had picked these clothes out for me to wear today because they were my size. Alice strikes again. 9:40 am. Fuck. Any other day I would find something else to wear, but time was in short supply and I was in a hurry. Alice was going to get her way.
I grabbed one of the pink clad items and examined it. I saw that the tissue paper had just been wrapped around the item and then the loose end secured with tape so I grabbed the loose end, pulled the tape free and let the item unroll itself.
I repeated the action until all of the items had been removed from their pink covers before standing back to get a census of the items Alice was trying to force on me. Three matched bra and panty sets, two pajama sets and what looked like a few scraps of midnight blue fabric that were held together with long pieces of string made from the same fabric. I picked it up delicately and examined it with my all scrunched up.
This was the bikini that Alice picked out for me! It looked like a prehistoric slingshot made from Lycra. I couldn't wear something like this. I mean I guess it was cute, in a Girls Next Door sort of way, but I wasn't the Playmate type and I certainly didn't have the body for it. I didn't really have any other options and I was out of time so I sucked it up and slipped it on making sure to double knot it before tying each of the four bows.
I could do this, I could wear this. It's not like we were going to be at a public pool or beach. We would be in Alice's backyard. I took a moment and looked in the full length mirror on the wall making sure that all of my bits and pieces were covered. I looked at myself from several different angles and was shocked at how flattering the style actually was on me. I looked okay. No, I looked pretty fuckin' good. I was still plain, boring Bella but the fit gave me the appearance of having more curves than really I did.
Glancing at the clock again, 9:50 am. I quickly slipped on the bermudas and the top that Alice picked out and topped it all off with what ended up being a white terry cloth swim cover-up since it was still early and more than likely a little chilly outside. The cover-up was actually pretty cute. It fell just past mid thigh on me, had cap sleeves, a zipper down the front and a draw string at the empire waist. I tied the drawstring but left it unzipped so that the bottom half fanned around me.
I grabbed a book that I had started reading recently, my sunblock and change of clothes since I didn't know how late I would be there and didn't exactly relish wearing a wet bathing suit all day. I shoved it all into a beach tote, slipped on my navy chucks and I was ready to roll. As I walked to my truck I checked the time again, 9:55 am, and called Charlie at the station to let him know my plans. I was going to be late getting to Alice's, but hopefully not by much. Surely nothing in Forks was more than ten minutes away.
~//~
I was wrong… again.
It took me forever to find the turnoff for the Cullen's house. The drive was so well hidden between two enormous ivy smothered hemlocks that I drove past it four times finally catching the break in the trees out of the corner of my eye.
The well worn gravel road seemed to go on forever and the dense trees bordering it made it look as if the forest was going to swallow it up. I drove along the winding road for nearly three miles before the trees started to thin out and then finally recede.
The road began a gentle incline as it left the forest and the view when it finally crested the shallow hill a half mile later was as unexpected as it was breathtaking. Surrounded on all sides by the Olympic National Forest was a grassy valley somewhat rectangular in shape.
The driveway continued on for a ways and then looped back onto itself in front of a sprawling, white, three story house with a covered wrap-around porch situated in one corner. To the left of the house, attached by a covered walkway was a large multi-bay garage and to the right was a wide creek that arched out of the forest, angled towards the house before turning sharply away and meandering across the valley.
It was overwhelming and too much for me to take in. I didn't belong here. Had it not been for Alice bouncing in anticipation as she waited for me on the front porch steps, I would have followed the driveway as it looped around and sent you back out the way you came. I swear she is always bouncing.
It was 10:30 by the time I parked my truck in front of the farthest bay of the garage as Alice indicated and got out. She bounded up to me and threw her arms around me in greeting. I giggled at her exuberance and shyly hugged her back.
"You're finally here!" She squealed. "It took you long enough. What did you do, get lost!"
I blushed slightly and shifted my eyes to the ground at my feet. Alice didn't say anything at my silent confirmation, but I had a feeling she would be teasing me about it later. "Wow. This is, uh… some house, Alice. It makes my house look like a shoebox."
Alice grasped my hand and pulled me behind her towards the house brushing my comment off. "Eh, it keeps the rain off our heads. Come on. Everybody's inside in the game room. They are really excited to meet you."
I hit the skids. "What? Wait! Who's everybody, Alice?" I looked at the front of the house, clearly panicked.
"Easy, Bells. Relax. The whites of your eyes are showing. It's just my brothers and my parents, who live here, by the way, so you were going to have to meet them sooner or later… and-Jazz-and-Rose." Alice said the last part under her breath.
I thought I saw a curtain move in one of the downstairs windows but I couldn't be sure as the sun glinting off the window blurred my vision with a flash of… bronze? Why did that seem familiar? My distraction caused me to miss the last thing she had said. "What was that Alice?"
"I said that it's just my parents and my two…"
"The last part."
"Oh, I just said JazzandRosewerealsohere." She had my full attention but said it too fast for me to comprehend.
"What?"
"Jazz and Rose are here also." Panic. What was this the Spanish fucking Inquisition I was walking?
"I thought Rose was…"
"Her mom let her out of the house early. She's pretty persuasive." If the knowing look and smirk on her face weren't enough for me to get the implication, then the wink at the end would have done the job.
"So even her mother can't tolerate her bitchiness?" Alice started chuckling at my comment.
"I'm not bitchy, I'm persuasive," said a low and seductively feminine voice behind me; her tone was sharp enough to cut steel. I froze instantly, a look of horror on my face. Oh, fuck! Cringing internally, I turned around to face Rosalie Hale. "I persuaded Mommy Dearest to let me out of the house and in exchange I wouldn't tell my father that she has been fucking the gardener."
Fully facing her now, I lifted my eyes from the ground and… the only explanation I have for the words t that came out of my mouth next is that I was completely dumbfounded by the girl, nee woman standing in front of me in all her glory. Alice was gorgeous, but Rosalie was stunning; Alice was a pixie, a sprite while Rosalie was a goddess, an amazon… a glamazon? My mouth was hanging open as I gaped at her daftly.
It couldn't have been more than five seconds that I stood there like that; just long enough for Alice to move out from behind me to stand at beside her friend. Aside from the fact they were easily the most beautiful people I had ever see, Alice and Rosalie were as different as night and day. Side by side they presented a study in contrasts. Tiny, dark haired Alice was a ball of energy whose friendliness bowled you over vs. tall, golden haired Rosalie who was cool, collected, aloof and had an air of haughtiness around her that made you keep your distance.
My body snapped out of the it's daze a few seconds before my brain did, but it was enough time to allow me to blurt out, "Wouldn't that be blackmail then?" Fire flashed through Rosalie's eyes and her jaw tensed. Sweet baby Jesus, please tell me that that did not just come out of my mouth. Where was my filter? Five seconds into our acquaintance and I am insulting her.
It wasn't so much what Rosalie said to me, as it was how she said it that left my emotions all jumbled. I sound like a shrew yelling at her husband. Next thing I know I am going to be saying, 'If you don't know why I am mad at you, I am not going to tell you.' She looked right past me, shrugged her shoulders and said, "Po-tay-toh, Pa-tah-toh."
