My long list of faithful reviewers are: Kaylee1038, Music ADD, the dancing phantom, fallingtonowhere, movieandbookgirl, dallasmeetsjersey (x3), xXxDance LoverxXx, Eternal Disasters, Independant Mind, fancygril44, , kaosgirl00, Night script, vampirewannabe24, buggage, caww, macb, Jenuhlyn, Edward&Bella Forever, twilight addict, Krazy-vampire-freak3065, charmedtomeetyou, MartaSwan, xXBeetle of DestinyXx, Miss-E-BB, Edward Anthony Mason Cullen (event hough you've misspelled our beloved vampire's original last name :O lol...), edward rocks my socks, jacob is the new black, shae lucas, vampgirl8, xx sandy xx, Slave to my Pen, Edwardlover15, real men play clarinet, AllyR, MzNakhre-Mrs. Edward Cullen94-, purple is my color, Sugababy87, Crazily Sane Pancake, tracyx, Sarah, ObsessivexEdwardxDisorder, cullen-obsession, OMECoven, a random anonymous reviewer (even if you didnt leave a name I still appreciate you!), McCullen, sli732, lupus, smile for the paparazzi, escargot, OXfuturemrsedwardcullenXO (x2), AlwaysBettingOnAlice, CullensMyLife, Ghosts in the Snow, AliceCullen351 (x2), , ilyxelle, Edwardshot, spunkymonkey5712, tatochip, fazzems, SinkFish, XxeternallyxXxdamnedxX, allisaurus-rex, bellamarieswancullen (several times... thanks for them all! :D), bechachi, jcool789, xxBloodxxLustxx (thanks for your attempt!), NealanFan, edwardspet, Kerrilea, Brit, Ina Beana, Azeure, babyboo40794, Shinig Eclispe (x3), utfan23456 (x2), ILOVEYOUEDWARDCULLEN (x4), Istar1219, dollegirl, SexyCullen, SilverEmber282, edward101lover, edward-lover-456, Devan, nomip606, Isaella Marie Cullen, Italiangirlinamessedupworld, shades in the dark, Forever Daydreaming, Jasmine2121 (x4!), salen kaiba, and Stephenie
And I just want to thank my reader Marie Delane who nominated my story on twilightawards (dot) this-paradise (dot) com (link on my profile. Please read the info there at the top)
I've been nominated in four different categories: Best AU (XD), Best Comedy (I suppose it's rather comedic... lol), Best Characterization (I work SOOO hard to try this and I'm ecstatic that it's being appreciated), and Best Overall Scene (for the end of chapter 5, I do believe).
I apologize for the long wait: I've had a crazy work week, a damaged laptop (that is obviously all patched and perfect again now), and I was also out of town for several days due to the death of a very old friend of mine.
This chapter is dedicated to you, Briana Kalina, in your next life, for your love of awkward situations, and also to Marie Delane, for your faith in me!!
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight and it's characters, but I do however own three bookshelves full of books, too many stuufed animals to count, and a transgender cat named Bruce Wayne (mini disclaimer: I do not own Batman either lol)
Without further ado, please read, review, and ENJOY!
BPOV:
"Hi!" he called out to me.
I couldn't respond. Hell, I could hardly even breathe, let alone move or speak. He was talking to me. He was finally speaking to me an I just couldn't believe it.
After a very long moment that probably only lasted a couple seconds, my brain started functioning again and I shouted back.
"Hey." So much for a working brain. To add on to that I had a stupid smile on my face from how surreal this experience was to me. I had a boy, well, an extremely attractive young man, I should say, speaking to me through my window.
"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen," he introduced himself, holding out his hand as if I could shake it from this distance.
"Isabella Marie Swan," I said, holding out my own hand as well. We moved our arms in synchronization and I smiled at the silly gesture. "I prefer to go by Bella, though."
"Everyone calls you 'Bella'?" he asked quickly and I nodded, confused to see both relief and disappointment flicker through his eyes. I wished I could understand the tone of his voice. "Do you have any other nicknames?"
