Chapter 12- Over eager and Stitches

B.P.O.V

"Two hours! Two whole hours of my life are gone." I wailed to Alice who still was dissatisfied with a couple of curls. "Come on Alice, please stop. It looks good."

"Yes good but not great" her tone implied I should have known good was just not good enough.

"Please Alice?"

"There much better" what the difference was I couldn't tell. I didn't care all that much I was just grateful the torture had ceased. "Your room right now, I need to pick your dress out." I sat on the end of Alice's bed while she raced to my room. I could her talking to herself, animatedly discussing the pro's and con's to my wardrobe.

"Here, your blue one. What do you think? I think it will look great, lovely even. Go-on put it on then." she pulled me off her bed and reached for the buttons on my shirt.

I pushed her hands away "Alice I can undress and dress myself. You can pick shoes. Just make then good shoes. Shoes that I will not kill myself while wearing. Or go get yourself ready, you know your own makeup and hair."

"mmmm no." she flapped her hand in my direction. I took that as an ok to go and change. I fled her room and raced for the sanctuary of my room.

I slid the dress on in my bathroom, surprised at how good I did actually look. I did not look like me at all and maybe I could have a little fun tonight. Now that was a weird thought fun and a function together. The dress was simple but detailed and beautiful. Strapless midnight blue with a flair at the waist. On the top there was floral embroidery in fine silvery thread. (on profile) I had to give Alice a credit she did know what she was doing when it came to clothes and dressing people.

"Ooooh Bella it is so pretty." Alice stuck her head around the corner "here are your shoes." I sighed "I know they are a little high but they are gorgeous and will show of your dress and legs. It will work and don't worry I won't let you fall over."

She twirled around on the spot. "What do you think of my dress?"

"Alice! You know no matter what you put on you will look stunning." and she did look stunning. Electric blue was not a colour many could wear and still look amazing. Alice was one of a minority and the dress was definitely made for her. Like a tutu gone wild it fit her like a glove up top and flared in an interesting pattern at the base. (also on profile)"It is just amazing"

"Thanks" she giggled and then dragged me out the door "we have to go, it would not be fitting for the guests of honour to be late."

"Guests of honour" I spluttered out. She must have felt me instantly tense in her arms.

"I am just teasing you. Now come on."

I stood at the top of the stairs, suddenly nervous. Out of no where Esme appeared camera in hand.

"Smile you two" my nervousness quickly turned to embarrassment. I did not appreciate the idea that me falling down the stairs would be captured on film. There was a very high chance I would fall down the stairs in the shoes Alice had picked for me. I was used to the camera, every occasion it had been pulled out with Alice often taking copious photos under the spell of her uncontrolled enthusiasm. Alice immediately posed pulling me closer to her. Closer then I already was. I smiled. It was hard not to smile though when Alice was around.

"You both look beautiful" Carlisle materialised behind his wife. Both he and Esme were dressed in complimenting shades of pale blue. I could tell Alice had co-ordinated their wardrobe as she he wanted to do with us and Edward. She had gone to the extremes that she was limited to, being as she was not planning the party herself.

"Typical" Alice broke through my thoughts "Edward keeps us waiting" Edward down the stairs smiling, also in a blue shirt.

"Well when your painfully perfectionist sister decides the colour of my shirt was not the correct shade of blue an hour before leaving and demands you get a new one, being a little late is only to be expected."

"Well you should have known, you can read minds."

"Enough, Alice, Edward behave and smile" Esme laughed brandishing the camera. She then proceeded to take photos of the three of us til Alice stole the camera and turned it on her.

The function was small. Well the town was small so it was understandable. However, the turnout was impressive. While I was worried about being overdressed I soon lost that fear. I was dressed appropriately compared to a number of the people attending. Especially compared to the doctors and their wives or significant other. Floor length gowns in satin and silk seemed just to over the top for me. Alice amused Edward and me after our introductions, with ongoing commentary on her opinions of the dresses, colours, hairstyles.

"It is all so gawdy." she complained again "I could do this so sooo much better. Even the lighting is wrong."

"Alice it is the conference room, they were hardly going to re-do the lighting" Edward smiled that crooked smile

"It is a large conference room though" and it was a large room. Well I thought it was.

"That is because they use it for more then just conferences." I turned startles and nearly tripped over my own feet. He grabbed me and helped me steady myself. He being the a boy about our age with expressive eyes and a friendly smile. "Hello, I am Mike Newton. My family owns the camping store here. Every year we attend the fundraiser and that is how I can tell you about the conference room." he smiled a little embarrassed but held out his hand with confidence.

"Bella" was all I said

"And we are her brother sister" Alice stepped forward her hand held out. "I'm Alice and this is Edward"

"Nice to meet you. Will you be going to school here?"

"Yes starting Monday" Alice answered seemingly content to take to control.

"Well I will keep an eye out for you all. What grade will be in?" Alice answered again, happy to just look around.

"That's great I will definitely look out for you, we will be in the same grade and I am positive that will mean some of the same classes as well. So are you triplets, to all be in the same grade? You do not look related. Sorry if that seems rude."

"No not at all. Nothing to be sorry for. We are adopted Edward and I are related we have another brother, Emmett as well. Emmett is with Rosalie and Jasper who are brother and sister and also adopted. And then there is Bella here who is just a stray we picked up." I glared at Alice while they laughed

"A stray?" I muttered.

