Thank you for reviewing the last chapter and for bearing with me for so long:D And to those of you who voted, THANK YOU!! WTDA has won two awards since the last time that I updated. I'm ecstatic about that:)
Also, the banner for "One of the Guys", which is made by Hubert24601, is now posted on my Freeweb. She did an amazing job and I love it! Now she has agreed to make a bookcover and a banner for WTDA. I'm excited about how it'll turn out.
Huge thank you to Goldeneyedgirl270 and Cullen-Girl-98 for the previous nominations! You guys rock: ) Thank you!
Okay, I know the last couple of chapters have been angsty, so this is a happier chapter. I had a lot of fun writing this- in fact, it's my favorite chapter to write ever since I started the sequel- and I hope you guys like it as much as I do. Review/ feedback would be wonderful. They brighten up my day and I always write faster when I'm in a good mood. Ha ha.
Soundtrack:
If you believe that dreams come true,
There's One that's waiting there for you.
'Cause I believed when I saw You
That when you want something enough,
That it can't escape Your love.
There is nothing in the world that cannot be...
If you believe, oh oh...
-If You Believe
by Rachel Lampa
Bronzehairedgirl620, you rock for still editing for me with so much going on in your life. Thank you!
Chapter Fourteen
Bella Swan
"Miss Swan, look. To be honest… without recommendations from your old employers over at Media Today, we're not really comfortable with letting you on our team. A lot of potential journalists are fighting for this job-"
"If it helps, sir, I have recommendation letters written by my college professors," I interrupted smoothly.
The middle-aged man who was interviewing me knitted his eyebrows into a frown. "Miss Swan, from what I can gather from your resume, you quit your old job within less than a year. We need someone consistent."
I sighed. I understood where he was coming from. All of the interviewers that I had talked to today had been implying that my short stay at Media Today was a major problem. They didn't understand why I would leave such a promising company when I hadn't been fired.
What could I say? That my boss was a total dick and had been harassing me to go out on a date with him? They would think I was a psycho.
So I thanked the interviewer for giving me the time of day and exited his office. Stupid Royce King. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be stuck in this position. I knew I was good enough to take these jobs. I was devoted and I worked my ass off for every piece I wrote. But thanks to him, everyone was rejecting me because they thought I had done something that I wasn't willing to reveal during my time at Media Today. Stupid, stupid, stupid Royce King.
It was two o'clock and Rose and I had made plans to head over to Alice's in about half an hour, as she had returned from her trip. We shrieked in excitement when Alice poked her head out the door. I hadn't seen my best friend for months and there she was, within hugging distance and opening her front door to let us in.
"Alice!" we exclaimed.
Alice squealed, hurling herself into our arms. "Bella! Rose!"
"Jasper!" a deeper voice sounded from inside the house.
We laughed and rolled our eyes.
Alice pushed the door all the way open and the three of us half-jumped into the living room, hand-in-hand. Somewhere amongst the hugging, we managed to pull snatch Jasper from the staircase to join us. So now the four of us were spinning in circles like a group of four year-olds, laughing like there was no tomorrow. Well, at least the girls and I were. Jasper looked pretty freaked out by the "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! You're back!'" so he hadn't said anything since we entered the house. I could have sworn I saw his pupils dilating when we dragged him into the insanity.
"Alright, alright. Enough with the girly stuff! I'm a dude! I'm not supposed to be here jumping and cheering with ya'll," Jasper had to shout the words at us since we ignored him the first time he tried to voice his complaints.
Rose and Alice broke off from the happy circle to glare at him.
"Spoilsport," chided his lover.
"You're no fun," Rosalie reprimanded. "Emmett would have danced with us just to keep us entertained."
Jasper chuckled. "Exactly. I'm not Emmett and I don't ever plan on being Emmett."
"Fine then," Rosalie stuck her tongue out at her brother. "Go be a guy somewhere. We didn't come here to talk to you anyway." Then grabbing my and Alice's wrist and hauling us toward the couch, she waved dismissively and said, "Bye, Jazz."
Jasper widened his eyes. "I thought this was my house. I'm being kicked out of my own living room?"