I understood then, he didn't like my name. I tried to hide my sadness as I answered him. "Ummm, not really, unless you count 'Spaz Girl' as a real nickname." I chuckled nervously before adding, "Oh! But sometimes my dad and Jacob just call me 'Bells'. Does that help?"
"Hmmm..." he pondered. "Although both of those charming names seem suitable for you," he smirked and I turned red, remembering the clumsiness he had witnessed from me, "I think that I may still like the name 'Bella' for you best. It means 'beautiful' you know." I could barely hear the last part, and I suspected that I might have imagined it. Why would this handsome person say anything like that about me?
I soon realized that I had been quiet for a while and put in, "Just don't call me 'Izzy' because then I might have to kill you."
He laughed softly and the sound of it echoed across the space between us beautifully. "Alright then. I don't feel as if I've lived this life long enough to die just yet, so I suppose I shall just have to refrain from using such a simple name to describe one such as you."
His voice seemed to carry me a way to a faraway place; a faraway time. It was deeply velvet: smooth like a caress, yet I knew instinctively it had the ability to be rough as gravel if necessary; each side a complete opposite, just like the fabric it represented.
But there was something else about him when he spoke as well: the phrases he used and the rhythm with which he spoke were extremely old-fashioned, as if he had been transported here from another century or something along those lines. He was wonderful to just listen to, and I had to keep reminding myself to answer him when he spoke. But I was beginning to notice just how hard it was to pay attention to one's brain when one is currently stuck in a trance.
"Well, I'm glad that you don't have suicidal tendencies. I'd be worried about you," I tried teasing in an attempt to get a hold on my bearings.
"No, not suicidal," he chuckled. "I don't think I've found anything worthy of dying over." His voice turned thoughtful at the end and I desperately wanted to know what he was thinking.
"Don't think?" I questioned his choice of words. "Wouldn't you just know that type of thing?" I settled myself farther into my beloved window seat, carefully situating myself so I wouldn't fall out.
To my surprise, he took my poor attempt at tricking an answer out of him seriously. He seemed to be thinking carefully about his words before he spoke them, stuttering at first and pausing a few times to straighten his thoughts out before voicing them. "Well, one might think... think that they know themselves properly, but then suddenly have a new path appear in the road before them... something that one wouldn't expect for himself... and that something has already changed how he felt about numerous other subjects... so maybe the time will come that this one will be altered as well?" He looked at me expectantly, and also somewhat nervously, wondering if I understood what he was trying to convey.
"You know, I don't really know what you're saying," I answered, a smile gracing my face so he knew not to take it personally. His words simply confused me.
He chuckled in response. "How does this sound: I'll explain it to you again when I actually know what I'm talking about."
"Sounds like a date," I replied automatically, then blushed.
"Indeed." His smile was bright enough to assure me that he knew it was just a phrase, and that lightened my embarrassment significantly. "I'll be looking forward to that day," he added, a crooked grin appearing on his face. I was thankful to be sitting, otherwise my knees would have given out on me.
Dizziness interrupted my train of thought and I realized I had actually stopped the involuntary inhalation of oxygen. I took a deep breath and braced myself for my next question.
"So I hear that you met Jacob today..." I trailed off, wondering how he would respond.
"I did at that. He seems a pleasant fellow." I was disappointed that he didn't give much away.
"He is. Apparently he's an old family friend and he was the first person I met in town," I said, trying not to emphasize the word friend more than necessary.
"I see. No wonder you took a liking to him. He certainly seems to have charm; he appears to have my entire family wrapped around his finger now." He stage whispered the last part and I had to grin. Edward was charming as well, but in a different way--he was more... charismatic, I believe would be a good way to describe him.
"Yes, he's very funny, even when he's driving me crazy and embarrassing me while doing laundry," I added that last part to myself.
He paused, something clicking in his head. "Lacey underwear?" he asked.