She then crossed her arms across her chest and promptly turned her attention to Alice; no longer acknowledging my presence. I had just been summarily dismissed by Her Royal Bitchiness. I stood there awkwardly, fidgeting and shifting my weight back and forth, probably too often, while they had a brief conversation that Rose made it clear I was not a part of. Alice kept shooting me slightly amused, sympathetic smiles to keep me from feeling as uncomfortable and unwelcome as her friend was determined to make me feel.
The longer I stood there the frostier the temperature seemed to get as Rose progressed from ignoring me to looking at me with open hostility every time Alice turned to smile at me. Up to this point Alice hadn't seemed to be bothered by her friends' behavior, but her concern and confusion were becoming obvious as she shifted her gaze between Rosalie and myself.
I continued fidgeting and shifting my weight but as I became more disconcerted and started seriously contemplating running to my truck and just going home, I began bouncing ever so slightly on the balls of my feet. This ridiculous behavior of mine couldn't have gone on for more than a minute before the wrath of an annoyed and pissed off Rosalie was visited upon me.
She turned to me in a huff, her blue eyes even more piercing as she narrowed them on me, and spat, "Jesus Christ! What the fuck is your problem? Do you have to take a piss or something? For fucks sake! How old are you, five? Just fucking ask where the bathroom is or stand the fuck still!"
I blanched and, to my embarrassment, tears began to pool in my eyes while Rose continued to glare at me, her expression murderous. This seemed to be going well.
"What the fuck is your problem, Rose? What the fuck was that?" Alice didn't bother giving Rose a chance to answer. "That was un-fucking-acceptable, is what that was. I can't… fuck. I am at a complete loss here. I think you owe Bella and apology, now." The blond scoffed and then snorted as she shook her head in disbelief.
"You can apologize or you can go home, Rose." Alice paused and looked at Rose menacingly. Rose looked back and forth between Alice and me in disbelief while I did the same thing only looking between her and Alice. "It's up to yo…"
This confrontation was going nowhere good, I had to say something. I could live without friends, but I couldn't afford to have enemies. Especially enemies like Rosalie. Taking measured breaths as I fought to keep my voice from cracking, I spoke up.
"Really, it's okay. I think I am just going to head home, Alice." My head down avoiding eye contact, I wouldn't let that bitch see me cry, as I carefully, I wouldn't let her see me stumble either, started to make my way towards my truck. "I have a ton of stuff I need to do anyways. I'll-uh… um, I will call you later."
Alice grabbed my wrist as I started to move past her, preventing me from escaping. Someone had their Wheaties for breakfast today. "No, Bella. You are my guest and everyone is really looking forward to meeting you. Come…" she glared at Rose "…with me."
Pulling me behind her, Alice started to walk us toward the front steps. As we stepped onto the porch, she looked over her left shoulder at Rose and said, "When you decide you can play nice, why don't you join us inside."
Alice never faltered as Rose stormed off towards the garage, muttering loudly, she just continued hauling me across the front porch and to the front door. I braced myself to be confronted by a swarm of people as she opened the front door and pulled me across the threshold. I looked around with confusion, warily, when the door shut behind us and we were met with silence.
I barely had a chance to register that we were alone or take in my surroundings before Alice had her arms around me in a hug. "I am so sorry, Bella. You must have thought I was throwing you to the wolves. I don't know what's come over, Rose. She has honestly never acted like that before."
Alice paused for a moment as she pulled away to look at me only to pull me back in to her for another hug. Releasing me with a firm squeeze, she grabbed my hand and started to pull me further into the house. As we exited the large entryway I came to an abrupt halt and gaped. The house looked like something out of some magazine with a name like Upscale Living or Fine Homes.
The floors were a stunningly rich espresso brown marble with veins of gold running through it and the walls were a shade lighter with crown molding in a deep burnished gold. To our left was passed a grand staircase with an ornate wrought iron handrail capped in dark wood that lazily spiraled up and overlooked the formal cream on cream sitting room to our right.
Pulling me a little further, the hallway came to a 'T' directly in front of the dining room. We paused here and Alice morphed into an airline stewardess as she quickly pointed out where everything was. "If you go straight to the door at the end of the hallway it will take you to the laundry room and another door that leads to the covered walkway to the garage.
"The door on the left side of that hall goes into my father's study/library. The entryway to the right goes into the kitchen which can also be accessed through the dining room. Come with me."
She pulled me down the hall to the right. "The den" she said as we passed an entry on our left side. At the end of the hall were two flights of stairs one going up and one going down. Alice pointed at the set going down. "Down goes to the game room and the wine cellar." She pointed at the other set of stairs. "We hardly ever use the main staircase. We usually use these."
She pointed at the door on the right side of the hall before the stairs. "Bathroom."
"Alice, I don't need to go to the bathroom, I was just nervous and fidgeting and couldn't seem to keep still…"
She smirked at me and then laughed. "I thought you might need a moment before we go downstairs to meet everyone."
~//~
Gratitude.
Eternal adoration.
God, or whomever, bless Alice. I didn't know what to say so I just mumbled a hasty 'Thank you' and blushed as I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. I leaned against the door for a moment and took a deep, and hopefully calming, it wasn't, breath before moving to the sink. I continued taking the deep breaths that I had learned when Renee decided to try yoga a couple years ago as I peered at the mousy girl in the mirror.
I couldn't do much about my looks or my still flushed, and certain to be even more flushed once I got to the game room, facebut at least you couldn't tell that I had been on the verge of crying. My eyes looked a little glossy but that could easily pass for excitement. The deep breathing was starting to help a bit but I was still not ready to leave my sanctuary.
To buy some time I turned on the cold water and splashed a little on my overheated cheeks. I could hear Alice pacing on the other side of the door over the sound of the running water. I was positive she was trying to let me have as much time as I needed get myself together, but it sounded like her impatience was starting to get the best of her and she did say her parents were leaving soon.
My reprieve was up. I turned off the water, wiped my hands on the underside of the frilly hand towel next to the sink trying not to muss it and, steeling my nerves, opened the door and stepped into the hall hopefully prepared for the upcoming meet and greet.
Alice smiled and tried to project enough enthusiasm for both of as she asked, way too cheerfully, "Ready?" No.
I wasn't, but knowing how much it meant to her, I would do it. After all my years of keeping my distance, and despite the fact that my time in Forks with these people was limited, I was somewhat surprised to realize how badly I too wanted this friendship. I guess I was doing this for me as well as Alice.
I plastered a smile on my face and nodded my head not trusting that my voice wouldn't betray my nervousness. She looked at me shrewdly with narrowed eyes so I grabbed her hand and, hoping to urge her forward before my one remaining nerve gave out, in about five seconds, said, "Lead the way."
