First off, I would like to thank everyone who has been taking the time to review. Seriously, I never knew how much reviews seriously motivate a writer until I had little to no motivation to get this chapter out. Your reviews are the reason why this chapter got out in the time that it did. As a thanks I have made this one my longest chapter yet! Next thing, I decided to take a sort of different approach for the makeover than what they usually tend to be. For those of you who love reading about Alice forcing Bella into a thousand different oufits while Edward goes gaga for everything she puts on while sitting outside of the dressing room or something along those lines, I am sorry! Eddie is going to have some guy time while the girls shop. I may do an outtake from either Bella's or Alice's POV for this chapter in the future, but until then, it's Edward's story. Hope you all enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Oh, forgot to mention, I sort of changed the format for their texts. It was easier this way.
Makeover
After Bella dropped me off at my house, I ran inside the door feeling lighter than I had in a long time. Bella knew my past, and I now knew her's. Unfortunately, we did have a lot in common when it came to that, but our pasts are our pasts. They are done and over with, so now we can look towards the future.
Bella was officially my girlfriend! Who would have guessed that I would be saying those words a few weeks ago and been excited over the fact. I sure as hell would have never expected it, but it is true, in so little time, I have fallen head over heels for Isabella Swan. Now if I can just get her to see herself as I do.
I knew what I was going to have to do, and Bella was guaranteed not to like it. I was laying on my bed thinking over a plan. I had to somehow release Alice on Bella without totally overwhelming her, but how? Alice was a naturally exuberant, but where I knew how to handle that, Bella would have no clue. Alice would completely attack her without meaning to.
There was no other way to succeed in this effort though without my twin, I was hopeless at this makeover stuff. Yes, I planned on getting Bella a makeover. Not that my beautiful Bella really needed one, but if this helped her to see herself more clearly then it is worth it. I decided to just bite the bullet and explain my idea to Alice. Maybe I can reel her in before we even go, not likely.
"Ali!" I shouted while rolling off my bed. I walked over to my futon as I heard her footfalls quickly approaching my room. I threw my body back onto my black leather futon as Alice burst through my door with a huge grin on her face.
"Yes, brother dearest?" she smiled wider. I sighed, this was most likely going to blow my ear drums out. Oh well, better just say it.
"Alice, my favorite and only sister, I need you to help me give Bella a makeover."
Alice squealed and began to jump up and down while clapping her hands. Yep, that squeal just killed my hearing for at least a week. I waited for Alice to settle down before saying anything else. When Alice was super excited, as she was now, the only way to get through the rest of my thoughts without any more squeals was to just let her get it all out at once.
After about five minutes she jumped onto the futon and sat indian style facing me with a giant smile gracing her pixie-like features. Her green eyes were alight with pure excitement and love for me for coming to her for this task.
"So, you may continue now," she laughed a little. She even knew how she was with these kinds of things.
"You good?"
"Yep."
"No more interruptions?"
"Dammit, Edward!" she exclaimed with her arms thrown up in the air. "I am dying of suspense here. You can't just use the words Bella and makeover in the same sentence then leave me hanging. I have been secretly wanting to get my hands on her wardrobe for a while now."
I sighed at my sister's brutal honesty of what she thought of Bella's fashion sense. "Okay, Ali, here's the deal, I just really want to show Bella how beautiful she is. She has some, um, self confidence issues and has in the past. That's her story to tell, but let's just say that she needs a boost to her ego. I don't want you to change who she is through this makeover, I want it to still feel like Bella. If that makes sense?"
"It makes complete sense, Eddie. You want me to just make Bella a polished version of who she is now. Get her some new clothes, teach her how to use a little make-up, maybe add some layers to her hair, et cetera. At the end of the day though, you want her to still be who she was, but able to see herself more as you do. Did I get it?"
"Yes, you did," I let go of the breath I had unknowingly been holding. Alice said exactly what I wanted to hear her say. "Thanks for understanding, Alice."
