Emmett Cullen had many victories in his life: on the soccer field, where he dominated—his massive size and tenacity winning over agile and smaller guys; in the classroom, where his knowledge tended to overshadow all but his twin brother; in the bedroom, with, well…you know.
But Emmett had never experienced a victory like that of pulling one over on his brother. Once, when they were 7, Emmett and his mother short-sheeted Edward's bed. He could remember hiding in Edward's closet, next to his meticulously pressed collared shirts and his miniature ties. He watched as Edward walked into his bedroom and placed his glass of water on his bedside table. Then he pulled back his comforter, and found his sheets pinned. Instead of losing his temper, or better yet, crawling into bed without noticing, Edward calmly turned to the closet and shook is head with a disapproving look. It was as if he could read Emmett's mind—Emmett, who was being so uncharacteristically quiet and still. He had to wait until Edward left to brush his teeth, which took approximately three and a half minutes, before he could escape to his room. Esme tried to cheer him by letting him short-sheet his dad, but the effect wasn't the same on the seven-year old.
Over the years Emmett had collected small victories—purposely turning the tuning keys on Edward's guitar and watching him wince when he played a chord; scoring the game winning goal at a tournament in California; getting to second base first with a girl named Lauren from Forks.
However, none of these quiet victories over his brother could ever prepare him for the sheer joy that would ensue when Edward found out his roommate was not only a girl, but the girl he was kind-of sort-of falling head over heels for…and that Emmett knew it first.
* * *
When Bella came to, all she could hear was a mess of voices.
"I knew it forever, guys come on!"
"Impossible Emmett, I only found out a few days ago."
"When's Edward going to find out?"
"Are you sure we shouldn't tell him?"
The noise pulled Bella out of her stupor. She immediately sat up and took stock of the situation.
"Uh, guys?" She interrupted the bickering of the three old friends in front her. "Edward can't find out."
Emmett took a step to her, helping her up and setting her gently on the bench. "What do you mean, Bella-roni?"
"Bella-roni Em? Really?" Rosalie smiled at the boy and rolled her eyes.
"Hey, it fits," he defended. "And why can't he find out Bella?"
"Emmett, I've been living with the guy for two weeks. I went on a date with him, hell I kissed him. He would freak."
"Freak is definitely not the word I would choose," Alice said. "I would place it more at an eighteen on a scale of one to ten." She grimaced and looked at Emmett, who shrugged his shoulders.
"I dunno, I mean I think it'd be cool if that girl I had the mad hots for was living with me," Emmett suggested.
"Pretending to be a guy, Emmett?" Rosalie asked pointedly. "Be serious."
"True," he conceded. "I guess that'd freak me out."
"And not only that," Alice supplied now. "Edward would be pissed at the three of us. For knowing before he did."
"Oh holy moly, you are right." Emmett sat down with his head in his hands, sighing heavily.
"You guys are really more worried about Edward being pissed at you?" Bella was confused now.
"Oh, Bella, don't let me tell you the story of the great Loyalty Challenge of '03." Rosalie smiled as she said this, looking sideways at Alice.
"Challenge? Wow…" Bella said. "For some reason, I'm not really surprised."
"Some days he still reminds me that I didn't know his eye color," Emmett mumbled through his hands.
"You're his twin, Emmett. Your eyes are the same color," Bella said.
"Yeah, and I forgot, ok?" He said, defensively. The girls started laughing. "It was a rough Christmas after that one. Edward wrapped all my gifts in green paper."
"So what does that mean for me, guys? I don't want to sound selfish, but…" Bella bit her bottom lip now, genuinely worried about losing Edward. And not just Edward, but her new friends.
"Well, we all have to be at the Autumn Fair this weekend, right?" Alice sat up, speaking to the group. Bella nodded. "And Jasper has to be in Vancouver that day, right?" Bella nodded again. "Well, what if we all conspired together and made sure Edward had no idea that Jasper was actually Bella?"
* * *
Rosalie Hale had never been close to Edward the way Alice had.
Growing up together allowed certain liberties to be taken. Rosalie could steal Edward's hoodies when she was cold without asking. If she stepped into his room and shuffled his CD collection around, he would grumble but generally get over it within minutes. Rosalie once borrowed his toothbrush after eating too much ice cream (before realizing, of course, she was lactose intolerant)—though she watched him throw it away and open a new one he pulled from his bathroom cupboard.
Either way, Rosalie loved her neurotic, goofy Edward. Because for every perfectly folded set of socks in his drawers, for every meticulously organized shelf in his room, Rosalie knew Edward was a full on hypocrite. The boy who wiped his clean bare feet with a towel before putting socks on also spent most of his summer barefoot in the dirt at his cabin. The boy who spent an hour every weekend on conditioning his hair and trimming his split ends rarely ran a comb through the messy locks and often went a few days without shampooing.
