Chapter Nine

Bella's Point of View

"Rose!" I groaned in shock, staring at the door.

Standing at the door was Rosalie, holding piles of clothes. "Don't get used to this." She stated, letting herself inside. It was a daily routine - Rosalie was the only person that I would simply let into the house without permission.

Rosalie was also the only person who would show up at my front door without a phone call or a warning in general.

"I... thought you hated shopping?" I asked slowly.

"I do - it's - well -" A sigh of frustration escaped Rosalie's lips as she set the pile of clothes on the table. " - Just wait here." She laughed softly and stepped right back out the front door.

"There better not be more clothes..."

"Oh relax!" Rosalie called from a distance to me.

"Rosali-"

Before I could even finish my shout at her, I heard a tumble. A couple of shouts came from outside, along with a few groans.

"Rosalie?!" I asked, though it was more in concern. Quickly, I wheeled myself outside the door. I was thankful for the late installment of the ramp in my house. I gracefully rolled my way down the ramp and stopped in front of her car. Next to the car, Rosalie laid on the ground with Alice on top of her.

"Hi Bella!" Alice shouted, standing up. She ran straight up to me and threw her arms up in the air to hug me - but stopped. She tilted her head and stared at me with a strange look. "Sometimes I forget you're in a wheel chair..." She stated, giving me an awkward side hug.

Rosalie quickly cleared her throat to cover up the awkward air and began to pick up the bags of clothes on the ground. Luckily, majority of the clothes had remained inside of the bags.

"Alice met up with me after school, she really wanted to go shopping." Rosalie explained, gesturing to the clothes. "So I went with her, after asking her mom."

"Mama Esme," Alice pointed out.

"-Mama Esme." Rosalie corrected herself with a smirk. "Esme is such a sweet person..." She exclaimed with wide eyes.

Alice stood, eagerly bobbing her head in agreement.

"Anyway-"

Alice cut Rosalie off impatiently and finished for her. "-We went shopping and Rosie here told me that you didn't shop much, do to your amputation, so we bought you clothes." Rosalie slowly raised her hand up to her face and shook her head softly, muffling her laugh.

"Amputation?" I questioned with an amused smile.

"Alice-" Rosalie quickly waved her hands in the air, dropping the clothes onto the dirt again. A frown crossed her face as she knelt down to pick it up yet again. "Alice, an amputation is losing your limbs entirely. Bella still has her legs, they just don't work."

I tucked my hands under my legs and wiggled them a bit. "See?" I exclaimed with a smirk.

Alice stared at my legs with a frown. "Oh..." The short girl stood in silence before finally continuing to speak. "So why don't you just cut it off then if it's useless?"

Rosalie and I stayed silent. It was a subject that we'd never really talked about. Hell, it's a subject we've never even thought of. My legs might not be useful but I sure didn't want them cut off.

"Because that's just something you don't do." Rosalie said with a smile, holding the clothes. "Go ahead and help Bella inside, Alice. I'll meet you in your room, Bella."

Rosalie stepped inside the door frame and became swallowed by the house, leaving me with Alice.

"Alright, Alice." I say with a smirk. "Grab the handles behind my chair. You can help push me inside."

Alice bounced behind me and placed her hands on my handlebars. Slowly, she began to push me forward. Except, I really didn't budge much at all. I thought for a moment before I realised what happened.

"You have to continuously push me, Alice." I said with a soft smile. "It's not and on or off type of situation."

"Oh," Alice said. With that, I felt her begin to push on my handlebars. Slowly, we made it up the hill to the front door. I leaned forward and pushed the door open with my hands. Alice pushed me inside.

After Alice shut the door, I pointed with my hands and verbally began to explain to Alice where my bedroom is. Once I entered my room, it looked much different. In fact, it looked like a fashion model blew up in my room.

Rosalie continued to sprawl out clothes and hang them up. It varied from shorts, skirts, blouses, t-shirts, and dresses. I watched her as she hung up the last dress. "Surprise?" Rosalie said with a smile.

I couldn't help but smile at Rosalie and Alice. It was sweet of them to do this and to think of me in general. However, I had to deliver bad news. "Go ahead and take down every skirt and dress. They're a disaster and terrible if they get caught in my wheels."

"But Bella," Rosalie immediately began groaning. "You don't own a single dress, literally. Just one dress. I demand you save one. Take it with you on a date with Jake or something. We can make it a short skirt? Maybe that will be less likely to be caught."

