A/N: Here goes another one… Again, credit to Jonathon Larson for chapter titles.

Bella's dress up day, in her point of view. And yes, we do have a Friday the 13th this year.

Chapter 21- Today For You

I yawned. I looked at the calendar. It was Thursday, February 12th. Wait. It was Thursday, February 12th? I sighed. I wish the day were already over and done with, even though tomorrow was Friday the 13th. Friday the 13th had never concerned me.

I got up, and woke Abra up accidentally in the process. I was early delivering her to daycare, but Angela seemed truly immune to grumpiness. She was aptly named.

Only an hour or so later, a knock came on my door, and I let Alice in. She carried a number of bags, and set them all down on the table in the center of my room. I felt sure they contained makeup, a substance I hated with a passion. She would have a good time trying to get that on me.

I sat down on my bed and watched her as she bustled around my room, rummaging through the bags from our shopping trip, which I had yet to go through.

A long time later, she plopped down on the bed next to me. "What's wrong with you?"

I gave a confused look. "A lot of things? Sleep-deprivation?"
She rolled her eyes. "No! Why haven't you opened or worn any of the stuff we bought?"

"You bought it."

"I bought, then."

"I didn't want to."
"Why ever not?"

I shrugged. "I don't know."

She laughed. "One of the few things."

I frowned. "I'm not some sort of genius. Any sort of genius, for that matter. I just work hard."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Anyway. Which outfit do you want to wear?" She pointed out a number of outfits set up on the window seat, which I had managed not to notice.

"None."

"Come on Bella!"

"Okay, that one." I closed my eyes and pointed randomly.

Alice laughed. "You can't wear the table."

I gave her an annoyed look. I picked out the simplest of the outfits, a flowing dark blue skirt about knee-length, and a light blue layered shirt a little more low cut than I was normally comfortable with.

She grinned. "I knew you would pick that one!"

I frowned at her.

She gave me a funny look. "Are you not having fun or something?"

I rolled my eyes. "No duh. And I'm tired."

She shrugged. "Too bad, now let's get going."

"With what?"

Alice thought for a minute. "Put the outfit on first." She turned around, and I changed.

"You can turn back around now Alice."

"Oh, okay."

"What next?"

She thought again. "Hair."
"What about it?"

"Take your hair out,"

I pulled my bun out, putting a couple of pins on my desk, and pulled the rubber band off of the end of my braid. I unraveled the braid with my fingers, and my hair fell down my back, in thick dark brown curls.

I pulled it in front of me and sat down again.

Alice looked me up and down. "I would almost tell you to leave it like that…" She trailed off.

"But?"
"But I want to play with it."

"But it's annoying down!"

"And it's pretty."

I muttered something to myself, which Alice didn't catch, something I was very glad of. She made me turn sideways, and stood up, pulling a brush through my hair. After a while, the brush was gone, and her fingers were pulling my hair into some sort of do-up that I couldn't see. Eventually she was done, and I ran my fingers over the back of my head. Alice had done a sort of half-ponytail, with the top part twisted into a bun, and secured with the pins I had set on my desk.

"It's good, Alice."

"Thanks. And thanks for letting me play with your hair."

"Sure. What's next?"

"Makeup!"
I groaned. "Do I have to?"

Alice grinned at me and nodded happily. "Yep!"

"Just a little bit, okay?"

Alice nodded. "Okay. I promise not to go overboard."

I sat for an hour, out of view of my mirror, as Alice put on makeup, took off makeup, and put on more makeup, seemingly taking forever to decide exactly what to do with my face. I had almost nodded off when she shook me and pointed to the mirror. I got up, and walked over.

I almost didn't recognize myself. My hair curled its way down my back, reaching past my waist. It contrasted nicely with my blue outfit. My lips were shiny and smooth, not chapped and rough as they usually were. I closed one eye, and noticed that Alice had applied a small amount of eye shadow. She hadn't gone too overboard, but it was certainly a lot more makeup than I ever would have put on myself.

I turned back to Alice. "What now?"

"I've got a surprise!"

"What sort of surprise?" I was immediately suspicious.

"A good one!"

"I hate surprises."
"You get one question, then."

"Are you taking me out somewhere?"

She grinned. "Yes…"
I sat down on the bed stubbornly. "I refuse to go."
She frowned. "Please Bella?"

"No."

"Why not?"
"I- I- no." I turned around to face the wall, and tried to keep myself from crying. I sniffed unhappily.

Alice came behind me and put her hand on my shoulder. "What's the matter Bella?"
I sniffed again.

"Bella, tell me what the matter is!" She sounded serious this time.

"I- I- I'm" I stopped.

"You're what?"
"Scared" I whispered.

Alice sounded confused. "Scared?"

"Yes. I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"Of going out in public like this."
"Why?"
"I'll be noticed."

"Should that make a difference?"

"To me it does."

"Why? Why are you so scared of being noticed, Bella?"

"You're starting to sound like a therapist, Alice"

"Oh." She giggled. "Sorry. But I would like to know…"
"I know you'd like to know."
"Then why don't you tell me?"

"Because I'm scared."

"Of me?"

"I guess…"

"Why?"

"I don't know. You might tell someone."

"I wouldn't!"

I looked up at her. "It's hard to… trust."

She nodded. "I understand."

She looked so sad then that I had to tell her. "Alice?"

"Yes?'

"It's just…"

"Just what?'

"I don't like to call attention to myself."

She nodded. "Why?"

"Because, I might get… hurt."

"Hurt?"

"Can we just leave it at that? Please?"

Alice nodded. "So, is it okay if we go out to lunch with Edward?"

"Where?"

"There's a little café down in Harvard Square."

I nodded. "Okay. Was that the surprise?"

She slapped a hand over her mouth. "I gave it away!"

I laughed. "Let's go."

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A/N: That was intense. However, it was very nice to finally get a chapter out.

Notice how Edward calls Bella's hair color 'chocolate' and she calls it 'dark brown'?

Next chapter will be in Edward's reactions and other things.

Thanks to all of my readers and reviewers. I'm sitting here on my laptop feeling happier than should be allowed from reading all of those reviews!!!

Keep it up!!