First, thanks, as always, for your reviews, alerts, favorites, etc. I love opening my inbox and seeing that stuff! Second, I don't know how this chapter got so long...it's all fluff really...ah well. In another chapter or two we'll be picking back up with the book (yay!) and getting back on track.
Please! Let me know what you think!
Chapter 20
Bradley didn't exactly set out to avoid Bella but she was so nervous about letting something slip that she sort of started to. She still hung out with Bella in school and at lunch but never one on one. It seemed safer to be with Bella when others were around. Bella seemed less inclined to ask Cullen related questions when there were other ears that would hear.
Bradley stopped going over to Bella's after school. She felt bad and she missed her friend but she didn't know what else to do. She did not want to be the one that let out the one obscure piece of information that would tip Bella off. Bradley knew Bella was cataloging facts about Edward the same way he was about her. Bradley seemed to be the only source of information about the Cullens in Forks and she was determined to keep their secret.
If Bella noticed Bradley's absence she didn't say anything. Bradley really hoped she didn't since they still chatted and hung out at school but Bradley didn't hold much hope for it. Bella noticed everything.
The good news was, spring was apparently coming. Bradley certainly didn't notice much change in the weather. It was still gray, rainy and cold to her but the locals insisted that it was getting warmer. Mike Newton started to get excited about a beach trip that he was planning. He said they would all go the first nice weekend which he confidently said would be soon. Bradley assured him that she would go but she wasn't sure it was ever really going to happen if they actually waited for a nice weekend.
Near the end of February, on a particularly disgusting day in Forks, Bradley slumped into her science class. She hung her dripping rain coat on a hook and scowled at it. Was a little sun too much to ask for? She hadn't seen it in weeks and it was starting to get to her. She dragged herself over to her seat and plopped down next to Alice.
Alice raised an eyebrow at her. "Something the matter, Bradley?"
Bradley gave her the look one gives when she has been asked an obvious question. Then something occurred to Bradley and she perked up a bit. "Hey, Alice," she whispered. "Can you predict the weather?"
Alice rolled her eyes. "Of course I can. The weather is easier than people. It rarely changes its mind."
Bradley suppressed a snicker. "When will I see the sun again?"
Alice sighed. "I feel like I should have a Magic 8 ball or something," she grumbled but she got that daydreamy look on her face for a second. "Soon," she assured Bradley. "Not this weekend, but next."
"Yessss!" Bradley said a little too loud and caught a few looks from the other kids in the room. Alice gave her a dirty look. "Sorry," she whispered. "And for the record, you can only ask a Magic 8 ball yes or no questions," she added as the teacher began his lecture. Alice's dirty look turned into a glare.
Alice had apparently forgiven Bradley by the end of class because as they were packing up to leave she said, "You know, Brad, we need to get you ready for the warmer weather."
"What does that mean?" Bradley was scared to know.
"I'll pick you up after school," was Alice's only answer before she flitted out of the room.
Bradley was sure she did not want to do whatever Alice was planning. Alice hadn't let up on Bradley's fashion, or lack thereof, since bringing it up a few weeks earlier. Bradley had managed to avoid Alice's shopping plans because of volleyball or homework or whatever other excuse she could muster up. She was sure that she was going to be stuck this time. Alice seemed determined.
Kevin noticed the change in Bradley's usual upbeat demeanor on the ride home from school. "What's up?" he asked. "Is everything ok?"
"Yeah," Bradley sighed. "It's just the rain." That seemed like a safe enough excuse. It had been the reason for her feeling down earlier in the day so it was true enough.
Kevin chuckled. "Today is particularly dreary. But spring is coming," he promised brightly.
Bradley snorted a little. "So they tell me." Of course now she had Alice's assurance and that seemed a little more promising.
Kevin laughed again. "The sun will shine again, I promise," he joked in a voice of wisdom as he pulled up to Elaine's house. "Hey, some of the guys are coming over to play video games this afternoon. Wanna join?" he asked hopefully.
