Hi! \o/

Today's chapter is dedicated to nanymilan! I know how hard it is to keep up with a routine like that and I wish you "Ganbatte kudasai" (kind of a wish for you to keep doing a good work and that it makes you feel well)! Thanks for reviewing whenever you can, it means a lot to me!

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Outfits' links = Check my profile

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Chapter 05 – BPOV

The week passed without many events. The girls at school hated me. Alice nagged me everyday reminding me that the shopping trip was getting nearer and nearer. I had a great time spending half of my lunch time with the Cullens and the other half tutoring Angela. I really couldn't remember of a time I was happier than at that moment.

On Friday, Alice accompanied me to the car and reminded me. "Don't forget it, Bella! We're going tomorrow morning and don't you dare to choose an outfit!"

"Good luck, Bella!" Jasper wished knowing perfectly well what I was feeling. Not because of his special ability, but because when no one wanted to go shopping with Alice, he was the one that would be tortured with the never ending task.

"You'll need it!" Emmett added. Since his mate was also a shopaholic, he could also understand my suffering.

"I know, thanks guys!" I replied and sighed.

They laughed and seemed relieved that I didn't convince them to come along.

"See you all on Sunday?" I asked.

"Sure." Rose, as she claimed I was supposed to call her since we were friends, replied.

"Bye, Bella." Edward said and waved goodbye.

I nodded and smiled shyly. Things with Edward were progressing in a good and slow rhythm. Our friendship was becoming somewhat solid.

It was decided that as soon as Alice and I finished buying all the needed furniture, Esme's project would be put into action. My house would be remodeled and I would live with the Cullens until it was ready. Since, the changes in the structure were minimal, I would only spend two or three days there until the furniture was arranged.

I was finally going to meet Carlisle and Esme Cullen, which made me happy and nervous at the same time. Jasper and Emmett were the responsible for my nervousness, since they were the ones who kept saying that Esme would love if Edward and I began to go out.

Things with Edward were fine, we were becoming really good friends, but from time to time I would feel strange and weird thoughts popping on my mind. On Wednesday, we were at the library and a few books fell from the shelf. We both got on our knees to pick them up and our foreheads touched slightly. I looked at him and I thought for a second that he would kiss me. I stood up before I was the one kissing him and placed the books back on the shelf.

"Why must I remember this right now?" I asked out loud. All I could think about was the 'almost kiss' incident.

I was glad I would have a day away from Edward before going to the Cullen's house, even if it meant a day being tortured by Alice and her never ending shopping. I spent the rest of my Friday making some changes in my data analysis program. After that, I took a long bubble bath, lay down on my sleeping bag and meditated.

A few hours later, I felt Alice's scent and sure enough she was there when I opened my eyes. She eyed me curiously as she always did whenever she saw me meditating.

"It makes me feel closer to my humanity." I told her the same thing I would always tell her. "And it's so relaxing."

"I know, I just think it's curious!" She replied like she always did.

"Come on, show me." I told her.

"What do you want me to show you?" She inquired, but I was sure she already knew the answer.

"The outfit you picked! I need to see it if I'm supposed to wear it." I replied. "I just hope you didn't pick a tiny piece of cloth and called it a dress."

"Oh, come on, Bella! Everything I ever made you wear, just brought out the beauty you always seem to want to hide!" She spat adding cheerfully. "But I think you'll like this one, since we are going to stay inside the mall all the time, I didn't have to worry about sun or cold!"

"Show me, then." I insisted.

"It's already in the bathroom, you can dress up as soon as you finish your shower!" She chirped. "As soon as you finish getting dressed, I'll take care of your hair and your make up!"

I nodded, knowing well that Alice would have it her way whether I wanted it or not. I learned to give up before fighting a long battle that I knew I would lose either way. I showered quickly and opened her box. Inside there was a pretty white and purple dress, a pair of purple velvet ballerina flats, a beaded necklace with a purple jade heart, a pair of purple drops crystals earrings and a purple purse filled with hearts.

Just like something Alice would make me wear. I thought and giggled. At least she allowed me to wear flats.

I dresses quickly and allowed her to torture me. I was her Barbie since we met and I wondered if I would ever get used to it. She made my hair in wavy disarray, comparing it to Edward's sexy hair. The make up was light. When she finished, she went downstairs, making me promise that I would wait until she called me. I did as she wished and felt really embarrassed when I felt Edward's scent filling the house.

What is he doing here? I shouted in my head.

"Edward is going to be our driver today, since his Volvo is the most inconspicuous vehicle we have." Alice answered, noticing what I wanted to ask by just looking at me. "Face it, your Eclipse would drawn too much unnecessary attention to us."

In my head I called Alice a few names, but nodded. Edward motioned for us to go outside. The stupid shiny Volvo was there, waiting for us. Alice ran to it and sat in the middle of the back seat. Edward drove and I sat on the passenger's seat.

