Chapter 11, in which Carlisle and Esmé leave town and their kids throw a Halloween party that goes horribly awry for Edward
"What about you kids? Would you like to make a trip back, see some old friends?"
Carlisle had a genetics conference to attend in Chicago, and Esmé planned to accompany him.
In a moment of pure silent-film physical comedy, all five of us made rapid-fire eye contact with every single other sibling and remained perfectly silent.
I spoke up first. "Chemistry midterm," I lied, smoothly. Seemed feasible.
"Yeah, me too…a couple of tests, and a paper due," Alice pitched in.
"All right," agreed Carlisle. "You're clearly old enough to take care of yourselves for a long weekend. But listen to me. If you have any friends over, there will not be any drinking. And, if there is any drinking among your friends,"—Carlisle was nothing if not a realist—"you five will remain sober and will personally make sure everyone gets home safely, or stays here. Am I understood?" We all nodded. "Do I have your word?" We each gave our word.
This was music to my ears, actually. My brain was working two steps ahead, and I realized that with Bella's father as police chief, no way could he be called out to break up an out-of-control party at my house, and no way could she get caught by him drinking at a party at my house, period. Not if I wanted to…well, who knows what I wanted. All I knew was this could be the perfect set-up for another Bella-sleeps-over-at-the-Cullens' scenario.
The night of the party was the Saturday before Halloween, which fell on a Monday, so we threw a costume party. Alice invited Bella to sleep over again, just as I had expected, and Bella came over early to help us get ready, which in actual practice meant Alice's getting to dress her up. Alice had already attempted to go to work on me in the days leading up to the party, but I made it clear I would submit only to the minimum, costume-wise.
After Bella was closeted with Alice in her room for an inordinate amount of time, I heard footsteps on the stairs and peeked out of the kitchen to see Bella coming down. She was wearing a black velvet knee-length dress with a square collar, black stockings, and some scarily pointy black patent-leather kitten-heeled pumps. Her hair was curled and sort of pulled back and pinned up on top of her head, with curls falling down her back. She wobbled downstairs and didn't look quite right.
"Bella, are you all right? You look kind of pale."
She grinned. Plastic vampire fangs against blood-red lips.
I laughed, pulling the pair Alice had given me out of my pocket and popping them in. "Vlah vlah."
She came into the kitchen and surveyed my snack prep. "Need some help?" she asked.
"Sure. Uh, can you put these chips in a bowl?" I handed her a bag and gestured to the cupboard. A moment later Alice came into the room, dressed as a sexy nurse, complete with little nurse's hat, short skirt, impressive cleavage, and large black medical bag in hand.
"Nice shoes," I complimented her. She was wearing actual white nurse's shoes. "Authentic."
"I strive for authenticity."
"What's in the bag? Is it time for my meds?"
She pulled it open. It was full of makeup.
"I've come to put on your finishing touches. Can I please put this in your hair?" She held up a jar of blue-green Dippity Doo and a black comb.
"Pass," I intoned. My hair was always going in every direction at once, thanks in part to my habit of running my hands through it and ruffling it when I was nervous or bored, but despite my control-freakish tendencies I didn't fancy that slicked-back Bela Lugosi look. I had also refused to let her dress me, opting instead for a plain black t-shirt and black jeans.
She sighed and tossed the goop back in the bag, pulling out a tube of white makeup and a palette of oil face paints.
"OK," she said resignedly. "Sit down and close your eyes."
I did as instructed and let her paint my face pale and give me dark circles under the eyes. Last step was painting my lips blood red, like Bella's. She told me to relax my mouth as she brushed on the color. I opened my eyes to see Bella watching me intently, lips parted. She looked away at once, turning pink, and got busy filling the bowl in her hand with chips.