Any effort I put into trying to sound nonchalant and blasé was wasted when it came out as a squeak. Alice looked like she was about to pull the plug on the whole thing and, as much as I wanted that to happen, I wanted her friendship more, so I shrugged my shoulders and gestured for her to start steppin'. She looked up at me, questioning, 'Are you sure?' I nodded, 'Yes.' She shrugged, 'Fine. If you say so.'
Silent conversation over, she grabbed my hand and lead me down the dimly lit stairs. As we descended I could detect the glow of a lamp coming from somewhere to the left of the stair landing. The odd orange light it cast made the irrational thought that I was descending to the fiery pits of hell pop into my mind. I choked back the maniacal laughter prompted by the unbidden thought and focused instead on not falling.
As we reached the bottom of the stairs I took another deep breath and prayed to God and Allah and Buddha and Krishna and whoever else would listen to please not let me screw this up. With one final step and a firm squeeze of my hand from Alice, we cleared the landing and stepped into the game room.
Aside from the four pairs of eyes that snapped to us in one motion, all movement ceased and the room went quiet. The silence was so profound that I was certain my pounding heartbeat was surely audible to all present and my cheeks flamed. I barely lifted my eyes and looked around the room. To the right on a couch sat the friendly looking faces of a man and a woman who were clearly Alice's parents. They were both very attractive, but appeared to be much younger than I had imagined.
At the pool table in the middle of the room were two boys. The one closest to me with the blond hair I recognized from the pictures Alice had shown me yesterday to be Rosalie's brother, Jasper. I had to look up a bit more to see the other boy as he was farther away as well as taller than Jasper. My eyes quickly swept up his form, damn was he built, I wondered which brother this was?
I slowed down as I got to his face, starting with his chin I worked my way upwards. I was really hoping that this wasn't Emmett. His mouth, lifted at the moment in a goofy grin, looked soft. The dimples on either side were... well, let's just say that to call his dimples very attractive would be an understatement, they were so, so hot. I finally came to his bluer than they had a right to be eyes and… gasped!
~//~
Jesus, Mary and Joseph and God, Buddha, Allah and Krishna too, for that matter, fuck me! What the fuck kind of karma is this? I have been a good person, a decent person and this is what I get. Holy fucking hell! Hell… ha, ha, ha! Shit. Alice's brother is the hottie with the 'fuck me' dimples from the airport… the one that has starred in more than one of my naughty dreams. My face was positively aflame at this point.
Just when I thought it couldn't get any redder, it did as Alice's unnamed, blue eyed brother lifted the hand holding his pool cue and gave the kind of awkward wave that I would expect to see from a chubby fisted two year old but not a grown man. At least I hoped he was full grown cause…. Day-um!
All eyes went from me to him and then back to me with speculation before Alice's face wrinkled up and she blurted out the obvious, "You guys have already met."
I was certain it was an accusation but was unsure if she was making it through a question or a statement. My gaze swept over every face in the room frantically, 'Help! You know I need somebody. Help!' Really? This is where my mind goes. WTF is wrong with me?, before finally coming to rest on Alice. I looked like a fish as I opened and shut my mouth repeatedly, hoping each time words might come out instead of air.
Thank god the dimpled linebacker… Maybe tight-end? Not sure. Note to self: Check out heiney. No, don't check it out, he is off limits... came to my rescue. "Nope." He popped the 'p'. What is it with this family and popping their 'p's? His sister's brows wrinkled even more in confusion.
"I saw her almost land on her face as she was getting out of a plane at the Port Angeles Airfield on Wednesday. She caught me laughing at her." He chuckled at the memory and shook his head.
Alice turned her head to me seeking confirmation. She got it when I blushed further and resumed looking at the floor. Thankful that I had left my hair down today, I allowed it to fall forward shielding my face so that I could continue watching the scene unfolding in front of me. So this is what a happy normal family looks like. I felt like a sociologist or behavioralist.
"Emmett!" Alice and her mother both said in unison. Ah, Emmett. Damn. Shut up, Bella! Now he is even more off-limits. He's HRB's man and Ali's bro.
Mrs. Cullen gave her son one last look of admonishment, but it was too full of indulgence to be effective. "Gah! You act like you were raised by a pack of wolves." Not that it mattered since Emmett, goofy grin never wavering for a second, ignored it regardless.
Turning her attention to me she rolled her eyes said, "I swear that he was taught manners." She stepped towards me and pulled me in for a hug, Touchy, feely family aren't they?, which I returned awkwardly. She released me and stepped back. "It's nice to meet you, Bella. Alice has been talking about you non-stop, so it feels like I already know you."
It was Alice's turn to blush. "Mo-om!"
I laughed and inclined my head in acknowledgement of her comment and to allow my hair to once again hide my pink cheeks. "It's nice to meet you as well, Mrs. Cullen. Alice, at least, has done you justice. There's no denying she was raised well." And there wasn't.
"Call me Esme or Mom like everyone else does." Her smile was gentle and warm… Everything a mother's smile was supposed to be. I felt flicker of pain in my chest but forced myself to ignore it. "And this…" indicating the attractive blond man standing slightly behind and to her right, "…is Carlisle."
Carlisle stepped forward and gave me a hug as well. Awwwwkward! "Pleasure to meet you, Bella. It's always nice to meet a friend of Alice's. I see your dad on occasion at the hospital for work. Charlie's a hell of a guy. Good at his job too." My pink cheeks became red once again.
"Yeah, he's great." I agreed. "Nice to meet you too, Doc… er, Carlisle."
Alice took charge of the situation again. "You already met Em and that is Jasper playing pool with him." I waved after she pointed Jasper out. With her mouth was still open as if to speak, she paused and looked around. "Where's Edward?"
"He was upstairs when we came down here," Jasper said. "I thought you would have seen him on your way through."
Alice shook her head at him and then looked at me. "Oh, well. He is probably upstairs brooding about something. You'll just have to meet him later."
Carlisle clapped his hands together, breaking the silence, and chafing them said, "Well, kids… We gotta run, but have fun. Al, Em, we will be home tomorrow afternoon sometime. You know how to reach us if you need anything. Behave!" He emphasized both syllables and looked directly at Emmett before turning back to me.
"Bella, it was nice to meet you. Feel free to stay over tonight if you want or if it gets too late. We would hate to have something happen to you while driving home at night and there's plenty of room. Either way, don't be a stranger. We should have you and your dad over for dinner sometime" Esme nodded in agreement.
"I am sure Charlie would like that. Uh, thank you."
Esme gave both her children and Jasper a hug telling them she loved them and would see them tomorrow. She started to follow her husband up the stairs but paused as she passed me and took my hand in hers with a smile. Giving it a good squeeze she caught my eye and said simply, "Bella."
She didn't need to say anything more than that; it was all there in her eyes. I understand. I am sorry. If you need someone, I am here. I could feel the tears starting and tried to avert my eyes, but she was having none of it. She cupped my chin in her free hand and looked at me for a brief moment before pulling into a tight hug. I sobbed silently and she held me until my tears dried up and then, giving me a squeeze and a kiss on my temple, she released me and went back upstairs.
Her voice drifted behind her, "Have fun and be safe. We love you." This time, I felt included.
