Disclaimer: I do own a copy of Twilight; however, I don't own the actual rights to said book … :(

Hello!! I made it back to the Twilight world! Technically I should be doing my homework right now … but that can wait, Bella and Edward are so much more important! Ha! I didn't realize how close I was to being over 3000 reviews until just a few minutes ago! I have 2966 as of the moment I'm starting to write this! 34 more and I'll pass the 3,000 mark … that is simply amazing! I never ever thought I'd get that high! Please help me get over that three thousand mark after you read the chapter – hope you enjoy it!!


Chapter 29: the Black Shoe with a Bow

EPOV

"So, have you heard about the Cinderella Ball?" Bella asked Jasper and me as we walked around campus after my basketball practice.

"The what?" Jasper asked.

"The Cinderella Ball," Bella repeated again, "Rosalie was telling us about it earlier today, it's a dance that Tri-Delta puts on every year-"

Alice cut in, "Every year Tri-Delta chooses a new fraternity to invite to come, and this year it's Alpha Sigma Phi!" she exclaimed, looked at our confused looks, took a deep breath and continued, "Meaning, that you have to choose our shoes for the dance."

"Choose your shoes?" I repeated, wondering what Alice was talking about.

Bella looked up at me, "The idea of the Cinderella Ball is that all us girls put one of our shoes into a big bag, which someone brings over to your house. Then the shoes get dumped out, and each boy chooses a shoe- and whoever the shoe belongs to will be his date for the dance. You don't know who your date is until you come back over to our house, and find the matching shoe and its owner."

"Exactly, but that is assuming you wont know what our shoes look like." Alice continued, "But of course, we might be able to give you a little sneak peak of our shoe choice, so you know which one to choose!"

"Tricky," I said.

"Very devious," Jasper said as well, "Isn't that sort of defeating the point though?"

Alice threw him a glare, "Well, if you don't mind me being escorted and dancing with someone else for an evening, I guess we don't have to tell you."

"I see your point," he said simply.

"Thought you would," Alice responded, "I'm going to put in a red Prada, stiletto shoe, with a pointed toe and tie laces that go around my ankles."

"I think I would have known that was yours without you telling me," Jasper joked.

"Right, and Bella?" Alice said, waving off Jasper's comment.

"Black ballerina shoes, with a black bow at the toe," Bella told me.

I nodded, "Alright, that sounds simple enough, when do we do this choosing?"

"Well, we gave them our shoes today, so I'd guess sometime today, or maybe tomorrow if they wait until the last minute." Alice said, "The dance is Sunday."

"Sunday?" I repeated, "As in tomorrow?"

Bella nodded, "We didn't know about it until today, they wanted to keep it a secret for as long as possible so we wouldn't be able to buy new shoes or tell the guys about our shoe choices."

"Right, but we're too quick for them," Alice said, "But, Bella we have to go buy new dresses, I didn't plan on needing a new dress this soon, and I heard that they are having a sale at the mall today."

Bella groaned and leaned into me, "I don't want to go, Alice."

I put my arm around her and rubbed her arm with my hand and kissed her head.

"Bella, please? Don't you want to look beautiful for Edward tomorrow?" she asked, sticking out her bottom lip.

"She'll look beautiful no matter what she wears," or what she doesn't wear, I added mentally, immediately scolding myself for my thoughts. It was hard not to have those types of thoughts when your girlfriend was Isabella Swan, though.

"Thanks, Edward" Bella told me, a blush creeping up on her fair skin.

"But … Bella!!" Alice whined.

BEEP.

I looked down at my cell phone the same time as Jasper, reading the text I just received: Meet at the house in 10, will only take a couple minutes.

"Well that looks like our cue," Jasper said, reading the text out loud for the girls, "I wonder what we'll be doing." He said, winking at Alice.

She giggled, "Well, Bella, since Edward will be busy, why don't you just come with me?"

Bella sighed, a sign of defeat, "Fine, one hour though. Maximum."

"An HOUR!" Alice exclaimed, "Bella, how do you honestly expect me to be able to find everything we'll need for tomorrow in a mere hour?"