"Sorry, J. Alice has big news to tell us," I announced, watching the corner of Jasper's lips twitch. "Ask her if you can stick around."
"Nah, it's okay. I have something to take care of anyway. You girls have fun." With a mocking salute, he disappeared into the kitchen after sharing a significant look with Alice.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Rosalie and I turned to Alice with great expectance.
"You guys are getting married, aren't you?" Rosalie asked bluntly.
Alice smiled bashfully and bobbed a nod.
Rose gasped then clasped a hand over her mouth. "I knew it! I knew it! So, are you going to tell us the details or do we have to beat the words out of ya?"
I stifled a giggle. "Jeez, Rose! So much for being a non-violent person!"
"He had everything planned before the trip. He and his friend Peter- you know, the one who got married. Then at the wedding, he asked me to marry him in front of thousands of people and he was so sweet and so perfect…" Alice gave a dreamy sigh. "And it was also really funny since he proposed to be with an empty box. Everyone was chuckling and-"
"Whoa," Rosalie cut her off, putting a hand out to stop her. "My idiotic brother proposed without a ring?"
Alice giggled. "Mm-hmm. I was kind of pissed off when I saw the empty box. I thought he had forgotten the ring and left it somewhere around the hotel, but when he explained to me that he wanted us to go ring-shopping together so I could pick the ring that I wanted instead of having to endure his lack of expertise in jewelry, I fell in love with him all over again."
"So where's the ring now?" I asked, noticing that her fourth finger was bare.
"It's in our bedroom. I'm not wearing it until the day of the wedding."
"When is the wedding?"
Alice looked slightly panicked. "Okay, Rose, my dear, dear bestie, you have to promise not to strangle me when I tell you, alright?"
Rosalie narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"
Alice gulped. "You see, I kind of-" She swallowed again. "I kind of planned the wedding while I was away. I called up the caterers, sent the invitations and everything. I even made the dresses- mine and yours. So the wedding will take place in-" she paused, taking in Rosalie's staggered expression. "Two weeks."
Rosalie shot up from her seat. "TWO WEEKS? ALICE CULLEN! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND? Bella and I, as your best friends, should be helping you plan the wedding. You're not supposed to do all of this by yourself. And what kind of bride are you, making your own dresses? And what's this about invitations? Bella and I didn't get anything."
"Well, of course I'm making my own dresses. Do you think I would just wear something off another designer? And I didn't send you guys wedding invitations because I wanted to give them to you in person. You and the rest of the family. Other than mom and dad, you guys were the first people I told-" Poor Alice looked as if she was about to burst into tears.
Rose and I pulled her into a hug. She really was crying now. Her eyes were damp and her words were all slurred together.
"Hey, Al, I'm sorry," Rosalie mended. "I didn't mean to yell. I guess I just always pictured doing all of this wedding stuff and since Em and I had a Vegas wedding, I didn't get the chance to plan mine and I was always counting on setting things perfect for my best friend. I'm sorry that I made you upset."
"It's okay," she laughed through a sob. "It must be the wedding jitters. Oh, who the hell am I kidding? I don't get jitters. Darn you, Rosalie, for making me cry two weeks before my wedding."
Rosalie grinned.
That was when it dawned on me. My best friend, Rosalie, was married. My other best friend, Alice, was engaged and soon to be married. Leah- even though her wedding with Jake had been postponed due to his dad's worsening condition- was also getting married in two months. Everyone around me was moving on with their lives. What about me?
Alice, noticing my preoccupation, threw me a sympathetic smile and suddenly looked apologetic. "Oh my gosh. Bella, I'm sorry. Rose told me about what happened between you and Edward and there I was, throwing the wedding at your face. I swear I didn't mean to be so inconsiderate."
I tried to smile at her. "No, it's fine. I'm happy for you, Alice. You and Jasper are perfect together. Of course you guys are getting married."
"Does that mean you and Rose agree to be my bridesmaids?"
I kissed her spiky hair at the same time Rose squeezed her hand. "We wouldn't have it any other way."
Then she began gushing about the details of her wedding. They were getting married in Carlisle and Esme's backyard; she was inviting only family, close friends and a couple of people from work; it was going to be winter-themed… the delight and excitement was transparent on her face. I hadn't ever seen her this happy before; not when she was announced the winner of a huge dress-designing competition on T.V., not when she received an invitation to Beyonce's birthday party… I really was ecstatic for her.
