AN: Yeah, so I felt guilty. It had been horrifically long since my last update so I had two ready.....so here you go. I hope you all enjoy!!
Disclaimer: Since I'm not touring Italy with Edward Cullen nor am I rocking out on stage....there's the very real possibility I own nothing and it's all Katy Perry and Stephanie Meyer...damn it all!
Arriving at rehearsals.
I jumped out of the cab, towing my guitar behind me. Come on Bella, its just rehearsals. You've been going since middle school. Grow a pair! Wait isn't that counterproductive in my quest to be more girlie...Lord! Get a hold of yourself!
Taking a deep steadying breath and trying to clear my mind of my internal ramblings I headed for the front door. Unlike yesterday I was here for the band, so doorbells are out of the question. Waltzing in seeing no one I immediately headed for the basement stairs. My foot was barely on the last stair, with the basement door in sight, when all of a sudden two dark figures appeared blocking out the light.
Naturally, I screamed and tried to jump back but only succeeded in falling partially up the stairs.
"Bells you okay?"
I growled at the concerned voice but allowed a pair of strong arms to pick me up.
"Holy crow Emmett! Are you trying to kill me?!" I gasped clutching my chest. Emmett chuckled setting me back down on my feet.
"Sorry! But that couldn't have been better if I planned it."
I rolled my eyes and straightened my hoodie, "Whatever, if you planned it it wouldn't have worked anyway."
Emmett opened his mouth to disagree but I poked him in the chest, "My last birthday." That was a particular epic failure of his.
Emmett winced, "Touche'."
I smirked as I realized that the other person, who had retrieved my guitar, was looking anxiously up at me.
"Heya Alice. What's going on?" Alice reached out and gripped my hand.
"The bitch has landed....again."
I felt myself pale. No effing way! Again?! Why must Miss Denali be here all the time. I will not allow this Oko Ono break up this band. I felt my eyes narrow and my back stiffen. I saw Jasper poke his head through the doorway and peer over Em's shoulder.
"Hey Bella, heard your scream—awesome again, but you okay?"
With my jaw clenched shut I could only nod. Jasper looked worried but my little pixie savior stepped in, "Don't worry Jazzy, we'll be in in a minute."
She smiled beatifically at him. He smiled back at her, "Okay." He gave me a pointed look that said this isn't over, before disappearing back into the basement.
I felt myself relax slightly. I was still mad but as if I had come to a unconscious decision: Tanya is already here and there isn't much I can do about it. I took a deep breath and looked at them.
"Let's get this bull shit over with."
Emmett let out a whoop of praise hitting my shoulder nearly knocking me off balance.
"Hell yeah!" He grinned steadying me before heading back into the basement.
Alice kissed my cheek, "Don't worry Bella, Bitch's going down." I snorted as she danced in after Jasper and Emmett. I made sure the zipper was pulled all the way up before grabbing my guitar and heading into the basement.
After rehearsal...
"Bella! I'm digging that melody. How are the lyrics coming?"
I glanced up at Edward his expression expectant but smiling.
Ignoring my hammering heart I said shrugging, "I'm working on it, I got the first stanza but still a long way to go."
"Well keep it up. The Fangs need something new." Edward nudged my shoulder with his before heading toward his keyboard. I looked away as strawberry-blonde practically threw herself on him obstructing his steps.
The Fangs definitely needed new music....and new groupies. Or at least the banning of all significant others. All three of the guys were nearly too busy making goo-goo eyes to see their instruments correctly.
At least when I finally entered rehearsals earlier was something to smile about.
I had walked in and the room went silent. Not good.
"Hey Bella!" Rosalie smiled at me from behind Emmett's drums again. I held my free hand up with a smile. Emmett nodded at me encouragingly, and I took a deep breath walking past Alice and Jasper to one of the beat up couches to unload my guitar.
"Bella," My hand froze on the neck of the instrument. Glancing over my shoulder I looked up into a pair of dark forest green eyes.
"Edward," I nodded and went back to my guitar. My already racing heart broke out into a sprint when his much larger pale hand covered mine. I gasped quietly feeling my body tense up.
"Bella I need to apologize." His warm breath hit the back of my neck. Luckily I was still facing the wall so he couldn't see my eyes roll back into my head. I knew it wasn't intentional but...wow, he's sexy. Since I was unable to form words I turned my head to look at him from the corner of my eye. I nodded hoping he would continue. He did but unfortunately letting go of me in the process. He stepped back allowing me to turn and face him.
"I overreacted yesterday," He paused running a through his hair, "Of course if you want to get o know Alice, that's perfectly understandable. I'm just not used to sharing my friends. So I'm sorry."
I felt my heart drop into my stomach. It wasn't an I love you but at least he recognized part of his jackass-ness.
"It's cool man," I playfully nudged his shoulder. I did mean it, it was okay, but I just wish he would figure everything else out.
Edward grinned his crooked smile at me holding his hand up. I felt my eye twitching again—seriously high fives will also be added to the list of banned things. Trying to smile back, I smacked his hand but this time was different. Instead of immediately dropping his hand afterward, he sort of slid his palm so our fingers became entwined.
My heart climbed back into my chest just to flip-flop. I looked up from our joined hands to his handsome face. His lopsided smile was still in place but his eyes were intense. It was as if he could see right into my soul. I felt my cheeks start to burn slightly as I smiled truly back at him.
"Eddie!"
I winced and Edward tightened his grip.
"Yeah?" He replied not taking his eyes off mine.
"Are you guys ever going to play?"
Edward squeezed my hand one more time before releasing me. I suddenly felt colder which is ridiculous considering how far up my hoodie was zipped.