"Oh god! I can't believe he told you about that!!" I cried, blushing profusely. I hurried into an explanation of the event, trying to sort out any preconceptions that might have gotten aroused in him by Jacob's usual teasing comments.
But he just started laughing outright at me when I got to Jacob yelling up to me and me falling over.
"You already laughed at me for falling, you don't need to do it again," I said, slightly annoyed at his attitude.
"Did I?" he asked still chuckling. "Oh! It happened then?" I nodded. "I was wondering what had caused that..." he broke off, still chortling at me.
"Well, it's not funny! It's embarrassing!" I blushed.
"Then why are you shouting about it?" came a voice that most certainly didn't belong to Edward.
I blanched and looked to the window directly under Edward's. It had light furnishings inside and I caught a glimpse of a couch and a bookshelf behind the girl leaning out the window. I had completely forgotten about the fact that other people could probably hear our conversation.
Edward yelled down to his sister for interrupting us, and I tried to remember her name; it was the blonde one. Rosalie, I thought.
"You shut up!" she yelled right back. "That's what I'm trying to tell you! I'm over here doing my homework and you two keep shouting and it's not helping!" She turned her glare over to me and I instinctively backed up and sat up straighter.
"Rose! You can't jus-" he stopped mid sentence when she disappeared out the window walking away, but then she reappeared next to him quicker than possible, it seemed. "Rose! What are you doing?"
"Give me your number, Bella!" She yelled. I was taken aback. She wasn't asking, or even telling; she was demanding.
"Ummm..." was my brilliant response.
"Damn it, Bella, just give me your damn phone number so he can do the intelligent thing and call you on the phone instead of shouting at each other like a bunch of ignorant cave people!"
"You're shouting right now," Edward made the mistake of pointing out.
"And you're being an idiot! I'm trying to be a nice fucking person and get her number for you and you're screwing it up!" He turned red, but she ignored him and turned back to me. "So give me your number. Now!"
I was still shocked silent.
"Thank you, Rose, now you've proved that she doesn't want to talk to me. That's quite the big self-esteem boost. Really," he told her, and I felt bad. That wasn't why I was being quiet.
"No, um, I just-" I began, but Rosalie interrupted.
"Do you want him to call you or not, Bella? I can't keep shouting like this all night you know!"
"Ummm..."
"You don't have to say yes, Bella. I won't take it personally."
"If you don't mind then just shut the hell up and stop interrupting our conversation!" Rosalie shouted at him.
Then my phone rang down in the kitchen, so I tried to stealthily sneak away since the two siblings were arguing so intensely. Unfortunately, things didn't pan out that way.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?" I suddenly had the banshee's anger directed at me.
"Bella?" Edward asked, surprised to see me in my doorway.
"Ummm... Phone. Ringing downstairs. It might be my dad," I said in a stilted voice, rushing down the steps.
"Hello?" I said, catching the phone on it's sixth ring.
"Is this Bella?"
"Yes, it is. May I ask who's calling?"
"This is Alice Cullen."
EPOV:
I walked up to my room and collapsed on my bed, letting out a large sigh.
Pretending to play nice with Jacob was utterly exhausting, and this was only for a half hour. I didn't know how I wold be able to last an entire afternoon with him, hearing him talk endearingly about Bella, knowing that he was the one she wanted... It was almost too much to expect for me to be civil, but I managed to do it and I think I even made a good impression on him. I knew that was something important to do if I ever wished to befriend Bella, which I did.
I really, truly, did.
Eventually, I was called down to dinner and forced to mingle with the rest of my family for a couple tedious hours. When I finally retired back to my room for the night and saw Beautiful Bella sitting at her window looking up at the stars, of course I was mesmerized.
She was relaxing there, the moonlight on her pale skin, taking in the sky with a serene look on her face. I soon realized that I was staring at her and hurried over to my bed and grabbed a book, trying to occupy myself with something other than her. It didn't work.
I glanced back over to her and was thrown when I saw that she was looking at me as well.