"So Bella, I guess you and I guess it right, huh?" Rose wiggled her eyebrow. "You see, Bella and I just knew your big news involved you getting married. Either that or you're pregnant but we knew that you and Jasper weren't that irresponsible…" she chuckled. "So a wedding was the only logical guess."
Alice pursed her lips. "Umm… to be honest, the wedding wasn't exactly what I was implying when I told you I had big news to announce."
I froze. "You mean…"
She shook her head. "This isn't the big news I was referring to."
Rosalie frowned. "Not the big news… Oh Christ, girl, you really are pregnant, aren't you? Not to sound like a mom or anything but how can you be so irresponsible? Do you know the gender yet or is it too early? I bet Carlisle loved that you're carrying a baby before you're even a Mrs. Hale. Or-" she stopped melodramatically. "Haven't you told them yet?"
Alice was shaking with silent laughter. "No, Stupid! I'm not pregnant. Do you think I would be this calm if I were?" Then hollering, she said, "Jasper, bring him out!"
Rose and I gaped at her. "Bring him out? Who's him?"
Alice just zipped her lips together and hummed. Three seconds later, the Golden Retriever from Full House came strolling out from the kitchen with its tail dangling from right to left. I couldn't breathe. This- this- was the big news? A… dog?
"Cute, huh?" Jasper asked casually from the corridor, his arms crossed in front of his chest as he stared proudly at the dog. "I just gave him a bath."
"This is your big news? A dog?" Rosalie voiced my question out loud incredulously.
I pointed an accusing finger at Alice's face. "I thought you were allergic to dogs!"
Alice shrugged. "I thought so too. It turns out that I'm only allergic to certain types of dogs, like Chihuahua, Beagles…"
"Where did this… thing come from?" Rose demanded, cringing when the dog attempted to lick her hand.
Jasper clasped his ears over the dog's ears, looking protective all of a sudden. "Watch it, sis. Even though Buddy's an Italian dog, he still understands a bit of English. He doesn't appreciate being addressed as a lifeless object."
I giggled. "Buddy? Watch Air Bud much?"
Alice rolled her eyes. "It's Jasper's fault. He kept on going, Here buddy buddy when we first got him from a friend of ours," she glared at him, "and now the dog thinks Buddy is his new name."
"Very tasteful, Jazz," Rosalie snickered. "Nice going."
Then Alice explained to us how Buddy's owner passed away from old age a couple of weeks ago and how his family couldn't find willing caretakers for Buddy in Italy. And according to her, as soon as she and Jasper caught a glimpse of him in Peter's house, they knew they couldn't stand seeing him being taken to the Animal Shelter. So after talking to Peter's friend, who was the son of the man who died, they decided to bring him back to America.
As I watched Jasper and Alice stroke the back of Buddy's left ear, I couldn't help but feel envious. Soon, all of my best friends will be married. They all had reliable jobs, stable relationships… and me? I was unemployed at the age of twenty-two and had recently moved out of the house that I shared with my boyfriend. I was such a loser.
"Bell, you okay?" Rosalie threw her arm around me.
I looked up at her and saw that her eyes were swimming with concern. Jasper and Alice raised their heads to stare at me as well, worried. You're lucky, thought the voice in the back of my head. No matter what happens, you still have your friends.
I smiled at them and bent down so I could pat Buddy, who was running the side of his face against my denim jeans.
"I'm great. So, you guys wanna bet? Ten bucks on Emmett swallowing the entire cake before the party even starts."
They laughed.
Later that day, Emmett and Edward joined us for dinner after they took care of things at the club and hospital. It was a little bit awkward for me; I opened the door thinking it was Emmett and shouted, "Em, I think Alice and Jasper just found you a new best friend!" at Edward's face.
He just raised his eyebrow at me and said, "Err… okay. I'll be sure to deliver the message."