Bella shrugged and kissed me goodbye, "I'm sure you'll find a way, let's go."

Alice mumbled something under her breath but followed her. "Remember, red and black." Alice shouted back at us before disappearing around the corner.

"I'm glad they told us," Jasper said, while we walked towards the house.

"Me too," I said, thinking about what would have happened if they didn't tell us, and someone else would have ended up with Bella as a date. If James ended up as Bella's date, I shuttered at the thought.

We walked into the house to see, just as expected, a giant pile of shoes in the first room, with our brothers standing around the room, motioning for us to go stand besides the wall.

A few minutes later, once Emmett had decided that we'd had enough time to get here, he closed the doors and turned to us. "Greetings, now I know what you're all thinking. 'Man, does Emmett's hair look amazing today or what?' and yes, it does, I know. I don't know why, but today I woke up, looked in the mirror, and it was this perfect," he rambled, "But I must direct your attention from my model-like hair, to the pile in front of you all." Our eyes all moved from Emmett to the pile, I looked for the black, ballerina shoe which Bella described. I spotted it, towards the bottom of the pile, but still visible. I caught Jaspers attention and he wordlessly nodded his head as well, signaling that he had spotted Alice's shoe.

"What's with the pile of girl shoes?" a guy named Max asked.

"Ah ha," Emmett said, moving around the room slowly, looking at each of us directly, "It does look like a pile of regular girl shoes, doesn't it? But alas, it's not a 'regular'" he said, putting air quotes around the word, "pile of girl shoes – it's the key to your way into the arms of a gorgeous girl for a night."

Murmuring went around the room.

"That's right, boys, this year we've been chosen as the fraternity to partake in the Cinderella Ball." Emmett said, confirming some speculation, "Now for those of you who haven't heard of this dance, it's the only dance this semester that is so highly regarded that only the best girls come, and to be the fraternity invited is quite an honor." Emmett said proudly. "That being said, there are a couple things we must do to … humor our hosts. For starters, each of you must choose a shoe from the pile in front of you, that will be your date for the dance. Sadly, the dance is themed as, as I'm sure you could guess from the name, Cinderella. Or I guess I should put it more broadly, Princesses." A collective groan went around the room. "Now, now, that means that we get to be their Knights in Shinning Armor – their heroes for the night. They get to dress up in beautiful dresses, and all we have to do is wear a tux, and they'll fall for us like flies." Emmett smiled, "It'll be a night to remember, I can promise you that much." He clapped his hands together, "Now before any of that … fun making can happen, you must all choose a shoe. On the count of three, you can all choose a shoe of your liking. Once you've gotten your shoe, please step back so others can get theirs, then we'll talk more about the rules, understood?"

Everyone nodded and said yes.

"One," he said, while I focused on the shoe. "Two," I bent down to prepare to run forward, "Three," Emmett shouted, and we all ran forward.

Running straight to the shoe that I picked saw earlier, I quickly grabbed it and walked back to the wall.

"That was quick, Edward," Emmett commented.

"Yea, well I just wanted to get in an out, no point in fighting, right?" I said, looking down, hoping he wouldn't be able to tell I was lying.

"Good idea, nice shoe by the way," Emmett commented, heading into the mosh-pit of guys and shoes to break up a fight over a shoe.

"It's mine," I heard someone shout.

"I saw it first," Jasper's voice shouted, causing me to look up.

"You did not," the other said.

Emmett broke up the fight, "There is only one fair way to settle this, Rock, Paper, Scissors."

"WHAT?" Jasper shouted, "That isn't fair, I saw it first, I should get it." He said, holding Alice's shoe tightly to his chest.

Emmett shook his head, "Nope, Rock, Paper, Scissors, or you give up the shoe."

Jasper sighed and handed the shoe over to Emmett, "Fine."

"Fine," the other guy said.

"Alright, we'll only have one round, winner gets the shoe, clear?" Emmett said.

"Yes," "Yea"

"Okay, rock, paper, scissors, shoe!" Emmett said, and they both showed their choices.