Rosalie also knew the boy who could overreact at the drop of a hat at a well planned, well timed prank, could also dish them out with the best.
When the four of them were eight (Rosalie was really seven, but they learned young not to remind Rosalie she is the youngest) Rosalie and Edward got put in timeout together after getting into an argument over the tree house Carlisle was building in the backyard. Instead of being separated, Esme made them reorganize a linen closet. While folding sheets and towels, Rosalie and Edward devised a prank to play on Emmett.
A week later, Rosalie convinced her mother to let her stay with the Cullens. Hidden deep in her backpack was three brand new rolls of silvery, shiny duct tape.
After being tucked in by Esme into her bed (because Carlisle and Esme had a room set up for Rosalie and Alice since the girls were five), Rosalie snuck down the hall to Edward's bedroom, where he sat grinning on his bed with two pairs of scissors. Slowly, they unfurled the duct tape and cut strips just wide enough to tape across Emmett's door jamb, effectively sealing the boy into his room.
The next morning, Rosalie and Edward were found by Carlisle and Esme, curled up on the floor back to back.
Emmett screamed like a girl when he opened the door.
From then on, Rosalie Hale knew Edward Cullen was a clever young man. He'd only asked her to bring the duct tape—she had no idea what for, at the time.
* * *
Alice, Emmett, Rosalie and Bella sat huddled at a table in the cafeteria Friday afternoon. Since Emmett had discovered Bella's true identity, it'd been hard for him to play along.
At one point he'd come into their room, and started telling Jasper about Belarus, while Edward looked on, puzzled.
Edward was, unbeknownst to them, standing by the cafeteria door. Something was up. He could feel it in his bones. Alice had never been able to lie to him, and Rosalie had her plotting face on.
For the first time at Dawson, Edward decided against eating in the cafeteria and instead went to his room to contemplate.
* * *
"Bella!" Alice was yelling from across the courtyard. Bella widened her eyes and shook her head quickly, yelling in her brain for Alice to shut up. She kept walking past the short girl, choosing a path through a grove of trees. Alice followed.
"You can't call me Bella like that!" She hissed as she quickly turned around. Alice was smiling, ignoring her worry.
"Don't worry, it was only freshman around," she shrugged. "Besides, I have a brilliant idea for the Autumn Fair."
Bella stopped walking now, turning from the edge of the grove to face Alice.
"Good! I haven't been able to think of a good plan," Bella replied.
"Ok, well it's going to take a little trickery. I have to be there to cheer, so I won't be much help. Rosalie and Emmett are going to do their best to keep you and Edward away from each other. Rosalie is going to pretend to get into a fight with Emmett, and hang all over 'Jasper' for the fair. When you have to turn back into yourself, and not Cowboy Cinderella, you and Rosalie will lose yourself in the crowd and Emmett will distract Edward."
Alice took a breath then, steadying herself on a nearby trunk.
"Alice…that's…complicated. But it could work. As long as Edward doesn't catch on."
* * *
Alice Brandon was fully aware of the feelings Edward felt for her over the years.
James had always teased her about it. He would call Edward her brother and then proceed to make cheap incest jokes.
The truth was, Edward was like her brother. She would fully admit his beauty. The kid was handsome, and his twin wasn't too shabby either.
But Alice Brandon liked many things. She liked the smell of clean laundry that lingered on comforter after she put clothes away. She liked the way her nails felt after a manicure, and the way her foot tingled when it fell asleep. But mostly, Alice Brandon liked a challenge. There was something about a mystery that kept Alice hanging on. She'd gone as Nancy Drew for Halloween multiple years in a row, and once convinced Rose to be the Watson to her Sherlock.
And Edward Cullen, well, he wasn't much of a challenge. Alice could predict his movements, his thoughts, his words. This comfort she felt with Edward had always been there. And because of this, she couldn't see him as anything but a brother.
James had been mysterious and brooding and rude. Alice had weaved her way into his heart and was nestled safely between James and the armor he presented the world. And Alice liked this, because it was earned.
This thirst for knowledge helped Alice discover Bella's secret, and to see the obvious attraction between Emmett and Rosalie, and to devise the best laid plan since Edward's Loyalty Challenge of '03.
Of course, like falling in love, the best laid plans never seem to execute without a hitch…
* * *
"You're kidding dude." Jasper Swan was sitting in the back of Greg's 4Runner, a cigarette dangling in the fingers that grasped his phone. "You can't be serious. That's such a bogus excuse!"
There was a mumbling on the other line, a Charlie Brown series of "wah-wah's" that left Jasper's face red.
"Whatever. You tell 'Mr. Hill' to shove it. We've been here for-EVER." His overdramatic emphasis of ever made Greg turn his head.
"Yeah, well…I don't even know. Screw it." With that Jasper slammed his phone shut and threw it into the back seat.
"It's cancelled dude. The gig is cancelled."
Greg shook his head, his heavy brown dread locks like a skirt around his head. "'S bullshit man. No worries."