It was so embarrassing. Even more embarrassing when he was looking so good in his dark blue long-sleeve and faded black jeans- which were hanging dangerously low around his hips- while I had on a hideous apron that Rosalie dared me to wear a while ago since her and Alice snatched away the good ones. Involuntarily, I ran a hand through my hair and straightened my form at the doorway.
"Hey Edward," I smiled, my voice barely louder than a whisper.
He smiled back. It was the same smile that used to make all his fan girls swoon when we were in ECA. "Hi Bella."
I stared at him, analyzing the way his lips moved when he said my name. Even though the last time I had seen him was this morning, it felt like an extremely long time. I wanted to touch his face. I wanted to hug him. Flabbergasted, I closed my eyes when he began stretching out his arm and moving it toward my face to…
"You have a piece of lettuce in your hair."
Right. To pull out the piece of lettuce that was stuck in my bangs. I was going to murder Jasper.
"Thanks." I blushed, growling internally.
He suppressed a laugh. "No problem. So are you going to let me in?" He looked amused.
I moved out of the way so he could get by. Ruffling my hair with a laugh, he then marched straight into the kitchen after throwing a suspicious look at the sight of Buddy pressing the remote control with his one of his paws. Edward frowned, quickened his pace and yelled, "Alice? Why do I see a dog in the living room changing the channel?"
I snickered.
Ten minutes after Edward arrived, Emmett pulled up in the driveway. Once again, he was wearing a T-shirt, in spite of it being fifty degrees outside, with no jacket. I guess he just didn't sense the temperature dropping like we did. And just as we had suspected earlier, he became best friends with the dog after spending tem minutes with it on the couch. Rose and Alice threw them out of the house so they wouldn't knock down any of the vases or picture frames throughout their chasing and fooling around. Emmett was happy to oblige; I swear, he was like a five-year old trapped inside a man's body. Don't get me wrong, Emmett did offer some good advice whenever his Dr. Phil mode was needed, but most of the time he was just so… childish.
I went back to the kitchen to see if there was anything I could do to help out. Edward was leaning against the island, ogling me as I stirred the salad. I could feel his stares boring onto my back even though I wasn't facing him. A part of me wanted to raise my head and just stare back but I was too much of a coward to meet his eyes. I didn't want things to be awkward between us or anything.
"Is this good, Alice?" I showed her the salad bow as she flipped over a chicken fillet with her spatula.
She eyed the bowl, smiled, and then reached over for whatever sauce the red bottle contained. "It's perfect, Bella. We're just about ready here. Rose is out there getting Emmett to clean up for supper and Jasper is fixing up things that Buddy can eat. Do you mind setting the table?"
"Sure. No problem."
"I'll help," sounded a velvet voice from behind.
I whirled around to look at Edward, who was grinning at me while he untucked his hands from the pocket of his jeans.
Alice rolled her eyes. "About time you made yourself useful around here."
Edward widened his eyes innocently. "I offered to help when I arrived! You and Rosalie all but kicked me out of the kitchen!"
"Umm, we probably wouldn't have done that if you didn't suck so much around the kitchen," Alice retorted, sticking her tongue out. "Oh, and get the stew from the stove and put it on the dining room table. It's really, really hot so go ahead and serve it first so we won't burn our tongues later."
Now it was Edward's turn to roll his eyes. He and Alice looked so much alike when they did that. "Whatever you say, sis."
So together, Edward and I walked out of the kitchen, him carrying the large, steamy pot and me carrying the plates and bowls. He caught him smiling slyly from the corner of my eye.
"What?" I wanted to know.
He shook his head, still smiling. "Nothing."
It was like high school all over again.
"So how did the interviews go today?" he asked.
I kept my eyes downcast. That wasn't particularly my favorite subject to talk about. There he was-amazing, top of his class, on his way to becoming a doctor in all his glory. And me? I didn't even have a job. The comparison embarrassed me.
"Not well," I mumbled.
I could hear a frown in his voice. "I can't imagine that. You're the best journalist that I know."
I couldn't help but laugh at that. "I'm the only journalist you know, Edward." We had already reached the dining table by then. He set the pot down and handed me the bowls one by one while I filled them with the beef stew that Alice had made. "They questioned about my short stay at Media Today. A lady even accused me of making up the fact that I quit instead of them firing me."