~//~
It was my guess that Alice had told Esme all the confessions I made to her yesterday, but I couldn't find it in me to be angry with her. I felt a little bit lighter and decided that I liked Esme. I wiped at my clumsily at eyes and then, remembering that I wasn't alone in the room, looked up in embarrassment. Alice, Jasper and Emmett, looking like the epitome of discretion, were huddled together by the pool table with their backs to me discussing something quietly while Emmett idly rolled the balls around in the rack.
I walked towards Alice and said, "Hey. What's up?"
They all turned to me with grins, but without any of the awkwardness I was expecting.
"I'm gonna run up and take the cover off of the pool." Emmett said to no one in particular as he started for the stairs. Alice caught his eye as he left and he nodded almost imperceptibly just before he disappeared.
We listened to his footsteps until they disappeared and plunged the room into quiet. Curious about their exchange, I looked at Alice and raised my eyebrows. I was actually trying to raise just one of them, but I still haven't mastered that skill. She smiled sweetly at me and then went back to gazing lovingly into Jaspers ignoring my question. Disgusting. And rude.
I couldn't handle the oppressive silence any longer. "Do you think Emmett needs help with the pool cover? Maybe I should, uh, I don't know give him a hand or something?" I scratched my head.
Alice cutely guffawed. Who looks cute when chortling like an ape with its mouth agape? Not me, but apparently Alice freaking Cullen does. I would hate her if she wasn't so damn nice. "Bell, I don't think you'd be much help with the cover. I think Emmett would end up being the one help… you… out of the pool."
I glared. Bitch thinks she's funny. Jasper was chuckling too, but I couldn't tell if it was at her words or at his girlfriend for laughing over such a ridiculously unfunny joke. Sounds like a case of sour grapes… She was really laughing now and the more I glared the harder she laughed. Of course, by the time I realized this I was laughing as well which served effectively to make me forget that I was supposed to be mad at her.
When the hysterics died down, Alice walked over to some built in storage cabinets and opened a few doors. She pulled things out of it, placing them in a pile at her feet. When she had found everything she wanted she closed up the doors, gathered them up and plopped the stack down on the pool table in front of jasper.
She batted her eyelashes at him. "Jazz, honey, will you please take these up to the pool and inflate them? You'll have to ask Em where the pump is since he was the last one to use it and never puts anything back."
He winked at me over her head and I smirked back startled by my sudden confidence. Jasper was every bit as insanely gorgeous as Alice had said he was, the pictures she showed me didn't do him justice, but he was so easy to be around that I wasn't my normal shy, blushing self.
"I don't know. What's in it for me, darlin'?" he drawled, his words heavy with innuendo.
Scratch that. Now, I was blushing. I detected a trace of a southern accent in his voice and it suddenly struck me that this was the first time Jasper had spoken since Alice and I had entered the room. Hot. Alice was right about his voice too.
Alice winked at me like, 'Watch this. Game, set, match.', but I turned away to give them some privacy. , when I heard Alice say, "I don't think you should be worrying about what's in for you, Jazz. You should be worrying about what's in me."
If she was going for seductive, she achieved it. Hell, I was considering jumping her if Jasper didn't. That wasn't going to be a problem though. Jasper gasped and then I heard some rustling followed by a soft moan, not sure who's, but I didn't stick around to find out. I just about choked on my own spit, and may have puked in my mouth a little as well. I quietly, and as discreetly as possible, fled up the stairs and wondered down the hallway.
I stood in the open area in front of the dining room where the halls joined up with my arms crossed over my chest wondering what to do while they were occupied, selfishly hoping that they would hurry the fuck up already. I hadn't been standing there long when I heard a slightly muffled, 'mmpff' behind me. I whirled around, almost falling with my gracefulness, to find Rosalie standing there, her pose almost mimicking mine. She sighed.
"Let me guess, those two are down there sucking face aren't they?"
Her jaw was tense and she still looked like she would rather be given a root canal sans novacaine, but her tone was less sharp than before. I just nodded in response, not wanting to risk pissing her off by talking. She sighed again and I braced myself for whatever she was about to say. I was stunned by what actually came out of her mouth. Stunned that it wasn't another verbal attack on me… directly.
"Well, I guess I'll go break up the two lovebirds. Can't have you just standing around doing nothing or you'll be wanting me to entertain you." She managed to get her last sentence out with only a trace of venom in her voice and then she walked down the hall to the stairs.
I heard her voice followed by Ali and Jaspers but I couldn't make out the words. I wasn't that interested in knowing though, so I didn't put too much effort into eavesdropping. Soon enough, they all came trudging up the stairs. First came Alice and Jasper, both looking slightly rumpled and grumpy at being caught or disturbed, it was hard to tell which, followed by Rose who looked absolutely delighted to have interrupted their tête-à-tête. Note to self: Rose is evil. As if I hadn't already determined that. Thanks Captain Obvious.
Alice's composure still seemed to be in tact though, so whatever Rose had interrupted couldn't have been too far along. Acting perfectly normal, and by normal I mean like a feminine Napoleon, they were the same height more or less, she started shouting out orders. Jasper, on the other hand, was standing there with his arms full of what looked like flotation devices and a beach ball looking a bit frustrated and glaring at his sister so maybe I was wrong.
"Rose and I are going to run upstairs and change. Bella go get your bag…" My cell phone beeped. "…check your phone and meet us in my room. Second floor, first door down on your right. Use the stairs by the bathroom. Jazz, find Em, get changed, find the pump, and get to the pool and inflate the floats."
We all stood there staring at little Stalin.
"Well move! I don't know why everybody is just standing around here? We don't have all day!" Alice cried.
"Actually, I believe we do, Alice."
"You believe we do have what, Rose?"
"All day."
You had to admire her bravery. Or be in awe of her stupidity. Steam came out of Alice's ears.
"M-O-V-E!"
For all of her talk, I noticed that Rosalie wasn't disobeying Alice's orders. The three of us snapped to and it turned into a veritable Three Stooges episode as Larry, Curly and I scrambled in three different direction- Jasper through the dining room and out to the pool, Rosalie turned and made her way up the stairs behind her and, at the same time, I moved towards the front door, let myself out and went to my truck.
~//~
Opening my truck door, I grabbed my bag and heard my phone beep again reminding me I had a text. I took it out of my pocket and was surprised to see that it was from… Charlie. For a man who thought that computers were way too complicated and believed that the information superhighway was some road outside of his jurisdiction, texting was a remarkable feat. Hell, owning a cell phone at all was a feat, until two years ago he made carry a walky-talky when I wasn't with him during our trips.
Following the prompts I opened and read it.
B-
Carlisle and Esme called. Said it was ok for
you to stay over. Let me know if you stay.
Fishing early tomorrow. Home late.
- Dad
I quickly replied.
Dad-
Copy that. Will do. Over and out.
- B
Bag in hand, I shut my truck's door and headed up to Alice's room on the second floor, knocking when I arrived at what I thought was the correct door. HRB opened it, the same bored expression from earlier on her face, wearing a sheer tunic that cinched in right under her bust, revealing her red string bikini. I lost a little more confidence seeing her, but I would never let her know that.
