Chapter 7

When they were ten, Emmett decided to frighten Bella during a game of "ghosts in the graveyard".

Bella was easily frightened, and this was a well known fact among their group of friends. Emmett had everyone including Alice, her friend Rosalie who lived across the street, and Jasper, her twin brother who was good friends with Emmett.

The plan was to play "ghosts in the graveyard" and make Bella the person with the flashlight. Then, Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper would run to the wooden gate, climb over it, and wait for Bella to see the items Emmett had placed around the backyard.

One of these "traps" Emmett had set up was his "Scream" costume, propped up by a tree to look like it was holding a butcher's knife above its head.

Another was the white cotton sheet he had tied to a different tree. It was hanging from a limb with what was supposed to be a scary face drawn on in black marker.

It was sure to freak Bella out.

"Hey guys! Let's play ghosts in the graveyard!" Emmett suggested enthusiastically.

"Yeah, I love that game!" Jasper said.

"Sure." Rosalie, Alice and Edward said.

Only Bella was hesitant.

"You guys can, I'll stay in the house…" She said quietly.

"Oh come on, Bella! It won't be any fun without you!" Emmett said, quite truthfully.

"Yeah, it'll be fun!" Jasper pleaded.

But she still wasn't sure.

"Belllllllllllllllllllaaaa… please?" This was Alice, demonstrating her newfound use of the letter "L".

"Fine!" Bella said, storming out the back door of the Cullen home.

"Yes!" Emmett shouted, a little too enthusiastic. Edward narrowed his eyes at him before following Bella out the door.

Going according to plan, four of them voted for Bella, the four being Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, and Alice. Bella, of course, wouldn't vote for herself and Edward knew how much she didn't want to be "it", the one with the flashlight.

So, four to two, majority ruled.

"If Bella's going to be it, then I am too, we'll be a team." Edward said after seeing the horrified look on Bella's face.

Thank you, Bella's expression said to him.

"Fine, let's just get this game started, jeez!" An exasperated Emmett said. "Here's your flashlight." Handing it to Edward, he told the rest to "hide" which meant to climb the fence and wait for the fun to start.

They disappeared from the back porch and their footsteps could be heard for about fifteen seconds before stopping, rather suddenly, all together.

Bella looked at Edward hesitantly.

"You better hold onto my arm and not let go or I will freak out."

Edward laughed and grabbed her hand.

"Come on." He said, pulling her into the darkness and switching on the flashlight, with Bella following him.

Together they searched the Cullen's large backyard until they saw the "ghost" hanging from the big oak tree.

As Edward's flashlight glanced over the tree, Bella caught a glimpse of it and screamed, digging her nails into Edward's forearm.

"Bella, calm down! It's just something Emmett obviously did!" He said upon closer examination. Bella was clutching tightly to him, with her head buried in his shoulder.

"Bella, just look." Edward soothed.

Slowly, she pulled away from him and hesitantly looked to where his flashlight was pointing.

"I am so going to kill Emmett." Bella said, still visibly shaking.

"You think you're going to kill him, wait till I get a hold of him…" Edward muttered, continuing to shine his flashlight around the backyard. Bella had let go of all of him but his hand and her eyes were following the beam of the light.

The light caught something dark by one of the other four trees and Edward focused in on it. Causing Bella to shriek again, the "Scream" costume was next to the tree.

"EMMETT!" Edward yelled.

"Yes, brother dearest?" He answered, his voice coming from just a few feet from them.

"What was that for!" Edward asked, turning the flashlight on Emmett. He was obviously livid.

"Because it was funny!" Emmett said, shaking it off with a laugh.

"That was NOT funny, you-!" He started to say, but Bella cut him off.

"No, don't worry about it Edward, it wasn't that bad…" She said timidly.

"Whoa, you were seriously scared!" Emmett said, bending over with laughter.

Edward just stared at him, mouth agape.

"Forget it, let's go Bella." Edward said, pulling her towards the house.

"No, no, it's okay, really." Bella said, reluctantly.

"I'm sorry I scared you Eddie…" Emmett teased.

"SHUT UP EMMETT! I was not scared!" He defended himself.

"Then why are you flipping out so much? It didn't scare Bella that bad." Emmett questioned.

"Because, I know Bella way better than you do, obviously. She's just saying that because she doesn't want you to know she was scared! She knows how much you like to make fun of her so she's trying to seem brave so you'll leave her alone!"

Bella was shocked. That was exactly what she had been trying to do.

"C'mon Bella." Edward said, lightly tugging at her arm. Bella followed him easily. They were almost to the house when Bella spoke.

"Emmett?"

"Yeah, Bells?"

"I'm never playing flashlight tag again."

Edward let out a frustrated laugh and pulled her into the house.

I am SOOOOOOOO sorry for taking so long to update! I was gone all weekend and I just kept pushing off typing this out. It wasn't very good, but it's the longest chapter yet.

I love everyone that has reviewed. You seriously make me want to cry with all of your nice words :)

PREVIEW OF CHAPTER 8-

When they were eleven, they went on vacation together.

I'm gonna warn you, the next chapter is horrible. I had absolutely NO ideas and I just couldn't get a good chapter out. But after that one, things get better, I promise! Please don't just think that this story isn't going anywhere and stop reading it, believe me, it's going somewhere. I just have to build up to that point. But we're almost there, so hang tight, my lovelies!

Seven reviews and I'll post the next chapter :D

Xoxo, Emmyscool10 :))))))