IMPORTANT!!!!

Hey Everybody!

So there's a bit of a change in the story…I switched it to being told from the first person. I'm sorry if people have a problem with it but I was having trouble writing from third about Bella, when Twilight is in first. Hope it doesn't mess you up too much-I think its better :)

Enjoy!

And Please R & R!!!

Chapter 7

Alice and I walked swiftly through the garden, Alice carrying my bags the whole time and not seeming to mind one bit. We arrived at the beautiful guesthouse within five minutes

of leaving the car, but in the afternoon heat and the speed that Alice was walking, I was already sweating slightly. I had still not yet seen the house, in which we would be

spending the next month, and therefore, when it came into view, the mere outside walls took my breath away. It was a beautiful warm yellow, not at all like that puke-ish colour

you see on the grimy townhouses back home. The windows all had a small black iron balcony attached to them, not meant for walking on, just for show, and the flowerboxes

attached to them were overflowing with red flowers. I was in love with the place in seconds.

Alice grinned at the look on my face. She opened the door and we stepped inside. I was so busy trying to take in everything at once that I caught my elbow on the doorframe.

Rubbing the spot fervently while Alice chuckled at my natural clumsiness, I dutifully followed her through the pristine yet homey interior. It was decorated in a sort of European

style, maybe French or Italian, and the entire place was bright and spacious. I followed Alice up a flight of beautiful wooden stairs, and into the bedroom my parents had left

unoccupied. Alice told me it was not as large as the master, but had its compensations.

"Like what?" I asked, doubtful that it could get any better than it already was.

"Well" said Alice "Why don't you look out the window"

I pulled back the curtain slowly, to reveal one of the most beautiful views I had ever seen. My room backed right onto the forest we had been riding through earlier, and it

stretched for miles into the distance. Scanning the horizon, I caught sight of the mountains, looming in the distance. I didn't say anything as I breathed in the warm air, but could

only think of the places natural beauty.

Alice let me look for a couple of minutes, while she impatiently fiddled with my beds golden bedknob, but finally pulled my head back through the window. Looking around the

room, I noticed most of the furniture was beautifully painted in pastel colours. The walls were an unobtrusive lilac colour, and the bed was queen-sized - more than double the

size of my bed back home. The bedspread was a swirling lilac and white combination, matching the walls perfectly. However, further appreciation of the perfectly ironed sheets

went out the window as Alice dumped my suitcase onto them, smiling as always as she did so.

"Lets see what you've got!" she said, more excited than she had been all day, which was saying something.

Sighing, I clicked the latches on the trunk and opened it, Alice peeking over my shoulder eagerly as I did so. She quickly dragged me out of the way, and began pulling out the

messily folded clothes in frenzy, arranging them around the bed at the same time. I watched, half amused as her excited expression started to droop into disappointment. By the
time the bag was empty, her expression had gone to down-right appalled.

She turned to me, all signs of a smile gone from her face for the first time since I had met her, and said:

"Bella"

That one word was enough to tell me I was in trouble, but she didn't stop there. She seemed to be trying to find the words to describe what she was feeling, and it took her a

minute to do so. She then began to speak, choosing her words carefully as she did.

"Bella Bella Bella, I have been told, on several occasions, that I am obsessed with fashion and that other people should be aloud to choose what they want to wear and how

they are going to wear it".

I nodded, not surprised

"But"

She continued

"We are friends already Bella, and I just know that we are going to be even better friends by the time you leave"

I was a little confused to what she was getting at.

"But Alice, what do wardrobes have to do with friendships?"

She smiled, and looked at me for a long time

"Everything" She answered finally.

I was still a little miffed, but decided not to push the argument.

"So Bella" Alice began, a new tone detectable in her voice

"Yes?" I asked, totally unsure where this was going

"Can I take you shopping?"

The glint in her eye was a little startling, and in another situation, I would have laughed, as it almost seemed to be a joke that was overdone, but with the Cullens, I thought,

everything about them was a little exaggerated.

I considered her offer. I didn't exactly hate shopping, like some people did, but found it to be a bit of a waste of time.

And time had suddenly become precious to me here-did I really want to spend time in a mall, when I had surroundings like the ones at present? Not only that, but my parents

would definitely have something to say about it. My mom believed that shopping for clothing excessively while traveling was the best way to wreck a cultural experience.

I had never really believed her, but I still wasn't jumping to go.

However, a little voice nagged me in my head, telling me that this meant a lot to Alice, possibly even more than she was letting on. I looked into her eager expression, and new

my answer had been formed already, without me consciously agreeing to it.

"Ok Alice" I said.

It was now my turn to grin at her expression. She actually got up and hugged me at that. Her little stone body was cold against mine and rock hard.

"But Alice" I said as she pulled away, "you're gonna have to convince my parents"

"Oh!" said Alice, looking a little taken aback, but up to the challenge

"That shouldn't be a problem"

A while later, Alice and I were still in my bedroom and I had just finished re-packing my bag (Alice had suggested I just toss the whole lot of it, sorry, how big was this trip going to be?).

Alice had begun to tell me the story of when she had taken Jasper on his first shopping trip, and the two of us were sitting on the bed, laughing our heads of as she spoke. The

story involved two cops, a parrot and a pair of tight leather pants, and Alice had tears of laughter rolling down her cheeks, when without warning, the bedroom door burst open.

I gave a squeak of surprise as Victoria entered the room. Her harsh but beautiful red hair was a shock against the room's soft colours, and both Alice and I sobered up instantly.

"I'm sorry to interrupt this little giggle-fest but I have been asked to call you for dinner"

She spoke loudly, her voice matching her hair perfectly: beautiful but intimidating.

Her eyes remained on Alice as she spoke, ignoring me entirely, and I was on the verge of sticking out my tongue at her when she turned to me, and gave me the iciest look I had

ever seen, delivered in a way that was not as forgettable as those seen on soap operas.

Alice however was nice enough to cut in at this moment, and said "wow Bella, I had no idea it was already so late!"

I nodded in agreement and the two of us got off the bed slowly.

Victoria rolled her eyes, but left wordlessly, leaving the door wide open.

I looked at Alice, to see how she had taken to Victoria's amiable company, and found her to be looking at me, probably thinking the same thing I was.

"I think the witch forgot her broom wherever she came from, maybe she could go back to find it and disappear forever."

We stood in silence for a second, then burst out laughing, falling back onto the bed as we did so. After a few minutes of Alice's continual verbal abuse of Victoria, we felt our

presence was needed at the table, and the two of us left the guesthouse with linked arms, still chuckling.