Bradley smiled sadly at him. She would have much rather played games with him and his buddies than do whatever torture Alice had planned, even at the risk of leading Kevin on. "I can't," she said. "I've got a..." Bradley struggled to find the right words. She settled for "project to work on."
"Oh, ok. Another time then," Kevin answered sadly but he seemed to take some solace in her obviously mournful tone.
Not five minutes after Bradley got in the house, Alice arrived and practically dragged Bradley back out into the rain. Once in the car, Bradley grumbled, "Alice, are we really going shopping today?"
"Of course not, don't be ridiculous," Alice answered. Bradley wasn't sure why this was ridiculous but she relaxed instantly. "The closest decent shopping is in Seattle and we don't have enough time for that today."
That both frightened and relieved Bradley. She was glad that she didn't have to shop today but Alice drove as fast as Emmett did so they would get to Seattle in record time, hours before the malls and stores closed. How long did Alice need for shopping?
"Today is just a planning day," Alice continued.
"Planning? What does that mean?"
"We need to have a plan of action before we go, Bradley," Alice said impatiently. "So today we plan and Saturday we shop."
Bradley quickly racked her brain for an appropriate excuse to get out of shopping and actually thought of one. "I can't shop this Saturday!" she exclaimed sounding a tad bit triumphant. "We have a weekender!" No one had ever been so excited about a Calculus test than Bradley was right then.
"You'll be doing that on Friday afternoon and then spending the night so we can leave first thing in the morning," Alice responded confidently. Of course she had seen this coming and already had an answer ready. Bradley slouched back in the seat and pouted for the rest of the ride to the Cullens' house.
"Now, Bradley," Alice warned as they walked into the house. "This doesn't have to be painful. You can cooperate with me and enjoy yourself or you can pout and be miserable."
"I don't think miserable is avoidable," Bradley muttered under her breath which only earned her her second glare for the day from Alice.
Alice led Bradley over to the computer that she was often working on. Alice sat down and opened some fashion program and a generic figure of a woman popped up. Alice spent the next 15 minutes entering information about Bradley's physical appearance. She picked her skin and hair color from a color pallet and then proceeded to ask Bradley dozens of questions about her height, weight, and sizes. Most of the information was easy enough for Bradley to give but a few times Alice looked at her like she didn't trust what Bradley was saying.
It got a little dicey when Alice asked Bradley for her bra size. Bradley blushed because she knew that Emmett and Jasper with both right around the corner in the living room and even though she couldn't seem him, Bradley knew Emmett was getting a kick out of her torment. She did not want to discuss bra sizes with Emmett listening.
Also, Bradley didn't really know what size bra she wore. She always wore a sports bra because while she was tall and lean like her father, she had definitely inherited her mother's well endowed chest. The sports bra kept everything contained and made Bradley a little more comfortable.
Bradley just shrugged at Alice's question. "What do you mean you don't know?" Alice demanded.
"I don't know, Alice. I've never really checked," Bradley answered impatiently and as quietly as she could.
"Well, what are you wearing right now?"
"A sports bra."
"Why? You aren't playing any sports."
"It's all I have."
Alice closed her eyes and took deep breaths as if Bradley had just told her someone had just run over her dog. "Rose, I need you," Alice said as she grabbed Bradley's wrist and dragged her upstairs.
Alice brought Bradley to her bedroom and began searching through drawers. Rosalie entered the room looking a little amused. "Can you bring me a couple of different bras?" Alice asked Rosalie without looking at her.
Rosalie rolled her eyes and left, returning a moment later with an armload of lingerie. Bradley could not believe this was happening. Alice finally found what she was searching for, a sewing tape measure.
"Thanks, Rose," she said and then turned to Bradley. "What are you wearing under that?" she asked indicating Bradley's hoodie.
"A tank top," Bradley answered hesitantly.
"Perfect. Lose the hoodie," Alice commanded.