Alice leaned back to regard her work, and seemed satisfied. "All right, you'll do." She turned to Bella. "How about you? Are you all good?" she asked. Bella glanced at me and gestured to Alice to follow her into the other room. I heard Alice giggling a moment later and I leaned back and craned my neck to peek through the door after them. "So, you just lick your fingers and then run them up the back of your leg," Alice was explaining, as she demonstrated on her own leg. Bella imitated her, then started plucking at her dress at mid-thigh level as if she were adjusting her stocking. I gawked, realizing that she must be wearing thigh-highs. Or, a garter belt. Jesus Christ, I thought, rubbing my face. Alice looked over and caught my eye. "Don't smear your makeup, you naughty thing," she scolded me, waggling one finger. Then she winked at me. The doorbell rang, guests began pouring in, and the party was underway.
I didn't really talk to Bella for most of the night. It was like we were circling around each other, saving each other for last. I was talking to her friends, even Jessica and Lauren, whom I usually tried to ignore as much as possible, and she was talking to my siblings. It was obvious to me that something was up between us because the only ones we weren't talking to were each other. The anticipation was killing me. But I didn't really want to be with her amid all these people, I wanted her to myself when the party had died down.
It was getting close to midnight. I was sitting near the doorway between the kitchen and the living room, admiring her in that black velvet dress. It fit her like a glove and set off her pale skin. She was on the other side of the room talking with Angela and Ben, a bottle of beer in one hand. I wasn't sure who had brought it but I wasn't worrying about it because she was staying over anyway. My main concern was trying to figure out how to get her alone. I wanted to talk to her, and I really wanted to try to kiss her. Was it too cold to take her outside? Probably. I could invite her up to my room. Not sure she would go for that. I wasn't trying to seduce her, I just wanted to kiss her. Properly. Oh, and just slip my fingertips up her skirt to see if I was right about her stockings. That was all.
"Hey, Edward," came a breathy voice in my ear. "Stop staring at Bella Swan." I looked up. It was Lauren, of all people.
"Oh, hey, Lauren." I jerked my chin up by way of greeting.
"Edward," she drawled. "I have a secret to tell you."
She leant down, put her mouth close to my ear, and suddenly wrapped her arm around my neck and stuck her tongue in my ear. Bella looked over at that precise moment, then quickly looked away.
"Yow, Lauren! What are you doing?" I pushed her off me, too roughly. She crashed into the doorframe behind us and hit her head against it with a sharp rap.
"Oh shit, I am sorry. Are you OK?" I stood up, grasped her shoulder, and felt the back of her head, checking for blood. With my luck, Bella would be looking over at us again, I worried. I needed to get away from Lauren as fast as possible.
"Look, uh, stay here, I'll go get you some Advil." Her head was going to be hurting tomorrow anyway. She was totally slurring her words. Someone was going to have to take her home. It was not going to be me. I darted off towards the stairs, heading for my parents' bathroom, but she was right behind me. I spun around and gripped her by the arms.
"Lauren, you cannot come upstairs with me," I hissed. "Stay here."
"Why not?" she hissed back. She grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me towards her to whisper in my ear. "Come on, Edward, I'm so much more fun than that little virgin. Let's just go upstairs. I'll make you feel good."
Little virgin? I liked that. However, what did Lauren really know about Bella anyway? But I had been wondering about that. I sort of assumed that she was too pretty to make it to age seventeen without somebody getting her into bed…but then she didn't seem very experienced… she blushed so easily…I liked that too…part of the reason I was so shy about Bella was I was a little worried she was more experienced than I was, but if not, well, that's completely different…My fascinating reverie was interrupted by the sudden painful awareness that my weird little struggle with Lauren at the foot of the stairs was being witnessed by Bella, who set her beer down and walked away. I was not sure what it appeared was happening, but it certainly appeared that something was going on between me and Lauren, who was now tugging on the waistband of my jeans. I slapped her hand away.
"Fuck!" I swore at Lauren, uncharacteristically. "Will you get the fuck away from me? Just leave me alone!" I disentangled myself from her, which took some doing because she seemed to have eight hands and was listing slightly like a ship at sea. She was also hissing at me about "not being such a fruitcake."
I bolted into the living room but did not see Bella. I charged up to Angela. "Where'd Bella go?" I demanded.
Angela looked conscious. "I think she left, Edward."
"Left?" I strode out to the entryway and through the window in the front door saw Bella, with a mass of woolen coat, scarf, and hat piled in her arms, marching towards her decrepit truck. I chased after her.