He snorted. "Morons."
I chuckled. "Thanks. But anyway, I'm going to keep trying. I'm sure somewhere in L.A, there will be openings. I guess I'll just… oh shit!" I exclaimed when I overfilled the last bowl. Thanks to my lack of attention, I ended up burning my index finger and the hot stew left a burning trail from my thumb to my wrist. Oh crap, I got it on Alice's white table cloth. She was going to kill me.
Edward looked immediately alert. "Bella? Are you okay?" His tall figure was suddenly hovering over me.
"I'm fine, Edward. I just need some-"
"Ice," he finished urgently. Then pulling a chair out and pushing me down so I was sitting on the cushion, he said, "Stay put. I'll be right back."
He sprinted down the hall and was back with a pack of ice within five seconds. He handed it over and knelt patiently in front of me while I waited for my finger and wrist to go numb.
"Let me see it," he demanded when I put the ice down.
"Edward, it's not a big deal. I'm alright. It doesn't even-"
He ignored me. After prying my fingers away from the place that I had burnt myself, he raised my right hand, the one that I had spilled the stew over, closer to his face so he could examine it. Then slowly, so slowly, he pressed his lips to my wrist.
My heart skipped. Every part of me was screaming He's touching me! He's touching me! Even though we had kissed each other on the cheek this morning and plenty of times last night. I didn't want to react like some love-struck teenager but I couldn't help it.
Footsteps clattered from the other end of the corridor and before neither one of us could react, Emmett was marching straight into the dining room with his hands behind his head.
"Dude! I smell Auntie Meryl's beef stew. Oops! Are we interrupting something?" he asked, chuckling as he raised his eyebrow at the sight of Edward's lips lingering around my wrist.
Jolted, I withdrew my hand.
"Bella burned her hand," Edward explained after clearing his throat.
"Huh," Emmett nodded his head knowledgably. "So do you want us to leave the room so you can carry on?"
"Shut up, Em."
"Or are you guys leaving the room?" he barked a laugh. "Dude, why didn't you just say so, Dr. E.C? I understand how hard it is to get some decent privacy around here."
Edward glared at his older brother, coloring. "I said shut up."
"Fine." Emmett shrugged indifferently. "No need to be so gruff. Jesus."
Then remembering the incident from earlier, I pursed my lip and ran over to Alice, who was burying her face into the front of Jasper's shirt, giggling.
"Hey Alice?"
"Yes, Bella?"
I let out a deep breath. "I got some of the stew that you made on the tablecloth. I'm really sorry. If you let me know how much it was I swear I'll pay you back I-"
"Whoa," Alice chuckled, stepping forward and putting her hands on my shoulder. "Bella, Bella, Bella. Sweetie, it's just a tablecloth. I'm just glad you're okay. Don't worry about it, silly. Besides, this is when Bleach swoops in and safes the world. It's fine."
I smiled at her. I supposed small money like this didn't mean anything to her since what she made each month was probably tripled my salary. But I really did feel bad about it. I mean, the last time Emmett spilled orange juice over her carpet she all but ripped his head off yet she was being totally nice to me about this.
Emmett, remembering the treatment that he received the last time, whined. "Oh, so when Bella spills something it's okay; but when I'm the one who did it, you're ready to behead me." He shook his head ruefully. "Thanks a bunch, sis. You sure know how to love your brother."
Alice squared her shoulders delicately. "So are we going to stand here and discuss my oh-so-awful behavior or are we going to eat before all these food get cold?"
Emmett recovered from his sulking and moved swiftly to his seat- the one in front of the meat loaf. "Duh. Of course we're going to eat. Aren't you thankful that my middle name is forgiving?"
Edward snorted beside me as the rest of the gang began filing in on the dinning table. "No, it's not. You told me your middle name was secret keeper."
"Agh!" Jasper shook his head. "He told me his middle name was muscles."
"He told me his middle name was-" Rosalie stopped and her cheeks reddened all of a suddenly when we all turned to gape at her. "You know what? Never mind."
"Oh, God!" The four of us groaned simultaneously. "It's something really pervy, isn't it?"
Rosalie's cheeks turned into a deeper shade of red. "I said never mind. Now leave me alone."