She stepped aside when she saw it was me, pointed to where I could only assume Alice was at and then closed the door behind us trapping in a room that was easily the size of the first floor of my house. I started to look around the room, but was immobilized by the sight in front of me.
With an entire back wall of glass the room was like a picture frame capturing the sweeping vista of white, blue and green that was the snowcapped Olympic Mountains as they sat like a cherry atop the almost black green of the encroaching forest. It was epic and all 'purple mountains majesty'-ish, which I don't really understand because I have never seen purple mountains and they were actually blue.
With HRB still next to me, WTF, were we having a moment?, we stood there, me gawking, her looking smug, until years of watching PBS due to not having cable came back to haunt me and the gloriously 'fro-ed Bob Ross's mellower than mellow yellow voice popped up in my head saying something about painting 'a happy little bush' over there, a 'happy little bird' up in the sky, and maybe adding 'a fluffy little cloud' too. Smoke much, Bob?
Almost simultaneously, we stepped away from the door and then away from each other as we headed in opposite directions. I walked towards to the open door in the center of the wall ahead of me that wherein I presumed I would find Alice. Hearing Rosalie's footsteps halt after just a few steps I stole a peak at her from over my shoulder to see what she was doing. I wasn't surprised to find her preening like a peacock in front of a massive gilt framed mirror on the wall. Vanity, thy name is Rosalie.
I rolled my eyes and walked through the door to find Alice, already dressed in a bright pink bikini with a matching sarong tied low around her hips, standing in a space that was the same depth as her bedroom but divided in two. To my left was a ridiculously large, ridiculously full but organized walk-in closet, Maybe those shoes from the first day of freshman year were in there, while the immediate space was a rather large, rather lavish bathroom with a solid wall of glass the same as the bedroom.
As soon as I walked in the sneaky little sprite asked, "So, what'd the Chief say?"
"You knew?" The huge ass grin on her face and the glint in her eyes should have given her away. I was starting to think of that as her 'scheming face'.
She nodded giddily. "It was my idea. Since my parents were going to be gone, I thought it would be fun to have a Margarita Madness pool party, just the gang and me, so don't freak out. Anyway, I thought it would be easier to get you to have a few drinks with us if you were staying over… You do drink, right?" I nodded and Alice continued narrating her train of thought. "And then I thought it would be easier to get you to stay over if you already have the Chief's blessing."
"Simple as that?"
"Simple as that. So, what do you say?"
I couldn't bear to let her down so I nodded. We heard a snort and a muttered, 'Goodie!' from the one woman peanut gallery in the other room and I winced.
"What was that, Rose?" Alice's jaw clenched minutely and she rolled her eyes in annoyance. Her voice was pure saccharine, sweet enough to cause a toothache.
Rose replied with forced excitement in a similarly sweet, falsetto, "I said, 'Oh, Goodie!' because I was so happy."
"I knew I misheard you." She shouted back. The look on my face must have been something because she took one look at me and started talking me down in a furious whisper. "Oh, Bella! Please believe me that Rose's behavior has nothing… Well, not nothing to do with you, but you are not… Fuck! How do I say this? Her behavior has less to do with you and more to do with her and, I guess, me as well. She is just afraid you are going to take some of the attention off of her."
I looked at Alice skeptically. "Bullshit. Girls that look like the way she looks don't have confidence issues and they don't get jealous of me."
Alice sighed. "Yes, Rose is gorgeous, and believe me she knows it. It's not really a confidence issue… it's more of a vanity and jealousy issue." I told you, vanity, thy name is Rosalie. I just didn't see the bumper sticker stuck to it that said, 'Vanity: Turns you into a spotlight whore and raging bitch.'
"She likes being the star with all the attention, but she is also worried that you will usurp her place in my life and she immediately goes on the offense. She has obviously never considered that the two of you can be friends as well. Just give her some time and … Don't. Take. Any. Of her. Shit."
Rosalie popped her head in the door and I jumped. "Al, I am not getting any younger here. Are we gonna get this show on the road?" Speak of HRB and she appears… she's kind of like the devil that way, I guess.
"Yup, let me just show Bella to her room so she can put her stuff down."
'My room' was across and a little ways down from Alice's. She told me that this would be my room whenever I came over and then informed me that she had taken the liberty of stocking the bathroom with some things I would need but I should feel free to leave whatever I wanted. I tried telling her that it was too much, but she wouldn't hear it. Of course.
She left me there to stow my things and said they would be in the kitchen when I was settled in and ready to join them. I put my bag on the chair by the bureau and took out the things I would need for the pool, my sunblock and book, setting them on the bed. I stepped into the ensuite, closing the door behind me. After washing my hands I just stood there staring at my reflection in the mirror having a Stuart Smalley moment.
Daily affirmations completed I stripped off the clothes I had on over my suit, put my coverup back on, zipping it in addition to tying it this time, slipped my chucks on and stepped back into the bedroom. After putting my clothes into my bag, I was officially out of reasons to put off going downstairs any longer. I walked over to the bed to grab my stuff and noticed that my book was lying open. I picked it up noticing what page it was on and read the highlighted text.
"She was wearing a pair of my pajamas with the sleeves rolled up. When she laughed I wanted her again. A minute later she asked me if I loved her. I told her it didn't mean anything but that I didn't think so. She looked sad. But as we were fixing lunch, and for no apparent reason, she laughed in such a way that I kissed her."
Hmmmm…. I didn't remember highlighting that portion of the text, but it was the color I use so I must have. I also didn't remember leaving the book open. That's not to say I didn't, but I thought I had left my sunscreen sitting on top of it. Yeah, Bella, someone broke into Alice's house, snuck up to the second floor and… *gasp* …highlighted a single passage in your book and then snuck back out without you or anyone else hearing a thing.
I rolled my eyes, stupid, overactive imagination, grabbed my book and sunscreen and headed downstairs to the kitchen.
~//~
I walked up just in time to hear Alice lecturing Rose on not eating all of the strawberries, but I stayed in the dining room and eavesdropped for no real reason. I guess I just wanted to see what Alice was like when I wasn't around. I was happy to hear that she was her same kooky little self.
"Alice, if I eat all of the fucking strawberries I will go to the store and buy more."
"I don't get them at the store, you know that."
"Well, I don't know why you can't get them there like everyone else? Instead, you drive two plus hours to some berry farm outside of Olympia where you have to pick them yourself."
"How many times do I have to tell you, Rose? I am disgusted by all of the insecticides that get put on berries and, even if you wash them like you should, how do know you got it all off. That stuff can't be good for you. And I go to that particular farm because I like their farming practices, they have fair prices and their berries always taste the best."
I thought that would be a good time to pop inside the kitchen to make my presence known and hopefully score some brownie points with HRB by changing the topic. I plastered a big grin on my face, told my stomach to quit doing backflips and grow a pair, and then took the two steps needed to bring me into view. "You really are an odd duck, aren't you, Alice? Can I do anything to help?"