"Bella! Where are you going? I thought you were staying over!"
She spat out a laugh. "Right, Edward, I don't feel well. I'm going home. Can you tell Alice, please?"
I ran my hands through my hair. "You can't drive. You've been drinking beer."
"Just a half a beer. It'll be fine."
"Oh no it won't, Miss Police Chief's Daughter. I'll drive you home," I informed her. I grabbed the keys from her hand and opened the door for her. To my relief, she did not put up an argument. I got in the driver's side, then hopped back out and ran over to Alice's scooter, which was parked by the garage. I pocketed the key, which was sitting on top of the front tire, and rolled it over to the truck. I heaved it into the truck bed, got back in the truck cab, and started the engine with a deafening roar.
"Double-pump the clutch, " Bella instructed. Wha? OK, there. God, I hope I can figure out how to drive this thing. How old is this truck?
After a minute, she continued. "But isn't your girlfriend waiting back there for you?"
"She's not my girlfriend."
No response.
"She is nothing," I elaborated.
"You were all over her. You were all over her, and just last weekend…I thought… It seemed like…" She stopped talking. I glanced over and saw tears were welling up in her eyes. Oh no, please don't cry.
"She was all over me."
"Same difference."
"It's not the same at all."
"I can't figure you out. Are you a player? Or are you some stuck-up guy who thinks nobody is good enough for him, like all those girls say? What are you?"
"I'm neither of those things."
Silence.
"Bella, Lauren is jealous. Of you." I looked over at her again.
Bella looked incredulous.
"Look, she is jealous of you. All right?" Say it. Out loud. Just say it. Can't say it.
"Please don't cry." I wanted to touch her cheek, but I was afraid the gesture would come off badly. Like I was all over everyone.
"Did you use to go out with her? Because I heard you did," she said peevishly.
"Who told you that?"
"So it's true?"
"No, it is not true. I never went out with Lauren. She wanted to go out with me, when I first came here."
She blew out her breath in a huff. We drove for a few more minutes in silence, and then were pulling up in front of her house. I got out and walked around to her side, stopping to unlock the tailgate, and then opened her door. She was wiping her eyes and gathering up her various woolen garments.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"I'm walking you to the door, goose."
I trudged with her up the path to her front door, in silence. I handed her keys to her. She slid the housekey into the lock.
"Bella…"
She turned to look up at me when the door suddenly opened. Chief Swan's bulky frame filled the doorway, and the quizzical look on his face was soon replaced with wary concern when he took in Bella's sullen, tearstained face. He glanced at me, looked back at her, and again at me, narrowing his eyes. Crap. I took an involuntary step back and straightened up. I was painfully aware that I was wearing makeup.
"Bella, what's this? Is everything OK?" he asked, his voice scarily calm.
"Dad, this is Edward. Cullen. Alice's brother."
Chief Swan seemed to relax slightly, but not completely.
"Edward." He nodded.
"Hello, Chief Swan." I nodded back, speaking as politely as possible. "Bella wasn't feeling well, and Alice asked me to bring her home." I was praying he couldn't detect the smell of beer on her breath. She hadn't drunk much, according to her, but he seemed like the kind of man who didn't miss much.
"Are you ill?" he asked her.
"Yes," she said, smoothly playing along with my story, to my relief. "I think I am coming down with something. I'd like to lie down." Chief Swan removed one hand from the doorframe to allow her to pass, then reassumed his position blocking the entryway.
"Feel better, Bella," I called after her. Already on the stairs, she turned and looked back at me over her father's shoulder. "Good night," she said, softly.
"Well, thanks for bringing her home, Edward," said Chief Swan, dubiously.
"Yes, sir. Good night." I stammered.
"Good night." The door shut with a click.
I let out a long breath and banged my head against the doorframe. I walked back towards the bed of her truck, and half-drug, half-lifted Alice's scooter out of the truck bed and shut the tailgate. As I strapped on the helmet I looked up at her house, wondering which room was hers. I wanted her to come and look at me through the window. One light was on in a room upstairs, to the top left of the front door, but no Bella appeared. I kicked up the kickstand and motored back home.