Bradley did as she was told. "Ok, arms up," Alice told her. She began measuring various parts of Bradley's chest, waist and hips. "You're wearing the wrong size jeans, you know. Actually, you're wearing pretty much the wrong size in everything." Alice sighed. "We've got a lot of work to do."
Bradley sighed. This was going to get ugly.
"Go put this on," Alice directed her, picking a bra from the pile that Rosalie brought in.
"Alice, this is ridiculous! I-"
"GO!" Alice glared yet again at Bradley and Bradley slinked off to the bathroom adjacent to the bedroom.
"Rose and I are not the same size, you know," Bradley muttered as she changed.
Bradley put the bra on and then looked at herself in the mirror. Evidently, she and Rose were the same size. She was embarrassed by how much more pronounced her chest was in this bra versus the sports bra. She could hear Alice sighing impatiently in the bedroom so she took a deep breath and went out to face the music.
"That is so much better!" Alice exclaimed. Bradley fought the urge to fold her arms across her chest. "Bradley, this is how shirts are supposed to fit." She pointed to how the tank top now hugged closely at Bradley's curves and then pointed to Rosalie's snug fitting top.
"But my chest looks huge!" Bradley cried.
"It kind of is," Alice said as Bradley scowled. "You are easily a full C-cup and you're only 16 so..." she let her voice trail off.
Bradley's jaw about hit the floor. "Oh relax, Bradley," Alice sighed impatiently again. "A cup size just indicates the difference between the band and the fullest part of your-"
"I get it, Alice!" Bradley cut her off.
"I'm just saying, it's not like a cup size is going to lock you into being a stripper or something."
Just when Bradley thought she couldn't get more horrified. "I can't go out in public like this! People will think I got plastic surgery or something!"
"The boys will love it," Rosalie teased. "You always play the part of 'one of the guys'. It's good to keep them on their toes and remind them every now and then that you are a woman."
"I think I prefer 'one of the guys,'" Bradley muttered.
Alice smirked. "You can still be one of the guys and kick their butts in sports and stuff. And now you are going to knock them on their butts another way too."
Alice and Rosalie both laughed as Bradley blushed a deep red.
They went back downstairs to the computer and finished entering in Bradley's information. They then spent the next three hours going over colors and styles and things that Bradley didn't even understand. Alice was trying out different things on the computer generated Bradley and was saying things about cuts and fabrics and it all sounded like Greek to Bradley.
Bradley was exhausted by the time she got home that evening. Elaine took one look at her and raised an eyebrow. "It looks like you've been through a war zone," she commented.
"Feels like it too," Bradley grumbled.
"What were you up to this afternoon?" Elaine asked, eyebrow still raised.
"Planning," Bradley spat out bitterly. Elaine's eyebrow still hadn't come down so Bradley explained. "Alice is taking me shopping. She thinks my clothes suck."
Elaine chuckled. "And that requires planning?"
"Apparently. And she's not even finished! She's coming over here tomorrow to go through my things. I think she's going to throw everything away!" Bradley cried with real concern.
Elaine threw her head back and laughed. "Good thing she's taking you shopping then, otherwise you'd be running around causing a scene!"
"It's not funny!" Bradley whined. "She's making me sleep over on Friday night so we can leave early on Saturday and 'have enough time,'" Bradley used her fingers to make air quotes. "How much time does she need? Do you think she'd believe me if I said I was allergic to shopping?"
Elaine just smiled and shook her head. "I doubt it."
"Maybe you could say I'm not allowed?" Bradley asked hopefully.
Elaine chuckled again. "I think you'd have better luck with the allergy line." That was true. Elaine didn't really prohibit Bradley from doing anything but that was because Bradley hadn't tried to push her limits. Living with Elaine was kind of like living with your supercool aunt, she let you get away with more than your parents would but she still cared enough to set boundaries.
Bradley sighed in defeat. There was no getting out of this.