Alice looked exasperated and scowled at me. Her eyes were sparkling too much for me to worry that she was really upset with me though. I thought I saw the corners of HRB's mouth twitch, but she saw me looking and glared at me before turning her back to me.
"Go ahead and make fun of me for trying to keep everyone poison-free and healthy. You won't be laughing once you taste these little babies though. Assuming, that is, I let either of you two have some." I had a feeling that Alice's rant was just gearing up. So much for saving the day. "You know studies have proven that consumption of foods grown using insecticides can cause such things as neurological disorders, headaches…"
Jasper and Emmett stepped in through one of the open french doors that ran the full length of the back wall of the dining room and led to the back deck. Emmett rolled his eyes. "I see Alice is regaling you with her anti-insecticide propaganda." Emmett eyed the blender speculatively. "What's in the blender, Squirt."
She sighed, closed her eyes and grabbed two fistfuls of hair. Exasperated Alice was back, for reals this time, yo. She tugged gently on her hair as she took several deep, calming breaths and then relaxed her grip and smoothed her hair out. "Lava Flows." Alice huffed out. "You'll like them"
"I don't know, Kid. They look a little fru-fruey."
"Emmett Cullen…"
I interrupted. "Wow, it looks like it's really heating up out there. Why don't you guys go out to the pool and if someone will show me where the cups are I can pour drinks for everyone and then bring them out."
"I don't know if that's such a good idea, Bella. I've heard that you're awfully clumsy and we wouldn't want to waste any of Alice's precious strawberries, now would we?" HRB said with a smirk, but at least she was actually looking at me when she said it. See, she's warming up to me; she is talking to my face. That's an improvement. Gotta think positive.
Everyone chuckled while I blushed causing the chuckling to grow deeper until they were full on laughing. I remained motionless with my shoulders slightly hunched over, and it goes without saying that my face was red, out of confusion, and embarrassment.
I wasn't entirely sure that her comment wasn't meant to be snide, but it had lightened the mood in the room. I decided to just say fuck it and stood up straight as I joined in with everybody laughing. It felt good to laugh, I realized, even if we were laughing about me. After all, it's better to be laughing with, than to be laughed at.
While we were laughing I came to the conclusion that it really didn't matter what the motivation behind Rosalie's comment was or if she liked me. Everyone else seemed to like me, so the bitch would just have to deal. I would ignore her when she was being a bitch and be friendly if she was, but I wasn't going to stoop to kissing her ass. Partly because I didn't think it would help, but mostly because I do have some pride.
I glanced up at Rose and was caught off guard to see that she had a small, tight smile on her face and was nodding at me with what looked like… approval. What was I the pig in that movie Babe? 'That'll do pig. That'll do.' Maybe she was warming up to me? I offered her a small smile back but she just scowled at me. 'Oh, the bitch is back!' I guess not.
Jasper spoke up then ever the gentlemen and mediator. "You girls head out to the pool and Em and I will get the drinks."
Alice thanked him with a kiss and led us out to some chaise lounges next to the pool where towels had already been set out. The boys joined us a few minutes later carrying what turned out to be the first of many trays full of drinks.
At first I felt uncomfortable in my new bathing suit and was reluctant to take off my terry cover-up and join everyone in the water, but eventually it got so unbearably hot that I had to suck it up or risk being roasted alive. I figured I was among friends, for the most part, so what did it matter and I stripped the cover-up off tossing it behind me onto the chaise I had been sitting on.
A sharp whistle came from Alice. "I knew that suit would be perfect on you. You look hot, Bells!"
"Alice!" I was mortified. Everyone was staring at me like I had two heads… or cellulite and varicose veins or… something.
"Well, you look good. You do. Doesn't she, Rose?"
She flicked her eyes over to me for a moment before returning her attention back to the Cosmo she was reading. "She looks fine."
"That's high praise coming from my sister the ice princess, Bella. Although, you do look pretty hot." Jasper declared with a laugh as his sister glared at her magazine and Alice beamed at him. Emmett, standing next to Jazz, was apparently in agreement and gave me a thumbs up as he winked at me.
I blushed and tried to control my racing pulse. I knew they were unavailable, but all my stupid teenage hormones would recognize is that two hot guys were checking me out and liking what they saw. "Shut up. I… am going swimming." I muttered before immersing myself under water and staying there as long as possible.
Everyone was laughing when I came back up, but the cool water was doing a good job at keeping my blush under control and it wasn't long before everyone joined me. Our splashing and goofing around eventually turned into a game of chicken. Being the only single one and, therefore, without a partner, I refereed. Rose and Em won, but just barely.
~//~
Lubricated by the alcohol, the day passed by pleasantly as we played in the water taking frequent breaks to lay in the sun and sip our drinks. HRB still wasn't really warming up to me, but she wasn't going out of her way to be a bitch either. She pretty much ignored me, and I her, but the others more than made up for it and there was never a lack of conversation.
By the time we were feeling too buzzed from the booze and lazy from the sun to continue making the complicated blended drinks we'd been drinking all day we ran out of rum and someone decided to break out the tequila for shots. Alice sent me into the house to cut lemon wedges and get the salt, Emmett disappeared to get the tequila and shot glasses, Ali and Jazz rearranged the lounges so that they were in a semi-circle around a small glass-topped side table and HRB sunbathed and read about how to give the perfect blowjob.
I was still wet from the pool when I ran inside. Using Ali's instructions to find everything, I grabbed the salt, a bowl for the lemons, and then found a knife and started to slice the lemons into wedges. My hands were still slightly damp but I was in too much of a hurry to dry them and as I started slicing the second lemon, I heard a noise from the hallway and jumped causing the knife to slip and slice into my palm.
"Son of a Bitch! Owwww. Fuck, fuck, fuck." I instantly clutched my hands together in front of my chest. I didn't think it was a bad cut, meaning my hand was still connected to my body, but as soon as the smell hit me, I grew woozy and my vision started to blur which didn't help me in my quest to locate a towel.
"Bella? Are you okay?" Rosalie. I was staring right at her, but didn't notice her until she spoke.
"You're pretty pale already, but you look positively corpse-like right now." Leave it to HRB to insult someone while showing concern. She looked down for a minute and then back up at me. "Bella, you're bleeding."
My stomach clenched and I turned green. Please don't let me puke, please don't let me puke. I don't know where it came from, but I snapped at her, "No shit, Rosalie! Brilliant observation, Detective. Next time I need someone to state the obvious I will give you a call." Waves of nausea were now threatening to overtake me. "Do you know where they keep the towels?"
Rosalie looked at me shocked at my outburst but nodded. She calmly called out for Emmett and as walked around the breakfast bar towards me she said, "I don't want to alert Alice that anything is wrong." I cringed and nodded. "You know how she can be…"
Rose found a towel in one of the drawers and handed it to me and I immediately wrapped it around my hand without looking. It was quiet for several minutes while we waited for Emmett and I struggled to maintain consciousness.