Jasper: Rock, the other guy scissors. My smile was nothing compared to the one on Jasper's face, "I win," he said, took the shoe and walked over to me. "Man, that was a close one. There was no way I was going to face Alice without getting her shoe," he said quietly to me.

I laughed, "Yea, that'd be like signing away your life." I said, playing with Bella's shoe in my hand, running my hand over to sides and top.

"After you have your shoe, you can leave. Just make sure to go find the owner of the shoe at the house tomorrow around 6:30 for dinner then the dance." Emmett shouted over the loud voices.

"Let's go," I said, walking out of the door quickly, happy for the quietness outside.

"That was crazy," Jasper said, looking proudly at Alice's shoe, "Let me see yours." He said, reaching out to grab Bella's. I gave it to him, and he froze.

"Edward?"

"Yea," I said, mentally planning out what I was going to wear to the dance tomorrow.

"Didn't Bella say her shoe had a black bow?" he asked, his voice breaking in panic.

"Yea, why?" I asked, turning to look at him.

He lifted the shoe so I could see the top, "Do you see a bow?"

I froze and quickly scanned the shoe over again to make sure I hadn't missed it, "Shit, no. I grabbed the wrong shoe?" I asked, not believing it I looked at the shoe again, "I grabbed the wrong stupid shoe." I shouted this time.

"It's alright, man, you'll still see her at the dance, and we can even go as a group to dinner, so it'll be like you're on the date with her anyways." Jasper said, trying to calm me down.

"I grabbed the wrong shoe," I repeated again, still in disbelief then it dawned on me, "If … if I didn't get her shoe, that means that someone else did. Someone else will be taking Bella on a date tomorrow." I said, clenching my fists and resisting the urge to throw the shoe I held to the ground.

"Group dinner," Jasper repeated again, "You can even sit next to her; it's not a big deal. Dinner and one dance, and then she'll be all yours again."

I groaned, "I guess you're right … I still can't believe I grabbed the wrong shoe. Bella's going to kill me."

"No she won't," Jasper assured me, "She'll understand, I mean, what's the chance that they'd be two almost identical shoes in the pile?"

"I hope you're right…" I said, mentally kicking myself again.

"Of course I am," Jasper said, pulling out his ringing cell phone. "Hello."

"Jasper, is Edward with you?" I heard Alice's voice boom through Jasper's phone.

"Yes," Jasper said, holding the phone away from his ear.

"Can you please put him on?" she asked, and Jasper quickly handed me the phone, mouthing 'for you' as if I hadn't heard everything she was saying.

"Hello Alice," I said, trying not to think of the fact that Bella would not be my date for the dance.

"Edward, will you please tell your girlfriend that she does not live in the eighteenth century and that showing her ankles and a bit of her legs in a dress will not kill her," Alice said into the phone, I could imagine her throwing Bella a glare while she talked to me.

"Give me the phone, Alice," I could hear Bella say to Alice.

"Fine," Alice said to her, and then to me, "Please convince her, I'm handing her the phone."

I rolled my eyes, "Bella?" I asked in the sweetest voice possible, knowing how stressed Bella must be.

"Edward, save me, please. Alice is trying to squeeze me into this … this contraption of a dress." Bella whined.

"It looks great on her," Alice shouted into the phone.

"It's tight and short and shows off way to much," Bella told her, "Edward, please tell her not to make me wear this."

"I'll handle it; put her back on the phone, love." I said.

"Thanks," Bella sighed in relief into the phone.

"You did not tell her that she didn't have to wear it, did you?" Alice said immediately after retrieving the phone.

"She shouldn't have to wear it if she doesn't feel comfortable," I said, secretly not wanting her to wear it for my own selfish reasons. There would be no way that I'd be complaining about the dress if I was the one Bella was going to be wearing it for, but knowing that some other guys hands would be all over her, and his eyes roaming her body, a nun's habit sounded like the perfect outfit.

"But Edward, you haven't seen her in the dress; she's way over exaggerating it anyhow, it's not that short," Alice said.

"Alice, just listen to Bella, please," I said, tired.

"Ugh, you two are so unreasonable," Alice exclaimed, muttering something under her breath. "I'm trying to help you out here, Edward, she looks beautiful in this dress, I swear it. And Bella," she said talking away from the speaker of the phone, "Don't you want to look beautiful for Edward?"