"No problem, bro," she said with a sweet smile. "It's a twin thing, remember, no need to thank me. I want to do this for you and for Bella. I can really see good things coming out of a little bonding between me and her."
"Still aiming for the best friend thing?" I asked her, referring to her premonition that was of me and Bella in love, and Alice and Bella as best friends.
"I really want to give it a shot because as much as I see her needing you, she needs me too. She needs a best girlfriend as much as a best guyfriend."
"Um, Ali, what if I told you I wasn't just a friend anymore?"
Alice squealed again and launched herself at me, wrapping me in her little arms. "You asked her to be your girlfriend!" I nodded, earning another squeal. "I am so excited for you right now!"
"Thanks, Alice."
Alice and I talked a little more before Alice decided that she needed to go do a little research. When I asked her what about she told me I would see the outcome of it all eventually, probably about current fashions, not that she didn't already know all that. I returned to laying on my bed, planning the weekend shopping trip in my mind.
We would be best off just going straight to Seattle because all the big shops were there. Port Angeles wasn't going to cut it for this trip. I pulled out my phone and sent Bella a quick text asking her what she was up to all Saturday. As I waited for Bella's response, I searched the internet for fashions that were trending right now on my laptop. What I saw was perfect for Bella. Most of the styles right now that I knew my sister would get for my girlfriend fit her.
I felt my phone buzz and I'd be lying if I said my heart did not pick up a bit. A reaction like this from a text? What was this girl, who has captured my heart so quickly, doing to me? I laughed a little as I opened the text.
To: Edward
That depends on what you have in mind...
-Bella-
To: Bella
The surprise ;)
-Edward
To: Edward
I told you I hate surprises :(
-Bella-
To: Bella
Trust me?
-Edward
To:Edward
In theory...
-Bella-
My phone began to ring. I glanced down at the screen. Bella.
"Hello, beautiful," I answered the phone with a smile. I knew she was going to be difficult.
"Okay, if I agree to do whatever you are planning this Saturday, will you just promise me that it won't be some party or something," she sounded uncomfortable as she said this.
"I can tell you that it is not a party, but Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie will be coming with us."
"Okay, I can deal with them, just not everyone else right now."
"Why not?" I asked curious now.
"Edward, it was one thing when we were friends. People talked then but passed it off as nothing. Now we are dating..."
"Who cares!" I cut her off. "Bella, you have to understand that what others think doesn't effect me and you should not allow it to effect you. We know the truth about us, so in the end that is all that matters."
"Thank you," Bella sighed. "You really are too good for someone like me, but somehow you are still here."
Hopefully Saturday's trip was going to fix some things with that statement. "Isabella Swan, you are going to have to get your father's gun to rid yourself of me!"
Bella laughed, "I would never get rid of you, sweet, rash, boyfriend!"
"Good, beautiful and caring, girlfriend! I'll pick you up at ten on Saturday!"
"Whatever, seeing as I can't get out of this surprise, love you!"
"I love you too, Bella," I breathed into the phone as I hit end. "So much..."
I liked the playful Bella that makes appearances every one and a while. The playful Bella was the one I wanted to be present all the time, well, along with the sweet and innocent Bella. The Bella I wanted to eradicate like the plague was this doubting Bella. That Bella needed to go!
The rest of the week passed quickly. Bella attempted to get the surprise out of me every chance she got, but I wasn't giving in. She even stooped as low as asking Emmett, but the oaf knew that if he told Bella about the makeover, I'd tell Esme about his dirty magazines under his bed. The whispers about Bella and me grew more prevalent as the week progressed. We had taken to a little more in public which really got people talking. I ignored it all, but I could tell Bella wasn't as thick skinned as I was, not that it surprised me considering what she went through growing up.
Finally, after a low key night of watching movies with everyone, Saturday morning was upon us. We opted to take Em's Jeep because it had more room for all of us and the numerous shopping bags we were guaranteed to have by bringing Alice along. Emmett drove, Rose rode shotgun, I sat one captain seat with Bella in the other and Alice and Jazz in the back. By this point Bella had guessed that we were going to Seattle, but she still didn't know what we were doing.