I laughed and shook my head. "Jake has never taken me on an official date, Rosalie."

Rosalie raised her eyebrows. "Are you kidding me?" She demanded, almost looking pissed.

Honestly, I couldn't understand why she would be pissed. "Yes?" I said in a questioning voice. I stared back at Rosalie with a confused expression. "What's the problem?"

Rosalie frowned and cleared off the clothes on my bed, moving them to the floor. "Sit," She demanded, pointing to the bed. I rolled my eyes and did what she told.

Slowly, I wheeled my way over to my bed. I maneuvered myself into an easier position to move myself. I placed my hands on the bed and used my arm muscles to move my body from the wheelchair to the bed. I wiggled myself around with my arms for a few moments until I was sitting up on the edge of my bed. "I'm sitting," I said simply, staring at Rosalie.

Rosalie sat down next to me and let out a sigh. "Not one date?" She questioned again.

I watched Alice stare at Rosalie and I with confusion. A smile crossed my face and I pat the spot next to me on my left side. "Have a seat, Alice." I said, ignoring Rosalie.

Alice made her way over and sat next to me, turning her body to face me. "Are you going to answer her?" Alice asked. Clearly, she was just as intrigued by my dating life as Rosalie is.

"We've watched some movies at my place and his place before. Never really an official date or anything. You know how he is with going out in public. Besides, I'm sure he's too shy to ask me out on an official date to begin with." I explained.

Rosalie frowned. She crossed her arms over her chest and let out a sigh. I watched her fingers tap against the bed as she thought. "I can't believe it." She said simply.

A laugh escaped my mouth. "You can't believe an autistic boy would be too shy to ask me out on an official date? I can." I said simply.

"No," Rosalie shook her head. "He had the guts to ask you to date him. But he doesn't have the guts to ask you out on a date? Honestly," Rosalie pushed herself to her feet and practically began pacing as she ranted. Alice and I simply watched in amusement. "He knows that you won't say no, since you are dating him, and it doesn't have to be in public. Even if he asked you out on a movie night at home would be more acceptable."

"Maybe he does consider those dates." I suggested, though it didn't feel like it. I was always dressed down in relaxing clothes or pajamas, and he generally looked the same.

"That's not the point, Bella." Rosalie sighed and stepped back over to sit next to me on the bed. "Dates are used to that you both can dress up nice and, essentially, charm each other. You know, the cheesey fall in love all over again situation."

I raised my hands up to my face and rubbed it slightly. I wasn't certain if Alice was being entertained by this conversation or if she was uncomfortable. "Can we just drop it?" I asked.

"One more question," Rosalie insisted.

I rolled my eyes and nodded. "One more." I agreed.

"How affectionate is he with you?"

"What do you mean, affectionate?" I asked, clarifying.

My friend rolled her eyes. "I mean, alone. Do you two cuddle, hug, kiss - you know. Anything?" Rosalie defined.

"Yes, he does." I said with a frown. I lied. "Now can we move on?"

Rosalie held up her hands. "Wait, wait. One more."

My frown deepened as I glared at Rosalie. She could obviously tell that I didn't want to talk about this further, but she continued to push it. Rosalie is a smart enough girl to know not to push it unless the question was worth it. "What?" I said with an exasperated voice.

Rosalie smiled an innocent smile. She glanced over at Alice, who was quiet yet intrigued. "Do you love him?" She asked.

I stared at Rosalie with a blank gaze.

Rosalie shook her head and spoke again. "I mean, you might not love him now, but could you love him - in the future?" She asked.

I could almost feel both of my friend's eyes staring me down. I almost felt pressured to respond.

"Yes, of course." I said simply. "Why would I be dating him if I wouldn't?" I explained, but I could practically feel myself lying once again. I knew the answer inside, and it scared me.

No, I don't love Jake, and I'm not so sure I ever will.


If you've started to read this story a long time before, feel free to go back and re-read. I've made some changes, including Edward being a friend of Riley. Originally as I wrote I wasn't going to have that, but I decided it was too good to pass up!

Hope you all enjoy my latest chapter. I do love this story. x3. Be sure to Favorite and Review and... everything else that it consists of. That is, if you want to do that stuff. Not exactly like I can force you!

How quickly I post next will depend on how my feedback and motivation is, more than likely!

XOXO Alice