I knew it was now or never and I threw caution to the winds and practically ran to my own window, throwing it open and caused the frame to shake violently.
She was looking at me with a strange expression on her face. Shock, I would guess.
I knew that this was finally my opportunity and I wanted to think of something brilliant to say to make up for my lack of articulacy in our former almost-meetings.
"Hi." I suppose it wasn't as unique and wonderful as I wanted it to be, but it would do.
"Hey," she replied. I smiled, deciding to take her short response as a mirror image of my own thoughts, even though doubt and disappointment tried their best to seep into the forefront of my brain.
When she didn't say anything else, I put in, "Edward Anthony Masen Cullen," and automatically held my hand out for her to shake, immediately feeling like an idiot for doing so, but my hand wouldn't drop for some reason.
"Isabella Marie Swan," she smiled, copying my gesture, and I felt proud of myself; she thought my blunder was intentional and only a personality quirk. I sighed inwardly as she continued. "I prefer to go by Bella, though."
And that stopped me dead in my tracks. Everybody called her that. I felt like such a moron, thinking I had come up with such a perfect name for her, and then getting mad when I heard Emmett call her it. At least now I knew that he hadn't heard me sleep talking or anything; I had assumed that he called her that to tease me. But I felt disheartened that now "Bella" wasn't just my special name for her.
"Everybody calls you 'Bella'?" I confirmed and she nodded, making me curse quietly under my breath. I wanted to make sure I didn't make the same mistake again, so I asked her, "Do you have any other nicknames?"
She pondered for a minute before replyign that was sometimes called "Spaz Girl," though I doubt that could be considered an actual nickname. Then she paused, looking a tad embarrassed at her revelation despite the fact that I'd already discovered her endearing clumsiness. "Oh! But sometimes my dad and Jacob just call me 'Bells.' Does that help?"
I smiled. "Spaz" was good way to depict Bella, as was the word "Bells", I thought, thinking back on her laughter during her conversation with Emmett. "Although both of those charming names seem suitable for you," I smiled softly, letting her know I was partially kidding about it, but she blushed anyway. I was struck by how sweet it was to see her turn so red like that, and it must have subconsciously given me a burst of confidence, as my next words were a compliment that made her turn even redder. "I think that I may still like the name 'Bella' for you best. It means 'beautiful' you know."
It took her a minute to calm her charming blush, but once she did, she retorted with a threat not to call her the ridiculous name of "Izzy" as if I actually would consider it on my own... It was a cute name, and definitely quirky, but it seemed too brazen and outlandish for someone as soft spoken and shy as My Bella. I chuckled to myself at my silly little conclusion and simply told her that I did indeed value my life enough not to call her that wretched name. My words weren't important; the only thing that was, was getting her to make that wonderful bell-like laugh again.
But she didn't respond for a while and I wondered if I said something to offend her, or perhaps different than what I had planned in my head and just had not realized it yet. I beginning to really freak out and wonder how to commence damage control when she did finally speak to me again, easing my worries.
"Well, I'm glad that you don't have suicidal tendencies. I'd be worried about you," she teased, and I smiled in return.
"No, not suicidal; I don't think I've found anything worthy of dying over." And it was true; I didn't understand how some people could love one person, or one thing enough to make all of life completely lose all it's worth just because that object of desire is gone. I surely understood dying for someone; if someone in my family or Bella were in danger, I wouldn't hesitate to step in and risk myself for them. That's what love and family are all about after all.
That thought stopped me dead. How long has it been since I started including Bella in that grouping?I didn't usually consider myself a selfish person, but my family were usually the only people that I could tolerate (and who could tolerate me as well) being around, and that was mainly because they had proven their worth and had been there for me during the rough patches I'd seen. Bella hadn't.
So why did I suddenly lump her into the same category??
And an even scarier thought: why did she seem so far beyond that generalization? I had already come to the conclusion that I had an unnatural desire to have her in my life, but I didn't know that those feelings went so deep.