Emmett was screwing around with his iPod as he drove. I was about to kill myself if I heard one more song by Weezy. Honestly, I respect the guy as an artist, but titling a song Gonorrhea is going a little far. I was begging Em to just put on some Coldplay, Radiohead or something other than rap. I knew he had it on his iPod too and just felt like driving me up a freaking wall.
Suddenly a weird polka or something with a techno-ish beat came on. I didn't recognize it, but Emmett was clearly excited by it. He began to dance like an idiot while driving the car. Rose just shook her head at the antics. I still didn't recognized the song as Emmett went on to sing along with it. It was in some different language, maybe Italian. Bella was giggling silently beside me.
"You know this song?" I asked her, hoping for some explanation for why Bella found something funny that my immature brother did also.
"We No Speak Americano," Bella said with a little giggle again. "My friend at the reservation played it one day. I don't really enjoy this kind of music, but I find the song a little silly."
I laughed along with her then as I listened to the upbeat song my brother was still "rocking out" to. Before we knew it, we were pulling into the lot at the Seattle mall. Bella's eyes grew huge and she began to shake her head as we got out of the car. I grabbed her hand in mine and brought it to my lips while laying a chaste kiss on it.
"Bella, love, resisting is going to do you no good."
"No, no, no!" Bella attempted to get back in the Jeep. "I don't go shopping for a reason. I am comfortable with what I wear. Plus I am flat broke, so this is pointless."
Alice came to stand in front of us. She opened her purse and whipped out four credit cards with a fierce look on her face. Without saying a word, which was odd for the pixie, she placed the cards in Bella's hand. Bella, of course, attempted to give the cards back, but Alice had already began to drag Jasper towards the entrance. Emmett and Rosalie followed them. Bella gave me one last glance asking me to help her with her eyes before I pulled her to the entrance also.
Once inside the massive building, Alice was immediately on a mission.
"Okay, Bella, I have a complete plan made up for today, but for my plan to work the guys have to go away for a while, alright?"
"Wait, Alice..." I started before getting a death glare from her. Don't cross the pixie on a mission!
"I want Edward to come along," Bella spoke up for the first time since Alice pulled the card stunt.
Alice walked over to her and whispered something in her ear. Bella smirked a little while nodding her head. Rosalie just huffed and crossed her arms which drew Em's attention to her chest. When Jasper noticed Emmett oogling Rose's chest he smacked him in the back of the head.
"What was that for asshole!" Emmett roared.
"For staring at my sister's boobs!" Jasper said, his voice raising.
"I let you stare at Ali's boobs and don't do shit like that!"
"Well, I am a Southern gentleman and don't drool while staring at my girl's, um, goods."
"You totally walked into a pole that one time when..."
I wasn't going to listen to this anymore. I could feel myself losing brain cells from their bickering. I looked over to where Bella and Alice were just standing to find that they had disappeared. Rosalie had left also, so now I was all alone. I wondered around the mall aimlessly until I felt my phone go off in my pocket. I whipped it out of my pocket as fast as possible, thinking that it was Bella who was texting me. I growled to myself when I read the name. Emmett, dammit!
To: Eddie
Hey Pussy get your ass to the arcade now!
-Emmett the Great
Sometimes I seriously wonder how we are related, but since I had nothing better to do, I headed to the arcade. I walked in to find Jazz and Em locked in a heated argument about something. They are probably still fighting over looking chests. I will admit that Jazz is less obvious with looking at Ali that way which is why he is still dating her. If he acted like Emmett does towards Rose, though his actions are out of love, he'd be gone a long time ago.
"Eddie, perfect, you can be the judge," Emmett said as he broke out of the argument.
"Judge of what?" Jasper asked.
"Our contest you dipshit!"
"What contest?" I asked now.