"Let's do this Swan," Edward said picking up my guitar and holding it out to me.
"That's what she said," I smirked grabbing my guitar and skirting around him. Silence and then Edward's laughter followed us all the way through warm ups.
Now seeing the daggers Ms. Walters wannabe was shooting me over his shoulder, I knew something must be turning in my direction...or at least not hers. Either is fantastic. Grinning at her, I started packing up my guitar when I heard the she-beast start talking.
"Hey just a reminder everyone! My going away party is this Saturday at Rose and Jazz's,"
"Jasper," he amended angrily but she just ignored him.
"house. It will be a dance party so don't forget your dancing shoes!" She giggled hugging Edward around the middle. Oh gag me. Only thing worse than Tanya herself is Tanya and dancing. I was born with two left feet so this is going to be awesome....not. The only thing that brought a smile back to my face was Edward's looking uncomfortable and gracefully slipping out of her clutch and finally over to his keyboard.
HAHAHA! You're sogoing down Miss Thang. I finished snapping the locks on my case when Alice appeared at my side.
"Hi!" She grinned holding a bag.
"Alice," I looked at her apprehensively, "What's that?" I nodded to the bag.
"Just some things you left from the sleepover," she winked.
I know for a fact that I didn't leave anything. Uneasy I reached out for it with my free hand muttering my thanks. I almost cursed in surprise nearly dropping it. The innocent brown paper concealed something heavy. I looked at Alice in alarm who only rolled her eyes.
Leaning in she whispered, "It's just some homework and help," her eyes glanced down at my chest and back at my face.
Ah ha! I knew she did it on purpose. I groaned, darn pixie!, tucking the bag close to my side supporting it as if it were a small child.
But given it's weight I wouldn't be surprised if I opened it to reveal a toddler. Alice gave me a stern look and tapped my forehead, "Remember your promise."
I took a deep breath and plastered a fake smile on my face, " This is great Alice. Thanks."
She threw me another wink, "That's my girl." She pecked my cheek and pranced off. Grumbling under my breath I headed towards the door.
"Night all, I'm rolling out."
"Good night Bella," Rosalie smiled dragging a grinning Emmett behind her, "Peace out Bells," He waggled his eyebrows at me before disappearing into a darken corner. I shuddered slightly shaking my head, "Yikes."
"Night Bella," Edward smiled at me hitting random keys. I waved at him and felt my eyes tighten as Tanya stood behind him draping her arms all over him.
"See you at the party Bella," Tanya smiled a fake smile running a hand through Edward's bronze hair, "Feel free to bring that special someone."
The bitch had the audacity to wink at me. I nearly pulled an exorcist and projectile vomit all over her smirking face, but luckily I suppressed the reaction.
"No problemo Tanya, I have just the man," I sneered at her. Of course I was bluffing but movement just below my gaze redirected my attention.
Edward was staring at me in complete confusion, and it looked like is the she-beast didn't have her talons in him he would be jumping to his feet.
I just shrugged turning away, he has to figure this all out and give me a chance.
"Nightie night Bella," Alice grinned at me by the doorway.
"Night Alice thanks again for the baby," I tilted my head towards the bag that was starting to weigh down my arm.
"Here let me help you out," and before I could protest my brown paper bag child was taken from me.
"Thanks Jasper," I said suspiciously seeing his determined expression.
He followed silently behind me up the stairs, through the house, and out to my truck. He didn't say a word as I opened the cab and slid my guitar in. I know I should be irritated or something but for some reason Jasper just standing there had a very calming effect on me. Completely relaxed I got in and reached for the bag, which he handed to me without a word. I went to close the door thinking this was the extent of our exchange for the evening when as quick as lightening he reached out and grabbed the door.
"Bella," I turned to face him slowly, not completely sure what to expect. He stared straight back into my eyes, "Carl Jung said 'The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances; if there is any reaction both are transformed. Just think about that before you try proving anything to anyone, okay?"
I nodded, completely dumbstruck.
"Night Bells," He smiled patting my shoulder before closing the door and heading back into the house.
I took a couple of deep breaths trying to relax again. Jasper didn't understand. I needed to change, to transform, Edward on the other hand was without imperfections....well except for being oblivious and attracting strawberry-blonde she-devils.
Ugh! I hit my head against the steering wheel. This all is twisted and wrong. In moments like this where my best buddies couldn't fix this humpty-dumpty, there was one that could. I pulled out my cell phone and texted my equivalent to a human security blanket:
911: Need you to talk me down from the ledge
Okay, maybe that was a little melodramatic, but I was desperate and that 's not actually different from what I usually send them.
I tolled my phone to the side and slid my key into the ignition. Relaxing slightly under my truck's roar I pulled my truck around and started home. I was barely out of the long driveway when lyrics were desperately pulling on my attention trying to get free. So instead of ignoring them and probably getting into an accident from being so distracted, I pulled over. I blindly retrieved a pen and a scrap of paper and started writing down the lyrics.
Pulling back and rereading what I considered to be the chorus of the song, I couldn't help thinking about how I really need to get a notebook instead of collection of a bunch of random pieces of paper with different parts of the song attached. The chorus read:
So I don't wanna be
One of the boys
One of your guys
Just gimmie a chance to prove to you tonight
That I just wanna be
One of the girls
Pretty in pearls
Not one of the boys
Well, that was easy enough to write down but why did it have to be so hard to say or in Edward's case figure out? I pulled back onto the road with a sigh.
This was going to be a l-o-n-g summer.
Reviews are like stars in the night sky...they brighten up my life :)
p.s. I meant no offense to Oko Ono or any of her supporter/fans. It's just a figure of speech, albeit a bad one but I think Bella would say it...once again I apologize.