"Don't think?" she asked, emphasizing the last word and flinging me back to life, away from my rather disturbing thoughts. "Wouldn't you just know that type of thing?"
It was astoundingly hard to answer her question, considering how I didn't know the answer to begin with, but I was determined to give her (and myself) a truthful response. "I-" I immediately stopped myself. I couldn't let her figure this out with me and just embarrass myself if the resulting situation was completely unexpected or undesired, so I tried to be vague. "Well, one might think... think that they know themselves properly, but then suddenly have a new path appear in the road before them... something that one wouldn't expect for himself... and that something has already changed how he felt about numerous other subjects... so maybe the time will come that this one will be altered as well?" I looked over to her, hoping she understood my words better than I did, or possibly exceptionally glad that she didn't. It made me me extremely nervous, and somewhat nauseated, that my brain couldn't even explain that much to me.
"You know, I don't really know what you're saying," she grinned, and my stomach had a strange flip-flop type of reaction that I also couldn't explain, but decided to ignore.
I instead chose to simply chuckle at her cute blush that contrasted so wonderfully with her normally pale skin. "How does this sound? I'll explain it to you again when I actually have some sort of idea what I'm talking about."
"Sounds like a date," she said, her face turning into a primary color right before my eyes.
My stomach reacted again, although I could tell that this was a distinctly favorable reaction and my mouth responded before I could even understand what my useless organs were trying to tell me with all their jumping and dropping.
"Indeed. I'll be looking forward to that day." The words were true, and even though I didn't comprehend why, I smiled, knowing that I had understood at least one thing I said today, if not the meaning.
She smiled over at me for a minute before turning the conversation to less appealing subjects.
"So I hear that you met Jacob today," she put in conversationally--probably trying to emphasize that she was taken so I didn't think I had a chance, which I already knew was very true.
"I did at that. He seems a very pleasant fellow." Damn it. It was too hard to admit to her that I was actually hoping that he wasn't so that I might have a reason to interfere in the relationship. But he was nice... and funny... and sweet enough that Emmett needlessly got nervous about Rose blushing almost every time The Botto--I mean Jacob--said anything to her; he wasn't the cheating type (it shames me to add in: unfortunately), and she and Emmett were meant for each other.
"He is," She responded, making me snap my attention back over to her, praying that she'd say something more about him. "Apparently he's an old family friend and he's the first person I met in town."
Ah, so that's how they met... I said to myself. I had known that they weren't school friends because I was sure I would have recognized him and all his bulk walking around campus.
And I felt a little discouraged; he already had an in with her, and I knew how fathers could be when their teenage daughters have guy friends--Carlisile was still nervous about Alice or Rosalie bringing anyone home, despite the fact that they were both taken and obviously in love--and Jacob was already considered part of the family. I wondered briefly if Chief Swan had wanted that for his daughter from the start. I remembered how happy Carlisle was when my sisters decided who they wanted to be with; he wasn't happy that they were growing up, but he was satisfied that they had chosen people whom he was already quite approving of. I'd wager that The Chief had similar thoughts going through his head when he saw My Bella and Jacob together.
Suddenly I remembered that social standards called for me to make a polite response to her earlier words. I tried to recall what they were so I could give a legitimate response. "I see. No wonder you took a liking to him. He certainly seems to have a lot of charm; he appears to have my entire family wrapped around his finger now," I added the last part in a pretend whisper as if I were sharing a secret, and not admitting a truth. Not even I could make my family to react to the things I said the way he did, and I've known them for ten years... I couldn't understand how he could do it, and it was another thing that made me quite envious of him.
Not aware of my dark thoughts, Bella's words were still kind and showed her love for him. "Yes, he's very funny, even when he's driving me crazy and embarrassing me while doing laundry." Despite the obvious humor in her words, I could sense a little bit of irritation in her last words; I hoped wasn't directed at me.