"Our contest to see who's staring is more appropriate," Emmett stated while rolling his eyes. "Emo-boy thinks that his 'Southernly' ways are more polite, and I say that a woman wants to know that you like her goods." I had to laugh at Emmett's use of that nickname for Jasper. We have always made fun of him for his Emo hairstyle, except it was blonde instead of black.
"I agree with Jasper, contest done," I smirked. "Now let's go find the girls!"
"Eddie, that was uncalled for! Not siding with your flesh and blood! We aren't asking your opinion though, we are settling this in a manly way."
"And how's that?"
"Yes, how are we settling this, Emmett?" Jasper looked at him with a look of confusion.
"DDR!" Emmett shouted like a little kid and ran to the game.
"Huh?" Jasper and I both stared at him like he was insane, which for Emmett was the usual, but still.
"Come on, Emo-boy, get your Texan ass up here!"
Jasper growled, "Stop calling me Emo-boy!"
"Alright, but get up here! Eddie, you judge."
I was puzzled, didn't Emmett know that the game was going to keep score for them? It was as if Jasper read my mind because right at that moment he asked Emmett that same question. Emmett just swore at him and put in a two dollars to begin the game.
The upbeat techno music began and the two started to play the game. I could not believe that Jasper was actually going through with this game. It was cool whenever we were in like sixth grade, but now it just looks ridiculous. Emmett was stomping on the arrows so forcefully that I thought he was going to break the machine. Add in the fact that he was always a second too slow, and even though Jasper wasn't that great at the game, he was still kicking Em's ass.
I laughed as Emmett lost the third song, swearing loudly as he kicked the safety bar while jumping down. Jasper just got down with a smug look on his face. Nothing else needed to be said. Emmett knew he lost and saying anything about it would enrage him further. Right now he just needed to cool off, so Jasper and I just followed him out of the arcade in silence.
Once Emmett settled down a bit we sent a text to the girls to see if they wanted to get a bite to eat. It was around two and none of us had eaten since leaving Forks. Alice responded first, saying that they would meet us in the food court in five minutes. I couldn't wait to see my Bella. I wonder if she is wearing some of her new stuff? We walked to the food court and decided to just order for the girls. We all got pizza and found a table overlooking the shops below.
"Hey boys," Alice said from behind us. I whipped around to find Bella's eyes. She still looked the same as she did this morning, but something was a little different about her. She had a certain confidence to the way she was standing. Alice was doing her job just right.
We all split up into our own conversations with our significant others, but I could hear Alice laughing as Jasper recounted the DDR story.
I faced Bella and ran the back of my hand down her cheek. "I've been thinking about you this whole time."
"Yeah, I've been thinking about you too," she said with a smile that quickly turned to a frown. "I was going to text you, but when I pulled out my phone, Alice took it from me."
"Stupid Pixie!" I exclaimed causing me to get a glare from both Jasper and Alice.
Bella just laughed, "I am not going to disagree with you there, but I happen to enjoy your sister quite a bit. She is a lot of fun. Not to mention, very giving and knowledgeable." Bella dropped her voice a little and got in closer to me. "Rosalie, on the other hand, hates my guts."
"She hates everyone except her brother and Emmett. Just ignore her, I do."
"Okay, I just didn't know if I did something or what. Thanks for clearing it up."
"Anytime, love!"
Before Bella and I could get too absorbed in our conversation, Alice was pulling her away for round two of shopping. I think I heard something about a salon. I love Bella's hair! That demon pixie better not do anything to screw it up or I'm going to kill her! I gave Bella what I thought would come out as a wistful look, and she gave me one back, along with a look of pure terror about whatever Alice just told her.
Rosalie was still sitting at the table with Emmett. They were so engrossed in each other. It was times like these that I wonder what the hell Emmett truly sees in that bitch. She hated my guts and only tolerated Alice for both Jasper and Emmett. I hated her too, but it was only because she was such a bitch. If she treated me better and Bella, for that matter, maybe I would warm up to her. I just always feel on edge with her, like she's about to tear my life apart at any second. I have no freaking clue why I feel this way with Rose, but I do, especially since I began seeing Bella as more than a friend.