Suddenly she blurted out, "So, you finally grew a pair."
It was a statement, not a question. She didn't really deserve an apology, but I hate when people are mad at me. Before I could open my mouth to apologize for my rudeness, to people being rude, does not politeness make, she chuckled and said, "Nicely done, Swan. You seemed like a big push over. I thought it would take a lot longer."
I didn't know what to say so it was good that Emmett walked in at that exact moment and took charge. He tended to my hand while Rose cleaned up the blood and finished slicing the lemons. He thought that I could use stitches, but I refused to go to the hospital. After much arguing between us, Rose surprisingly stepped in on my behalf and we reached a compromise.
He agreed to not take me to the ER for stitches, but I had to stay out of the pool for the rest of the day and let Carlisle take a look at my hand as soon as her got home tomorrow. I agreed, reluctantly, and we grabbed the supplies and went back outside to find Alice and Jazz gettin' a little too frisky on some of the patio furniture.
After Rose and EM flipped the lovebirds just enough shit to make them uncomfortable, Alice turned it back on them, ie she brought up the hot tub incident. Rose started glaring at Emmett while the rest of us laughed, so in an attempt to take the spotlight off of him, and save his chances of getting some pussy tonight, he told his sister about my hand. I wanted to be mad at him, but I probably would have pulled the same Benedict Arnold bullshit if sex was on the line for me. I hated to admit it, but I was starting to feel a little lonely after spending all afternoon with the two demonstrative couples.
Alice fussed over me for a little bit, but then I reminded everyone about the tequila and party time was back on. Em poured the shots, we toasted to my clumsiness… "To Bella, cause it's going to be a hell of a lot more fun around here with her tripping all the time and just being a klutz in general and then blushing about it." Rose smacked Emmett in the back of the head while smirking at me, thanks, Rose… and then we licked the salt off our hands, slammed our shots back and made lemon smiley faces as we sucked on our wedges.
~//~
Four shots later, the boys disappeared and Alice got her second wind and decided to make margaritas.
"How can it be a Margarita Madness pool party if we don't have margaritas?"
It was no use arguing with her about it, and the salt was starting to make me a little thirsty, so I poured two shots, handed her the bottle and sent her on her merry way.
"Don't make them too weak, Alice. We want to actually taste the booze." Rose barked after Alice. "She makes the weakest margaritas."
Smiling, I poured some salt on my right non-injured hand, picked up my shot with the same and indicated with it that she should pick up the other shot. We raised our glasses to each other silently and slammed 'em back. I wasn't going to quit referring to her as Her Royal Bitchiness just yet, but somehow during the whole palm-slicing fiasco, our relationship had shifted. She was still cool towards me, but at least she was no longer hostile.
Alice came out of the house with a bunch of drinks on a tray, all of them garnished with a strawberry and topped off with little umbrellas, at the same time that the boys suddenly appeared with a couple of oversized, cannon-like squirt guns.
Alice and Rose immediately started threatening them with no sex if they even thought about squirting us and I held up my palm reminding Emmett that it wasn't supposed to get it wet per his instructions. Thoroughly warned and appropriately fearful of the consequences, they filled up their guns and went out into the grassy yard on the other side of the pool setting random things to hide behind all over the place on their way.
Slightly inebriated, the girls and I lazed in the sun on the almost obscenely comfy and plushly cushioned chaise lounges and watched their boys battle it out in an effort to prove who the dominant male was. We made casual conversation and laughed at them as they conducted themselves with all the seriousness of real soldiers while we sipped our fruity cocktails.
Rosalie suddenly blurted out, "So what's up with your old man's 'stache?"
I couldn't stop the shocked laugh that came bursting out. Alice softly giggled.
"You mean that '70's porn star, caterpillar on his lip?" They both nodded, Alice a little too gleefully. "I don't know, but he spends more time grooming that cheesy thing than I do my hair."
"I know." She breathed just low enough that I could pretend to ignore it. It seemed like we were finally making some headway in our relationship and I didn't exactly want to do anything to damage the tenuousness of it. And I was a total pussy. "It's not cheesy, '70's porn, it's like 'wonder what it would feel like tickling the insides my thighs', Sellick hot. Then you add the uniform, badge and gun, and… Hmmm! I wouldn't mind playing with his nightstick."
I laughed so hard that I snorted and a little of my drink came out of my nose. I am not going to lie, she may have also made me vurp in my mouth a little, once again. Seems to be happening a lot today. Emmett looked at us to see what the commotion was about.
Luckily for Rosalie, and too bad for me 'cause I would have enjoyed watching her try to wiggle her way out of explaining to Emmett about how much she wants too play with my father's nightstick, *snort* ewwwww!, Jasper used Em's momentary distraction to gain the upper hand in their reenactment of the Battle of Guadalcanal and he didn't hear Alice's singsong taunt, "Rosalie wants Charlie's nightstick, she thinks he's hot, she likes his pornstache."
She had her hands raised and she was doing a little shimmy thing, side to side, to the rhythm of her taunt while she maintained her reclined position on the chaise. I continued to laugh, but it was growing even louder and more uncontrollable.
Rosalie jerked upright and stormed off towards the house. "Fuck you guys! I'm getting another drink."
Her tantrum only caused Alice and I to laugh harder until we were positively howling and rolling around on our chairs. Alice was slapping her leg so hard I thought she was going to burst some blood vessels. I was laughing so hard that I was stomping my foot on the ground and having difficulty breathing. We tried to calm down, but every time we thought the fit was subsiding one of us would spit out 'pornstache' or 'nightstick' and we would start up again.
All the commotion caught Emmett's attention again. He dropped the barrel of his 'weapon' towards the ground a little and, seeing his lowered defenses, Jasper tackled his much more massive opponent and proceeded to blast him right in the face, effectively winning the battle. They wrestled for a few moments because Em wasn't going to be a gracious loser, no way. It was all in good natured fun though, and they helped each other up afterwards.
No sooner was Emmett on his feet than he headed towards the house calling out, "Rose? Baby? Whattsa matter. Where'd you go." *whipcrack* Pussywhipped.
Rosalie was shouting something at Emmett, then we heard the deep rumble of his voice as he replied followed by Rose shrieking at him. The next thing we know, Emmett comes barreling out of the house amidst a volley of… was that, ice cubes? and… Strawberries? Obviously not fazed or shocked by her behavior, he chuckled and he called out, "Alright baby, we can discuss it later… as soon as you've had some time to calm down."
His words earned him another volley of… whatever Rose happened to be throwing at him, but Emmett just laughed to himself and shook his head as he walked back over to us. I heard him say to himself something that sounded exactly like, 'Hooooo! Fiery, that one.' and is eyes were sparkling with what I hoped was mischief. Everybody was getting it on but me. Seriously! Not fair.
As he got closer we could see little raised welts from what must have been ice, Girls got an arm!, and red stains that looked an awful lot like they came from strawberries… Alice was gonna be… "Ro-ose! You better not have wasted all of my strawberries or you can drive three hours to Olympia and pick them next time."… pissed.