But then a memory came to me from my eavesdropping escapade earlier. It was something Jacob had said about... what was it? "Lacey underwear?" I asked myself out loud, and was shocked when she immediately let out a loud gasp and turned the a shade of crimson that I wasn't even aware existed on human flesh. I felt horrible for making her feel so mortified, but I couldn't bring myself to regret it as she launched into an explanation of the situation and how he was helping her gather all the laundry from upstairs, he carried the basket down ahead of her. I remembered that moment and couldn't help but start chuckling as I recalled her jumping and falling down right before my eyes.
She scolded me for laughing and her face was scrunched up in a very cute way that made it impossible to keep the smile off my face completely, but I did my best as I answered her.
"Did I?" I played innocent for half a second before 'remembering' the incident. "Oh! It happened then? I was wondering what had caused that reaction from you," I tried to say through my chuckles.
"Well, stop laughing! It's not funny, It's embarrassing!"
I was about to retort with something that I hoped would come out as witty when I heard Rosalie call out, "Then why are you shouting about it?!"
Her voice wasn't coming from the hallway or even inside my room, but instead from outside. I leaned all the way out of window and looked down to see Rose's head pointed up to me from the window in the den. I wondered how much of our conversation she had heard...
That embarrassing thought propelled me to retaliate without thinking my actions through. "Shut up and mind your own business!!" I yelled at her. I felt like a twelve year old; I was just glad that I hadn't uttered the word 'beeswax' rather than 'business'. Her grin told me that she could read my mortification in my features and she wasn't going to make it easy on me.
"You shut up! That's what I'm trying to tell you! I'm over here doing my homework and you two keep shouting and it's not helping!" Then she had the nerve to glare at Bella. I'm sure it wasn't just about her schoolwork, but also a leftover reaction from when I told her that Emmett was "flirting" with poor Bella earlier... Was that only just this morning?
I instinctively felt protective of her; she hadn't done anything wrong... Rosalie's hatred stemmed from me just being a poor sport and Bella shouldn't have had to suffer because of that.
"Rose! You can't jus-" But then she disappeared from my sight and I let out a groan of exasperation. I looked over at Bella and tried to put an apologetic look on my face as I searched for the right words to say, but then Rose's hand was on my shoulder, pulling me out of my seat and taking my place. "Rose! What are you doing?"
She ignored me and instead addressed Bella. "Give me your number!"
My jaw dropped. So this was her plan all along: to embarrass me in front of the girl I was trying to befriend. From the look on Bella's face, the plan was working. She didn't want me to have her phone number and I was about to be spurned and rebuffed.
Bella had gotten maybe half a word out before Rose's impatience was unleashed upon her.
"Damn it, Bella! Just give me your damn phone number so he can do the intelligent thing and call you on the phone instead of shouting to each other like a bunch of ignorant cave people!"
"You're shouting right now," I couldn't help but point out to her, which was perhaps the worst thing I could have done in that situation.
She rounded on me, shouting in my face. "And you're being an idiot! I'm trying to be a nice fucking person and get her number for you and you're screwing it up!"
I turned even redder. I couldn't believe that Rose just went right out and said that in front of her. I was beyond humiliated, but I suppose it was a good thing that was all she did, considering how I had yelled at her earlier (and she does not like yelling--when it's directed toward her at the very least). I made to tell her to stop, but she just spoke over me as if I wasn't important, which, I suppose, I wasn't. "So give me your number. Now!"
Bella still didn't respond, confirming my suspicions that she didn't want to have any more contact with me than necessary. I felt beyond rejected. At least I had never actually put myself out there; Rose did it "for" me. And that just got me angry.
"Thank you, Rose, now you've proven that she doesn't want to talk to me. That's quite a big self-esteem boost. Really." I glared at her and she actually backed down. For about half a second.
And then Bella started to say something, so she turned back out toward the window, releasing her rage to the poor innocent girl standing awkwardly over there during our sibling squabble. "Do you want him to call you or not, Bella? I can't keep shouting like this you know!"