Emmett, seeing this, guffawed. "Damn. My name's probably longer than one of the princes or princesses from Europe or Asia or whatever."
Edward smirked while spreading the gravy over the mash potatoes in his plate. "You know what? Why don't you just change your middle name to smartass?" He snickered and began shaking his head. "Emmett Smartass Cullen."
The rest of us- apart from Emmett, of course- recited what he had just said then threw back our heads to laugh.
"Emmett Smartass Cullen. Dude, Edward, it's perfect, man." Jasper extended his fist from the other end of the table.
Emmett glared at his best friend. "So, Jazz." He made his name sound like a dirty word. "The word on the street is that you're marrying my little sister. My one and only little sister. Would it kill you to pay some respect to her brother? Her older, intelligent, kind, loving, athletic, good-looking brother?"
Jasper shrugged indifferently. "Hey man, you married mine so I guess we're even."
Emmett scowled at him.
-
-
After dinner, the six of us- okay. Correction: the eight of us since Emmett insisted on Buddy tagging along- ambled into the living room and seated comfortably on the couch after getting the popcorn, soda, and candies ready. Jasper and Alice moved the loveseat from the window so they could see the plasma; Emmett and Rosalie took the couch in the center, leaving Edward and…
Well, me. With the shorter couch.
Edward was the first one to slump on the couch. I kept a good three inches between us when I sat down, suddenly becoming absurdly shy. This is ridiculous, Bella, chided a voice in the back of my head. Did you not sit next to him just twenty minutes ago during dinner? Inhaling a sharp breath, I closed my eyes and demanded myself to lay back and relax.
"Let's watch a scary movie!" Emmett suggested.
Rosalie, Alice and I flicked a piece of popcorn at his head and booed. Emmett shook the pieces off his curly hair and one of them ended up flying straight into Jasper's mouth.
None of us said anything momentarily. We just watched Jasper cough up a bunch of munched up, puke-looking… stuff… then began laughing hysterically. Jasper was out of the couch within three seconds, chasing Emmett around after grabbing a frying pan from the kitchen. Buddy, thinking his owner and his new BFF had just invented a game, was hot on Emmett's pursuit.
Having a grown man being hunted by another grown man and a dog was somehow the funniest thing I had ever seen. Especially if his name happened to be Emmett.
After Alice called order to the house, we picked a chick flick that Rosalie and I wanted to watch, Bride Wars, and made sure Emmett sat as far away from Jasper as possible in case they went at it again. Buddy was resting beside Rosalie's feet on the carpet and she was stroking the top of his head, smiling. It was nice to see that Rosalie had finally warmed up to the dog.
Somewhere in the movie, I ended up moving closer to Edward and snuggling against him. He stiffened in surprise the first time he felt my head on his chest but then he kissed the top of my head and wrapped his arms around my waist for the rest of the movie. I looked up and asked if this was okay; I mean, I was the one who wanted to take things slowly and I didn't want him to think I was going back on my word, and his reply just about made my heart soar with happiness.
"Of course it's okay," he smiled at me. "You're my girl. Why wouldn't this be okay?" he whispered the second part in my ear.
You're my girl. You're my girl. I felt giggly just from the sound of that. I knew I was still his girlfriend, even during the time we were apart since we didn't break up, but for him to say it to me was reassuring.
So I smiled back at him and squeezed his hand.
Even though Edward and I weren't as close as we were before his ARVD episode, a part of me liked this slightly awkward phrase that we were in right now. I felt as if all of us were back in ECA, watching a movie on Friday night, throwing popcorn at each other, scolding Emmett, cuddling… I missed this since we hadn't done any of these things in forever. And for the first time in month, I felt relaxed. Although I couldn't say things are perfect between me and Edward now, which they weren't since the old barrier that he had set up two months ago hadn't dissolved completely and a part of me was still feeling the insecurity, but I really enjoy just being with him and our friends, just… hanging out. I also appreciated Edward being so understanding about it. I mean, he wasn't forcing himself on me and he was giving me the space that I needed.
I will go back to being the Bella Swan that I was, I vowed silently. I will be the independent, invulnerable girl that I was before the incident.