This is going to be one hell of a trip. I thought helplessly.

"So, Bella, what do you want to buy first?" Alice asked as I sighed heavily.

"Can't you just call me when it's time to pay?" I begged and heard Edward chuckling softly. I glared at him, couldn't he see that I wanted to escape the worse kind of torture? "Alice, would you mind losing a brother?"

Edward laughed out loud and made me feel uneasy. I couldn't understand why I felt like this whenever I was near him. I had to keep acting like he didn't affect me so deeply, so I did my best to threaten him.

"Don't you dare to misjudge me, Cullen!" I said in a low and cold voice.

"You are…" Edward began but was cut short by Alice.

"Edward, I wouldn't do it if I were you." Alice advised. "I think you love your Volvo…"

She seemed to be having a vision and seemed to be sharing it with Edward. He almost gasped and I wanted to laugh. Whatever saw me doing, made me feel curious about what he was going to say.

"What was he going to say?" I mused out loud.

"You really don't want to know, Bella." Alice teased obviously wanting to make me feel more curious and achieving that goal.

"I think I do." I played along.

"Alice will only make you walk into clothes stores!" Edward fished.

I took the bait. "Deal!" I almost shouted knowing I wouldn't get another chance like this.

"Easy to please…" I heard Alice mutter a little irritated and smiled hugely.

I should've known that Alice was an evil mastermind. I should've known she would find a way to get back at me. Alice kept her end of the deal, she only made me go inside clothes stores. Yeah, but she made me go into every single clothes store. In each shop, she'd make me try on at least 15 different outfits. Evil, she is an evil pixie! Edward would carry the bags and every four or five stores he'd have to go to the car.

"Alice, if you keep buying so many things, you'll have to run your way home." Edward said at some point.

Alice seemed to think for a moment. Or should I say, Alice looked into the future for a moment.

"No, everything will fit into the car, Bella and I included." She told him.

"I hope you're right." I sighed.

"Always am." She chirped.

After dragging me to all the stores, making me buy a lifetime worth of clothes, she made us go see a movie while she went to decoration stores. I wanted to see some romantic comedy and Edward said he would see whatever I wanted. So I decided we were going watch "The Ugly Truth". The movie was so funny. Edward seemed deep into it, but didn't really laugh. In some parts he seemed embarrassed. I, on the other hand, laughed a lot. I think I would be as clumsy as the main character if I was a human, maybe even more.

"Are you not having fun, Edward?" I asked during the strawberry jelly scene.

"I am, Bella." He replied looking into my eyes.

"Then why aren't you laughing?" I asked concerned that he might be saying it just to please me.

He broke his gaze on me and looked to the screen. "I have my reasons." He told me shyly.

I focused on the movie again. When the movie ended we went outside talking about it.

"Come on! How can a girl be so oblivious?" I asked Edward laughing. "He had to tell her three times so she would understand!"

"Some girls just can't seem to notice the obvious." He said in a teasing tone and I couldn't understand why.

"I guess you're right." I agreed smiling.

"It's been such a long time since I last went to the movies." He told me. "I think last time was in…"

"No need to say the year." I cut him short, worried that someone would listen. "Just tell me the movie!"

"Do you promise not to laugh?" He asked seeming embarrassed.

"Of course." I assured him.

"Alice took me to watch 'Anastasia'." He told me in a whisper.

"The cartoon movie?" I asked a little surprised.

"No, the 1956 movie staring Ingrid Bergman and Yui Brynner." He replied in a whisper.

"Oh! I love that movie!" I told him and then added giggling. "And I must admit that I also liked the cartoon."

"I see, Alice has the dvd if you want to watch it again." He offered.

"I'd love to, I'll talk with Alice later." I almost chirped and Edward chuckled.

"But you didn't tell me to which movie you went before this one!" He reminded me.

"Well, when I was in Brazil I watched a Brazilian comedy called 'Os Normais 2', it's a really bizarre but funny movie. I heard people saying there that a US TV station had already bought the series rights and is going to make an American version." I told him.

"You really like comedies, right?" He asked thoughtfully.

"Sometimes, it's good to laugh when you can't really cry." I said in a darker tone then I intended. Edward looked at me worried that his question might have killed my good mood, so I shook my head and smiled at him to reassure him that everything was alright. "Let's go to the food court, Alice will surely meet us there."

He nodded and we took my hand in his. I looked at him and he said. "I just want to make sure that no guy will hit on you." His tone wasn't possessive, but jokingly.

I wish he would say it seriously. Some part of my mind said it sweetly. No way! We are just friends! I scolded myself.

"Earth to Bella!" Edward called.

"What?" I asked getting my focus back to the real world.

"You seemed thoughtful and I just asked what you were thinking." He told me. "I also asked where you wanted to sit."

"I don't even know what I was thinking about." I replied laughing. "And anywhere is fine."