"Well … yes," Bella said.

"She'll look beautiful no matter what she wears," I said quickly, before Alice could convince Bella to buy the dress.

"Yes, she will," Alice agreed, "But this dress looks spectacular on her, Edward will love it Bella."

I could imagine Bella's mind processing this information, "Well … I guess I could wear it, if we buy a sweater with it?"

"Deal!" Alice said, squealing while I racked my brain for a reason not to get the dress, without coming straight out with the fact that I didn't get her shoe.

"But-" I started, but couldn't come up with anything. Plan B then, find whoever got Bella's shoe and trade with them. I doubt they'd mind, they'd have to understand, and hopefully they would never have to know that I got the wrong shoe. "I look forward to seeing it," I said into the phone.

Alice squealed again, "You'll love it! Well, got to go, be home soon"

"See you later," I said, hung up the phone and handed it back to Jasper who was looking at me inquisitively.

"We have some work to do," I said, filling him in on my plan B. "It shouldn't be too hard, we'll just have to ask around the guys to see who got the shoe."

"Alright, want to head back over there now?" Jasper asked and I nodded, the sooner we got this all worked out, the better.

Quite a few of the guys stayed back at the house after picking their shoes, to talk and play video games so it wasn't hard to find their date's shoes.

Quickly scanning the shoes that were lying on the ground around the room, I spotted Bella's shoe. "Hey, whose shoe is that?" I asked casually around the room.

Pausing the game, everyone looked up and at the shoe, "That's mine," a voice from behind me answered.

I turned around to see James, holding a coke in one hand and a bag of chips in the other, "Why do you ask?"

Mentally I shouted every curse word in my head that I knew, "Mind if we switch?" I asked while the rest of the room went back to their conversations and games, not interested in what I had to say.

"Why?" James asked, eyes narrowing.

"Well," I realized I didn't have an explanation, apart from the truth, for why I wanted Bella's shoe. But if I told him that it was Bella's shoe, he wouldn't give it up, I knew that.

"Yes?" James asked, taking a sip of his coke.

I threw Jasper a hopeless look, and he looked back at me similarly. "No reason," I said, unconvincingly and lamely.

"Right," James said with an amused expression, "Well, no I don't think I will switch, but thanks for asking."

"Come on James," Jasper said, stepping into the conversation, "What's the big deal? It's just another shoe, no difference."

"Right, it's no big deal, so unless Edward here tells me why he wants to switch out, then I'm not going to," James said, and then realization dawned on him, "Unless, of course, it is Bella's shoe that I have, and he wants it." He studied our faces, which I tried to keep as neutral as possible, and failed, "That's it, isn't it? I have Bella's shoe, tomorrow night I'll be taking her on a date, and Edward here can't bear to think of that." James smiled.

"Come on, man, don't be a jerk," Jasper said, while I clenched my fists.

"James, want to play?" one of the brothers asked, holding up a control.

"Sure thing," he said, "See you both later," he told us, and walked away with the shoe in hand and a smirk on his face.

"I hate him," I said.

"Come on, let's go," Jasper said, walking out of the house after saying a round of goodbyes for the both of us. "There is still hope," Jasper told me.

"Out of all people, James… James is her date," I clenched my fists tighter.

"This isn't the end, we could always switch out the shoes," Jasper suggested.

"Switch out the shoes?" I pondered this, "Yes, that could work."

"Operation Glass Slipper is underway." Jasper murmured as we began to plan out how we were going to get the shoe.

A/N: Hello all! I need your help! As of this moment, I am completely undecided as to what I am going to choose – will Edward get Bella' shoe in time? Or will James be her date for the dance? I have an idea of what I'd write with either option. The first would involve a 'rescue mission' of the shoe, and it'd be in Edward's point of view. The second option would involve a little more drama, and action, and would be from Bella's point of view. I'll put up a poll on my homepage addressing the matter – please go vote on it as soon as possible so I can get started on the next chapter! Or message me if you have other ideas of where to take the story! And, as always … review!