Alice headed into the house still screeching at Rose. I stopped listening when she got to the part about how she specifically got her strawberries from that specific 'u-pick-em' farm and not the store like everyone else because they were organic and blah, blah, blah. I didn't care. I was buzzed and Buzzed Bella could give a shit less. Still, I didn't want to be in Rose's bikini bottoms right now. No, ma'am. Alice might be tiny, but she was ferocious as all hell.
The boys and I sat there sipping our cool drinks in the sun alone in our thoughts, but chuckling every now and then at the squawking she-cats in the house.
Her Royal Bitchiness, indeed! Well, so much for my improving relations with her. But as I sat there chuckling, with the sun and the alcohol running warm through my veins, I couldn't bring myself to give a fuck.
~//~
I must have fallen asleep out there because I don't remember walking up the stairs to the guestroom and I had pajamas on, Thanks for the PJ's, Ali, but I couldn't remember changing into them. I looked at my phone to check the time and saw a text message from Charlie. I realized that I never texted to tell him I was staying over so I quickly opened his text and was a little confused to find him thanking me for letting him know. Alice.
I scrolled to my sent messages and… sure enough Alice texted him for me at some point the after I passed out. I would have to add it to my list of things to remember to thank her for later. The door flew open and my tiny friend bounced in and launched herself onto my bed with a squeal. Thankfully, I didn't seem to have a hangover.
"You're finally up! I wanted to get you up hours ago, but Rose," She turned and mock-glared at the tall blond girl that I only just now realized had followed Alice into my room. Rose smirked and I offered up a shy smile. "wouldn't let me. She made me let you sleep and now its nearly noon and Dad is downstairs waiting to look at your hand."
"What? And how the hell did you know I was awake?" I was horrified. I had hoped everyone would forget about my stupid hand. "Alice, why would you say something? My hand is perfectly…"
She had hands up in surrender when Rose cut me off, "Emmett. And no one has ever been able to figure it out, she just knows."
"Oh. Sorry, Ali."
"Eh, no biggie. Just get up and get dressed. You can't take a shower yet, but you might be able to squeeze one in after dad fixes you up."
I went into the bathroom to see a toothbrush and toothpaste sitting on the counter. Alice strikes again. The girl really is handy to have around. She is better than a whole troop of Boy Scouts. After my human moment, I stepped back into the room to see both girls sprawled across the bed. Rose was perusing a car magazine and Alice was bouncing and… filing her nailsm, which did not need to be filed. I saw clothes setting atop the bureau and could only guess that my Fairy GodAlice had set them out for me to wear.
I opened my mouth to protest but was stopped by Rose. "Don't bother. It's just a waste of time, trust me."
What is up with everyone responding to things I haven't even said? Shit was seriously starting to piss me off. I wasn't really in the mood to argue or to duke it out with HRB off just yet, although it seemed that our truce was still in effect so maybe... nevermind, not worth it. Plus, I was going to have to ask for help. "Fine, but I think someone is going to have to help me. It hurts a bit and pulls at the cut when I bend my hand."
"Sooooooo, how did I get up here last night?" I asked as the girls helped me dress. I noticed Alice and Rose give each other a look, but didn't think too much of it. Those two bitches were always giving each other looks.
"You don't remember?" Alice asked. I shook my head. "One of the boys brought you up and Rose got you dressed."
"You owe me one, by the way. I am not particularly into clutching nude chicks to my chest while maneuvering their drunk asses into clothes and you aren't the most cooperative when you're drunk."
I blushed and somewhat sheepishly thanked her. Wanting to forget about having to be put to bed like a baby by the perfect creature that is Rose, I seized upon the first subject that popped into my head. "Hey, whatever happened to your other brother? Did he ever show?"
"Nope." The 'p' popping starts again. "He apparently had plans with some girl that kept him out all night. Okay, all done." What was I five. "Time for your appointment with the good doctor."
Carlisle stitched me up and admonished me about being more careful when using a knife, but he never once asked what I had been cutting. 'Why, lemons for our tequila shots, Carlisle.' When he was done he went over a list of do's and don'ts and made me promise to let him take a look at it in a week.
I was a little worn out, my hand hurt more and more as the anesthetic wore off and I had a million things to do that I had been putting off while I hung out with Alice; I just wanted to go home. She reluctantly let me leave, but not before making plans to see a movie that night. Since my truck was a manual with no power steering, Carlisle felt it best that I not drive it for a few days so Rose drove me home. I was stunned when we got to my house and she slipped me a small silver flask 'for the pain' and told me to give her a call if I needed anything.
I got out of the car with the flask tucked into my bag, shut the door and bent down to the open window. "Ummm, thanks. That's really nice of you, but, uh, I don't have your number, Rose."
"Alice. She put everyone's numbers in your phone when she texted Charlie last night."
I smiled. "She's pretty wonderful, isn't she?"
"Yeah, she is. So you better not hurt her or I'll make your life a living hell. Don't forget to call if you need anything. Ta." Before I could even collect my thoughts, she rolled up the window and sped off.
~//~
Despite the palm slicing and stitches, it ended up being the start to the best summer I had ever had.
The five of us were pretty much inseparable from that point forward. I can't think of a day going by that I didn't see at least one of them and I stayed so often at the Cullen's that they considered me part of the family. At first I felt like I had abandoned Charlie, but they were short staffed at the station and he worked so much that he was relieved to not have to worry about me being home alone all the time.
Rose eventually warmed up to me and we became every bit as close as Alice and I, but I never did meet or even see Alice's brother Edward. It seemed like we always just missed each other; I would walk into a room and he would have just left, I would pull in and he would be pulling out. Eventually, I sort of forgot that she even had another brother. No one ever really brought him up, so it was easy enough to do.
Thinking back on that summer, it seems surreal to me how much things can change in a matter of weeks; how much I changed. I had arrived in Forks miserable, sullen, dejected and rejected and by the time school started I felt vivacious, capricious, enlivened and accepted. For the first time in my life I felt that I was exactly where I belonged and I was becoming exactly who I had always wished I could be.
Alice, Jasper, Emmett and even Rose, shockingly, were my counterparts and I theirs. We all complemented one another, balanced each other out. Alone we were lacking, incomplete, but together we were nearly whole. I thrived with them and learned from them- Ali taught me to have more confidence, Jazz- restraint, from Emmett I learned to not be so uptight and from Rose I learned how to be more assertive. They were exactly what I needed and for some reason they liked having me around as well.
I've always wondered why.
~//~
A/N: Just want to clear a few things up, so I don't get a bunch of outraged emails.
1. The book excerpt is from The Stranger by Albert Camus and can be found in Part 1, Chapter 4, pg. 35. It's one of my all-time favorites.
2. Yes, I am aware that Em and Jazz's supersoaker fight had nothing to do tacticly, or even at all, with the Battle of Guadalcanal . I just needed a recognizable name of a battle that was fought long enough ago that you could laugh at the situation. Is it too soon? Plus, the name made me laugh considering the passage I was using it in. Canal. He, he, he!