She looked so uncomfortable that I had to step in. Even if she didn't want me for her friend, I still hated to put her in a situation like this. "You don't have to, Bella. I won't take it personally."
"If you don't mind, then shut the hell up and stop interrupting our conversation!" It was my turn to be the brunt of her anger again, it seemed. For all this tag-teaming, Bella seemed to be holding up pretty well; most would be crying and running away from Rosalie and her vicious tenacity by now.
"Well, I can't possibly stay out of it when you are purposely being so rude to her! And for no reason! I honestly had no idea that you had such a cold heart Rosalie!"
"Where the hell do you think you're going?" she suddenly shouted, and I was taken aback. I wasn't moving.
I looked out the window and saw that Bella was frozen in the doorway to her room. I felt terrible; not only did she have to be subjected to Rosalie's temper tantrums, but she also had to witness our argument and then be yelled at for trying to escape.
"Bella?" I simply asked, trying to show her that not the entire family was as crazy as Rosalie.
"Ummm... Phone. Ringing downstairs." Oh the irony... "It might be my dad," she tacked on the end before bolting from the room. I couldn't really blame her; I was proud that she had stuck it out as long as she did. But the second Bella left, Rose turned to me and was smiling... which frightened me more than her screaming did.
"There you go, buddy!" She patted me on the shoulder and made to walk out of my room.
I grabbed her wrist at the doorway. "What was that about?" I demanded.
"What? I was helping you get closer to her! She knows, from your sister, a very reliable source if I do say so myself, that you wanted her number, and and AND..." she paused, knowing this was her trump card... "And she saw you stick up for her, well, at least attempt to... That's earning you some major points in her book."
"Yeah, if she isn't too repulsed by the angry, vulgar sister in question," I muttered to myself.
"She's not," Rose answered confidently, successfully shaking off my arm and heading into the hallway.
"And how do you know that? She left, didn't she?" I grumbled.
"Yeah, but she didn't leave until Alice called her." Then she shrugged, a little look of irritation in her eyes, and walked away, leaving me in shock.
After a couple seconds I ran after her; she was halfway down the stairs.
"What do you mean? You're kidding right?" I was partially angry at Alice, and partially in awe of the backbone both girls possessed.
"Of course I'm not kidding. I just now heard her on the phone with her."
"When?" I asked, following her into the living room to check for Alice.
"When you were pulling me back in your room for your little interrogation," she teased. "She's up in our room."
I had nothing else to say to her, so I ran back up the stairs and into the girls' room without even knocking.
"Alice!!" I shouted at her.
"Yes, that's him," she told the phone, giggling. "Hold on a sec, Bella, alright?" She covered the mouth piece. "Something I can help you with, Dear Brother?"
"What is the meaning of this? How did you even get her number in the first place?"
"I got Tyler's number from Emmett and got Lauren's number from him, where I got Jessica Stanley's phone number, who had Bella's!" she said in one breath.
"Well... that was... efficient... of you..." I trailed off, not really sure what to say.
"I know! Much easier--and quieter--than Rosalie! We had a bet going of who could get her number for you first! I won of course."
I sighed. Nobody should bet against Alice. "Well, you won your bet, so stop bothering her!"
She uncovered the phone. "I'm not bothering you, am I, Bella? Good! See, Edward, I'm not bothering her!" Then she giggled at something Bella said, shooting glances at me from the corner of her eyes. "Oh, he is!! You are so right! Well, he's glaring at me right now, but it's okay; he's not really all that threatening anyway." More giggling, girly laughter was spilled in my face.
"Oh gosh, Bella, you should see his face, it's priceless! He hates being left out of conversations..." Then she abruptly took the phone away from her ear and put her finger to her lips, telling me to be quiet and turned on the speakerphone as she continued her rant. "He likes to think he knows what everybody is thinking like he's a mind reader."
"Is he ever right?" came the beautiful voice of Bella. I smiled at Alice and she grinned back.
"Most of the time; he's just special like that."