We sat near a water fountain, in the middle of the food court. The place was only half crowded since it was a little early for weekend dinner time. We talked about the movie. Edward had spent the entire movie analyzing it, trying to find mistakes and actually finding them easily. I tried to tell him to just enjoy the story, but he then began to criticize the script.

"Edward and movies don't go well together." Alice said as she arrived. "Just like Bella and vampire novels."

"Did you finish everything?" I asked, hope clear in my tone.

"Yes and I already paid everything too." She informed me.

"I'll transfer the money to your account later." I told her and she glared at me.

"The things begin to arrive Tuesday morning, so Esme will deal with them." Alice chirped.

"I'll go help right after school!" I said nodding.

"No, Esme wants it to be a surprise. You are not allowed to go home from Sunday until we finish everything." Alice said.

"Fine." I sighed. "Let's go home."

The trip back home was calm. Alice's vision was right, we did have space for ourselves, but just barely. Alice was buried under a lot of bags and I had bags up to my neck. Clothes, shoes and accessories she would sort out happily when we got to my house.

"I always forget to tell you whenever we are at your house, but I was really happy to see our picture from that Thanksgiving Day." Alice said with a small smile.

"It was our last holiday before you left to find Jasper and Annette had asked that photographer friend of hers to take a picture of her two daughters." I remembered laughing. "Everyone was all smiles until you called Alphonse's business partner an old pervert."

"He was trying to feel me up!" She muttered angrily. "Old pervert!"

"Alphonse made him become a fisherman in Alaska!" I reminded her.

"Served him right!" She said nodding to herself.

"Jasper never knew about it, right?" Edward asked.

"The man wouldn't have died of natural causes if Jasper knew." Alice and I agreed.

We laughed for a bit and I felt a little nostalgic.

"There are moments when I miss that time." I whispered.

"You'll never miss it anymore." Alice assured me. "Because now you have me back and you also have the rest."

"In the name of the rest, I thank you, Alice, for classifying us as 'the rest'." Edward joked.

We talked and joked through the trip. We were back to Forks quickly and before I knew it, the car had already stopped in front of my house. Edward freed Alice first, taking as many bags as he could. Alice freed me and after a few trips 'car-house' we were done.

"I'm going to prepare your suitcase for the few days you'll be spending with us, the rest of our purchases I'll just put inside your closet." She explained to me. "I'll arrange it when we finish decorating the house."

"Do as you please." I allowed, knowing she would do it anyway. Then I turned to Edward. "I'm so sorry I can't offer you a chair or a sofa to sit."

"I'm also a vampire, Bella. I don't mind standing." He reminded me.

"That's right, I'm sorry." I apologized embarrassedly.

"Don't worry about it." He dismissed my apology.

"Edward, where do you guys hunt?" I asked changing topics.

"It depends on how much time we'll have to hunt." He told me. "If we need a quick hunt, we just hunt deer in the close woods."

"I see." I nodded and then added. "I think I'll need to hunt tomorrow, I want to balance animal blood and vampire venom."

"I think I could use some hunting too, so I'll go with you." He said and noticed his eyes were almost black.

"Thanks, I would love the company." I smiled.

Alice finished packing and told me to wear the outfit she had picked no matter what. I promised I would and soon they were gone. I spent the rest of the night wondering what it would have being like if I had followed Alice when she left. I never told her, but I thought about going sometimes. It was never more than a thought since she never invited me to go with her. She probably thought it wasn't my time to get away from Annette and Alphonse yet. They were very sad when she left, but were even sadder when I did. They knew our separation was needed, but like the good parental figures they were, they never wanted to see me flying away from the nest. I remember Annette calling me every few days to check on me and finish the phone call between sobs. Alphonse would put on a brave front, but would try to convince me to go back home.

The past is in the past. I told myself. You have a whole future ahead of you.

A future where the Cullens played an important role. I just couldn't wait for Sunday to come. I couldn't wait to meet Esme and Carlisle, to talk to Rose and Alice, to laugh at Emmett and Jasper, but most of all to hunt with Edward.

"Some girls just can't seem to notice the obvious." Edward's velvet voice echoed in my head.

"Some girls are afraid to notice the obvious." I whispered to myself.

That night no matter how hard I tried to achieve nothingness, my thought would always spin around Edward's smile and his velvet voice. I knew deep within me that sooner or later I would have to notice and face the obvious three things. First, Edward and I were vampires. Second, there was a part of me that thirsted for his venom. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.

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Outfits' links = Check my profile

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Have you seen the 1956 Anastasia? What about The Ugly Truth? I loved both movies! *-* I watched the first on TV during my vacation and went to the cinema watch the second with my baby sisters! *-*

There actually is a rumor that "Os Normais" is going to have a US version, but I don't know if it really is true… It's about an engaged couple the lives together and are completely crazy! It's really funny, 'cause it makes you question what and what not can be considered normal! ^^

Anyways…

Liked? Hated? Curious? Please do tell me!^^