Jasper yanked his fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp. "We should just go home. We can find a gig in Seattle or something, man."
Greg nodded and stubbed out his cigarette. "Let's do it man. Ain't nothin' tying me down here."
Jasper climbed over the back seats, slamming the tail gate behind him. He sat in the passenger seat and reached behind him, feeling the cluttered back seat for his phone.
He picked up half of it, fascinated by the spider web crack on the screen before realizing his dad would pissed he broke another cell phone.
* * *
"Bella Swan. Bella Swan, please report to the volunteer tent."
The Autumn Fair was scheduled to start in 15 minutes and Renee was missing her daughter. Bella had promised yesterday to arrive early to finish setting up tables and getting the booth operators last minute tickets or change. But Bella had not anticipated Edward Cullen also arriving early to help his mother. And now she was in quite the pickle.
"Here, Bella, quick," Rosalie said, throwing a dark green dress over the bathroom stall. Bella quickly changed and threw Rosalie her other clothes. Rose stashed them in a cabinet under the sink, throwing the wig and Bella's facial hair into a plastic bag on top. Bella stepped into her silver flats and shook out her hair, frustrated with the waves that wouldn't settle.
She threw the stall door open, scaring Rosalie.
"My hair!" She yelled, causing Rose to laugh at her. A flustered Bella was something Rose had yet to witness, and she was enjoying watching her friend panic.
"Relax, I have a hair tie." Bella pulled her hair back and splashed water on her face, taking deep breaths and talking herself down.
"Bella, relax. The fair hasn't even started yet."
"Exactly! It hasn't even started and I'm freaking out!" She stomped over to the paper towel dispenser, pulling the lever down and then wiping under arms.
"Bella, cut it out!" Rose started laughing again. "You look ridiculous. Look at me."
Bella stood in the mirror, flapping her hands under arms. "Look at me, Bella Swan!"
Rose raised her voice now, and Bella froze, one had poised under arm pit. "Don't move, and look at me." Bella did as Rosalie said. "Now, calm down. Look at how ridiculous you look in the mirror."
Bella turned her head back, and realized she was fanning herself. Her face flushed red, and Rose started giggling again.
"Ok," Bella said, dropping her hands. "I can do this."
"You can. Just tell Edward you are committed at various stations, and you may not get to see much of him."
"Right. Busy. Various stations. Got it."
"And Bella," Rose said. Bella turned to face her. "Alice is like a mind reader. She plans so well, you shouldn't worry."
Bella nodded, grabbing Rosalie's hand. She gave it a squeeze and headed out to face her mother.
* * *
"Psst, man. Look at that chick over there. She's totally checking me out."
Bella groaned. After helping with set-up, she stayed Bella for about an hour, running around and introducing herself to her mother's friends. After dodging multiple bullets about Jasper's whereabouts (and multiple unanswered phone calls on his end), she found Rose and Emmett hiding behind a pottery booth, whispering about Edward. She had changed back into her Jasper clothes then, and had been dressed as such since.
"Emmett, that's Rosalie. You have done that six times now."
"I know," the boy grinned. "It just doesn't get old."
Bella rolled her eyes and tried to shove the boy, but he didn't budge.
"Edward-ay, to your left-ay," Emmett mumbled out of the corner of his mouth.
"Your pig latin sucks," Bella muttered back.
"Hey guys," Edward caught up to them. "Have you seen Bella?"
"Emmett saw her over by the cake walk booth," Bella offered. Emmett nodded.
"Ugh, I was just over there, I didn't see her," he groaned.
"Well, it's pretty packed man. Keep looking."
Edward nodded. "Right. I'll see you around."
He pushed his way back into the large crowd and disappeared.
"Come on, Alice is going to perform soon. Let's head over to the stage."
Bella nodded, and followed Emmett throw the crowd.
* * *
The 4Runner pulled up in front of the large event center, its tires squealing along the asphalt. Jasper jumped out, carrying his large duffle bag over his shoulder and waving goodbye to Greg before he speeded away.
He squinted toward the large building, ambling toward the main entrance. He passed a patch of grass where a group of girls were stretching. They looked like cheerleaders, and Jasper smirked when he realized they were checking him out.
One in particular, a short girl who looked vaguely familiar was staring widely in his direction. He looked at her, furrowing his brow, and then nodded when he recognized her from the dance. He flashed her a smile and flexed his arms as he threw his duffel over his back and headed inside.
* * *
Alice watched Jasper—the real Jasper—walk slowly into the events center.
Before she could distract him, she was hustled toward the stage entrance.
This wasn't going to be good.
* * *
I'm so sorry about the delay guys! Real life got in the way, and then I got a computer virus that put me out of business for a few weeks =/ The story is going to be wrapped up shortly, and I want to thank every one who has stuck by! I promise this next chapter will be posted in a much more reasonable amount of time =]