At the end of the movie, the guys had fallen asleep. I guess chick-flick wasn't really their thing. I wiggled out of Edward's arms without waking him up- hard thing to do, too, since his grip on me was tight and firm- and just stared at his face. He looked tired, which was expected since he had just finished his finals, yet at the same time he still had the internship going at the hospital. Knowing Edward, he would devote himself into both even if it killed him in the process. He was so hardworking, but as distressed as I was about his health, I couldn't help but feel proud of him.
"Alice?" I whispered.
"Yeah?"
"Do you have a blanket somewhere?"
"In the hallway closet, I think. I'll get them for you."
After she retrieved the blanket, I covered it over Edward and just sat Indian Style on the carpet and stared at him some more. I wanted to touch him, but I didn't know if I should since I didn't want to wake him up.
I felt a hand on my shoulder.
"Bella?" Alice whispered. "Rosalie has already gone to bed. Take one of the guestrooms, okay? It's too late to be driving back and it's a Saturday tomorrow anyway."
"What about Edward, Emmett and Jasper?"
"They're fine on the couch. They won't thank us for waking them up anyway; you know they'll just end up being cranky in the end. Let them sleep."
She was right, I guess. So I leaned forward and kissed Edward on the cheek after running a hand through his messy hair.
"Goodnight," I whispered in his ear. I love you.
To my wonderful readers/ translators:
First of all, I want to thank all of you English/ non-English readers for the feedback and the support you've given me. Without you, I wouldn't have lasted this long on Fanfiction. Many of you know that I've been re-writing "Welcome to Drama Academy" for publishing purposes, and I just want to say thanks for backing my up on that decision. Your faith means the world to me and there are no words to describe my gratitude to all of you.
Lately, I've been receiving requests about translating WTDA to different languages. I'm very flattered that you guys like it enough to want to translate it and share it to others- I appreciate it. But the thing is, I can't allow any translations at the moment due to the possibility of WTDA becoming a novel. Having translations on the Internet might cause copyright problems if it does get published and because of that, I'm going to have to say no to all translations right now. I'm not doing this to be mean or offensive to the people from your country; trust me, I love everyone who reads or reviews my story and I think it's awesome that there are so many readers from non-English speaking countries that are interested in WTDA. A question that has been frequently asked, "Why did you allow those girls on your profile translate?" Okay. Most of the translations were started a long time go. At that time, I had no idea I would re-write the story and wish to get it published.
Recently I've been told that several translations for WTDA have been posted on FF or on other various fanfiction sites and most of them… I had no idea they existed. So please, don't post the translations without receiving permission from the author of the story. Another reason why this chapter took me so long to update- other than rewriting- was because I've been dealing with plagiarism- again- and translation problems for the past couple of weeks. A lot of the problems still haven't been solved and that takes away a lot of time from writing. But thank you very much to those of you who informed me about these situations. You guys are my eyes and ears. So please, in the future, if you see any translations of WTDA on FF or on another site that has not been mentioned on my profile, please let me know. That would be great. Thank you.
I hope you understand where I'm coming from. I love all of you for reading my story- I wouldn't have made it this far without you- and I appreciate all the time you put into reviewing and reading. So thank you, everyone, for your support and input.
Okay, back to the chapter. Was reading a happier chapter better than reading an angsty one? Let me know: ) I always take your reviews into consideration when I start the next chapter. I'm sorry if you guys think the Buddy part was silly. I bet none of you saw that coming! Ha ha.
Reviews would be lovely! I look forward to hearing your opinions!
"Welcome to Drama Academy" has been nominated for 3 more awards over at various websites.
• Best All-Human Story over at the The Cullenizer Award. Voting will be from July 25th to August 10th!
• Best Complete All- Human Twilight Fanfiction over at the Twilight All-Human Fanfiction Awards. Voting still be from August 1st to August 25th.
• Best All-Human over at Twilight Awards for Me. Voting will start on August 6th.
I know building a website takes a lot of time so be sure to head over and vote for your favorites!
The list and urls are on my profile.
p.s. I now have a Twitter account. Follow me to receive updates for nominations/votings and maybe spoilers if you're interested. I love talking to fellow fanfiction writers or readers.