"Yes pretty much" she giggled causing me to glare at her.

"Well I should get back to my parents, we are leaving soon as I am working early tomorrow morning. However if you are free tomorrow night we could hang out. Or even Sunday. It means when you start Monday you have a friend there already." he beamed at us. Wow he was bubbly, over eager, but I thought he was also friendly and likeable.

"Give us your number Mike and we will call about doing something tomorrow. Maybe a movie?"

"We Will?!" Edward and I asked incredulous at Alice planning our weekend. It not was surprising she did it all the time. But I was amazed she was practically agreeing for us.

"Great. I look forward to hearing from you" he bounded away, looking over his shoulder occasionally smiling at us.

"Over excited isn't he" Edward grumbled.

"I thought he was lots of fun" Alice interjected "What did you think Bella?"

"He seemed… um friendly?"

"Yes I agree, I will call him tomorrow I think we should go see a movie. That would be good."

"We should?! It would?!" again Edward and I were incredulous.

"Yes Bella, we should and it will be good. Besides I think he likes you." She glowed upon saying that. The possibility of match making had her seemingly levitating in happiness.

"Alice will you never stop making my life difficult.?"

E.P.O.V

It was another time I found myself wishing I knew what Bella was thinking. Alice had just told Bella of Mike's instant crush on her, she assumed or had foreseen a potential for a relationship between Bella and Mike. I had seen Mike's crush on Bella bouncing blatantly around his boring mind.

He had his eye on Bella, I mean who didn't have their eye on her. And not just tonight. Tonight she was stunning, well more so then normal. I tried reading Alice's mind I knew she had seen something after she agreed to us hanging out with Mike. Her blocking annoyed me unbelievably so. I turned my attention back to the conversation going on between Alice and Bella.

"Alice will you never stop making my life difficult.?" Bella basically growled at Alice while scowling at her.

"Maybe" Alice said to Bella's retreating form as she stalked off towards Esme. "I will be choosing your outfit for tomorrow" Bella turned and stuck her tongue out, then stormed off.

"You just love stirring her up don't you?"

"It is so much fun. So am I right about Mike? I am! He likes her. Well who doesn't like Bella." Alice prattled I refused to answer

"Well he does. I am right. I can tell from your reluctance to let me know I am right"

"Yes" a simple answer seemed easier

"Tomorrow will be fun. I can already see that."

"And you can see other things to can't you?"

"Yes I can and I am not telling you?" she basically sung "It is so very exciting"

There was a loud crashing sound. The sound of glass breaking.

"Bella?" Esme's voice cut through the noise of the startled gathering.

"Trust her to fall over and bleed." Alice said dryly.

The smell was intoxicating, floral and sweet, yet instead of hunger all I felt was a sense of fear. The same look of concern was on Alice's face.

"She will be ok, just some glass in the wound. It will require stitches." she whispered to me, low enough that only I would hear. "At least she is in the right place for a doctor. Want to bet how many stitches she will need."

We pushed through the crowd to get to our family. Bella was surrounded by people, Esme was there holding her uncut hand and Carlisle was looking at the cuts on her arm.

"Alright, lets get you downstairs, you will need stiches. What are we going to do with you?" he picked her up of the ground. Bella was paler then normal, clammy and visible faint. I laughed internally at her, the sight or more importantly smell of blood made her sick. "Where would it be best to take her?" Carlisle asked a man beside him, obviously another doctor. The doctor gestured that he would lead them in the right direction. The doctor might have spoken but I was to busy watching the pained expression on Bella's face.

"Sssh honey it is okay" Esme comforted Bella as she whimpered in Carlisle's arms. We walked to the elevator in silence, expect for the occasional sob Bella made when she moved her arm.

Alice and I chose to wait outside in the hall while Carlisle worked at getting glass shards out of Bella's left arm and hand. From what I could get from people's thoughts the waiter had bumped into Bella, sending the tray of empty glasses and Bella falling. Bella had then attempted to break her fall by putting her hands out and she managed to land in the broken glassware. A very Bella thing to do.

"Are you ready to go home?" Esme asked as she walked out of the doctor's room first, Carlisle followed holding a very unsteady Bella upright.

"I will go get the car and meet you by the door. I never get to drive." Alice disappeared

"How many stitches this time?" I joked

"Three on my hand, five on my arms so I haven't beaten my record of twelve stiches on one arm."

"That is a good thing and please try to not to break that record sweetie. I am asking for myself and also Rosalie and Emmett." Esme asked her eyes full of concern.

"I will try…"

"… but it is Bella so she can not make those promises" I teased her.

The drive home was fast with Alice behind the wheel.

"I guess I will not have to go to the movies tomorrow" Bella smiled happy to be getting out of Alice's plans

"Of course you will be still coming with us" Alice informed her as she turned onto our long driveway. "Just because you butchered yourself doesn't mean you can't socialise."

"Really?"

"Yes really, now you should get up to bed, you need to look pretty tomorrow. Well prettier then you already do look." she sighed and walked up into the house, she had a very defeated look about her.


Hello all, sorry about the delay in updating but life is non-stop busy for me, my pratical is giving me no free time at all. i hope this chapter is enjoyable, it took me 3 days to get this written and then typed up. hopefully it is ok.

if i am lucky i will be able to update sooner.

bye

River x