"I can tell." I beamed over at Alice and she just grinned wider.
"Ask her about Rosalie," I murmured to Alice, hoping she would relay the question.
"He wants to know if you completely hate him for our sister being a raging bitch this time of the month. Should I tease him a little bit and tell him you never want to talk to him again?"
"No, he seemed upset with her enough as it is; I don't want to make it worse. Tell him there's nothing to hate. No harm done."
"She says she hates you more than imaginable," Alice relayed, trying not to laugh.
"Alice!! That's not nice!!" she squealed.
I felt bad for her, and for listening in on her private conversation, so I took the phone off speaker and put it to my ear.
"Bella?" I asked.
There was a slight pause. Then...
"I didn't say that, Edward! Really, I didn't!" She sounded so distressed, that I sent Alice a glare; astoundingly, she backed down for a moment as well, just like Rosalie had. Since when did I have ever intimidate anyone in my family? And now it was two people in the same day? I briefly considered challenging Emmett to a wrestling match before remembering the poor upset girl on the other end of the phone.
"I know, Bella, it's alright," I soothed. "Alice was just kidding." I turned around to see that Alice had left and closed the door. I smiled at the thought. "I'm sorry for earlier, Bella. Rose... she takes some getting used to."
"It's fine, Edward," she sighed. "I hear siblings do that kind of thing all the time." I could just hear the smile in her voice, bringing another one to my own lips. "Makes me glad that I'm an only child."
I chuckled in response and lay down on one of the beds, relaxing myself. I heard a scraping in the background. "What was that noise?"
"Oh, kitchen chair. I'm just making myself comfy right now."
"Ah, I was just doing the same thing, although I'm using the comfort of Rosalie's bed. Why are you in the kitchen?"
"That's where the house phone is," she said as if it were the simplest thing in the world.
"Don't you have a cell phone?"
"No, I never really had a use for one before, but I'm seriously considering it now. Alice has promised to call me every night, and although she seems nice, she can be rather tiring." Her voice showed her exhaustion and I had to laugh.
"That she is. She takes getting used to as well."
"Same with your brothers and parents, too, right?" she joked.
"Absolutely. So, umm, Bella?" I asked, getting nervous. I was going to ask her if she would mind if I called her myself some time. Really, I was. I just needed a minute to get around to it.
"Yes?" she responded sweetly. I was going to ask her now... Right now.
"Bells?" came a muffled voice in the background.
"In the kitchen, Dad!" she called to him. Her father was there, and she was talking on the phone to me. She would probably want to go. I had to ask her before it was too late.
"Bella, can I-"
"I'm sorry, Edward, I have to go. Maybe you call me another time and ask your question then. Alice apparently has my number somehow, so you can get it from her."
"Sure thing, Bella," I said, in somewhat of a trance.
"Alright, I'll talk to you later then... Good night, Edward."
"Sleep well, Bella."
I had barely snapped Alice's cell phone shut when she came barreling into the room with Rosalie, Steph, and Meyer.
"Spill," was Rose's simple response.
"And thank me," Alice grinned.
"Thank you," I told her, dropping the phone on her bed and trying to escape. The dogs were blocking my way.
"Oh, no Eddie," Rose said, tugging me back down onto the bed. "You're not going anywhere until you tell us just how much thanks we should get."
I looked back and forth between my two sisters. They were going to make me have a girlie conversation and talk about my feelings, I could just tell. I took a deep breath, opened my mouth... and bolted for the door, making it to my own and locking myself in before they started banging. I turned up the volume on my stereo and drowned their voices out, getting lost in my own world.
Yay!! I know, I know... it took me long enough... lol
so I need your opinions right now! How did this chapter go? I don't usually feel comfortable writing different POVs for the exact same scenes, but I tried to make each side of their window conversation as different as possible... so let me know how I did with an honest opinion!
I hoped you enjoyed this chapter and Rosalie and Alice's antics.
Much Love,
Grace, the unGraceful