I looked over at Jasper, the complete opposite of his older sister, and motioned to him with my head for us to get out of the company of the two lovebirds. He nodded, looking quite relieved. We just decided to walk around the mall a bit while we waited for our girls. We talked about how his baseball season was going and how my track season was shaping up. It was nice to just catch up with the one guy that I consider to be my best friend. Sure, Emmett was my brother, but he was a dope almost ninety-nine percent of the time. I loved him like none other, but I couldn't talk to him the way I could talk to Jasper. Alice was the only one who knew more about me than Jasper does.
Finally, after close to five hours at the mall, I feel my phone go off in my pocket. Jasper must have got the same message because he was reaching into his pocket also.
To: Eddie
Hey, meet us at the car in 10 min!
~Ali :)
I looked over at Jasper's phone to see that he got a similar text, only his had some X's and O's, Alice. Dude looked like he was whipped by those little X's and O's! Poor bastard! I felt my phone go off again, a picture message from Bella. I opened the message to see Bella making the sign for "I love you" while wearing probably the most gorgeous shade of blue I have ever seen. She was wearing some sort of formal dress, but I was so caught up in that shade of blue combined with her porcelain skin and mahogany hair to truly appreciate the dress itself. New favorite color, I think yes!
To: Bella
Love, I really hope you purchased that dress! If so, I will make sure it was worth every penny my sister spent on it!
-Edward
To: Edward
Hmmm...you will just have to wait and see ;)
-Bella-
Damn, I loved this girl. She is just tempting me more and more as I get to truly know her better. I'd like to believe that I am the only person she is this open with, but unfortunately, I also want the world to see Bella as I see her. I want her to stop living is this world that Tanya and the bitch sisters sent her to during their years with her.
I walked with Jasper to the parking lot. We ran into Rosalie and Emmett on our way there, so we walked out of the mall with them. Luckily I remembered where I parked the car or else I would have had some serious trouble finding it with how packed the mall was. I walked to the car to see Alice talking to who I assumed to be Bella, but she looked different, looked better, if that was possible. Bella was wearing a pair of skinny jeans with a tight white long sleeve shirt. Her hair appeared shinier and a little shorter, not by much though.
Bella laughed at something Alice said and turned around to face me. When my eyes met her's, I knew we were right. It was as if everything in the world truly aligned at that moment. It was scary as hell, but I knew in my heart that she was mine and I, her's. I moved forward quickly and Bella met me halfway. I wrapped her in my arms and kissed the top of her head.
"So beautiful," I murmured into her hair as she looked up at me with her chocolate eyes now framed with thick lashes and a natural colored eye shadow truly bringing out the beauty of such a simple color as brown. With Bella though, brown was not such a simple color, it was deep, warm, expressive and just too perfect, making it my favorite color next to blue at this moment.
"I still don't get you calling me that, but Alice is helping me to see that I am more than what my 'sisters'," she cringed at the word, "told me I was."
"That's all I want for you, love," I smile down at her and peck her lips. "I just want you to see how wrong they were about you."
"I'm starting to see it," she whispered, more to herself than me.
"Good," I whispered back. "We have to get you home now, unfortunately. I could keep you here in my arms for the rest of forever if I could."
"Charlie's going to need dinner eventually."
I growled, "Damn, forgot about the chief!"
Bella giggled and pulled me into the Jeep. The others had packed the whole thing up while Bella and I had our little moment. I appreciated them just letting us be. When we started the ride home, everything was silent. By the end of the trip though, we were all laughing and joking around with each other, including Bella. Well, almost everyone, Rosalie decided to put in her iPod, bitch. I have no clue what her deal is with Bella, but she better get her head out of her ass soon or else.
We dropped Bella off at her house. It took me, Em and Jazz to get all her packages into the foyer of her home. She told us Charlie could help her from there, so we left, not before I gave her a kiss and promise to call later. I did call later and she gave me some of the details of her shopping trip with Alice. Apparently her and Alice hit it off really well and have plans for a girl night next Friday at her house. Alice wouldn't allow it to happen at our place because she knew that I would completely monopolize Bella's time. Bella did laugh though and admit that she wouldn't have minded that one bit.
We didn't get a chance to hang out for the rest of the weekend, except for on Skype for a bit, if that counts, while Alice helped her pick out an outfit for Monday. I was looking forward to Monday as much as my sister was. She was looking forward to seeing my reaction once more to Bella with her new look. I, on the other hand, was looking forward to seeing all the other guys glare at me when they see that I have the most beautiful girl in Forks. It was a pride and ego thing, especially since some of my so-called "friends" had stopped talking to me since I began hanging with Bella. I guess they didn't want to wound their reputations by sitting with her. Assholes!
I picked Bella up for school Monday morning and was once again blown away by how she looked in her new clothes. She was wearing a tight plaid shirt with skinny jeans once more. Alice is going to get an amazing birthday present for getting Bella in jeans like this. They make her legs look a thousand miles long, and oh god, that ass! Control yourself, Edward!
"Morning, love," I sighed as I gave her a chaste kiss and the crooked smile.
I heard Bella's breath hitch and I chuckled lowly. I had an effect on her, I knew that already, but hearing it was icing on the cake. She did stuff to me and I knew she knew it, but she was all to innocent to fully take advantage of just how much I was wrapped around her finger. My siblings yelled at me to get moving or we were going to be late, which earned a laugh from Bella before she turned to talk with Alice as I drove us to school.
We got to school a little early, despite their complaints. Now the moment I had been waiting for, wait until they see my Bella! I parked the Volvo in my usual spot and ran around to the passenger side. As I opened the door for Bella she slowly got up out of the car. I could hear the whispers starting all around us. I smirked as I threw my arm over her shoulder. Yeah, morons, you can look, but don't touch because this one's mine!
I leaned down and kissed Bella's cheek, lingering there a little longer than necessary to whisper to her, "I love you so much, you're mine."
Bella smiled and pulled away to meet my eyes, "I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Great, now let's go show all of Forks High what they've been missing!" I laughed as I grabbed her hand to walk her to her first period.
Bella looked around self-consciously as we made our way across the lot. "Everyone is staring," she whispered to me nervously.
"Probably because they just noticed how beautiful you are."
Bella laughed, "Yeah, sure!" She looked at me to find any sign of amusement on my face. When she found none she looked down shyly. "You really think I am beautiful?"
"More than words can express," I sighed.
"Thank you, Edward."
"For what?" I asked a little dumbfounded.
"For helping me work to chase my demons away," she said with tears in her eyes.
"Anytime, love. Anytime."
I wiped a tear from the corner of her eye with my thumb and leaned down to capture her lips. We kissed until the bell rang and we were forced to separate. Bella told me she loved me and would see me at lunch before departing into her classroom. I watched as she walked down the row to her desk. Every single guy in the room was drooling over her ass. Dammit, why'd Alice have to make her look this good! So much for guys respecting the bro-code of not going after another dude's girl, I was so going to get detention for hitting somebody by the end of today!
So...what did you think? I didn't really want to end the chapter here, but I wanted to get something out for you all. I already have the kind of continuation of this chapter with some Edward and Bella fluff halfway done. If all goes well and I can get out of useless college applications (see * for further explanation), I will probably have it out by next Monday. No promises though!
*By the way, I am not against college as it may seem by the phrase "useless college applications", but I have already been accepted to my top choice. I see no use in doing them all when I would rather be working on this story now that I'm in, but my parents insist I have a back-up plan. Once again, no sense because my deposit's already in basically confirming that I will attend the school, but whatever, nobody wants to hear me complain!
Thanks for reading!