29.
One Busy Day
Edward was standing in his parent's bedroom being fussed over by his mom, while his dad looked on.
"I can't believe we are done with Middle School! This is gonna' be the best summer ever!" exclaimed Edward, grinning at his dad and yanking at his tie, again.
Esme reached up to fix it, again. "Mom! No one cares if my tie is perfect, or not."
"I care, Edward. Now, hold still for a minute. There, that's better. Now, leave it alone." She looked him over with satisfaction.
"It doesn't look any different than it did a few minutes ago." Edward commented, looking in the mirror.
"Edward Anthony! Are you trying to be difficult?" Esme glared at him, "Because this is a very important day and, if you are going to ruin it by being hard to get along with, maybe you can pass on band practice for a few days until your attitude rights itself again."
Edward looked over at his dad with an imploring look, then back down at his mom. "I'm sorry, Mom. I guess I'm just nervous."
She smiled at him, "I know, it's not every day a boy graduates from… eighth grade." Her eyes filled with tears and she turned away, sniffling.
Edward rolled his eyes and looked at his dad again, who was grinning. He was enjoying Edward's torture way too much. Finally, he said, "Esme, My Heart, he looks perfect, how about if we wait downstairs for you now?"
"Okay, My Love, I just need to fix my make-up again."
The boys left the room and Edward grimaced at his dad, "Thanks for saving me! God! Why does she do this every time there is some kind of event? Geeze! You'd think I was moving a thousand miles away, or something."
Carlisle laughed. "Women are just emotional, Son. You might as well get used to it!" and he clapped Edward on the back as they went down the stairs.
Jasper and Emmett were waiting in the living room. Jasper looked over as they came down the stairs. "Your mom, too?" he said, rolling his eyes.
Edward nodded. "I wish this day was over already! They are going to drive us crazy!"
Carlisle chastised them with a frown. "Your mothers have given their whole lives for you boys, it doesn't hurt you to give them one day. Besides," he grinned. "you know this ceremony isn't really for you guys, anyway, right? Oh, by the way, Edward, you better grab a box of Kleenex."
Both boys groaned, and Emmett and Carlisle cracked up.
The ceremony was a little boring, but everyone was happy about how it went. The boys had beamed when they were called up to get their certificates, and Lynnette and Esme had taken tons of pictures, and cried, of course. Emmett and Jackson had whistled and cheered, and even Carlisle had let out a couple of 'whoo hoos'.
"The Hens outdid themselves today, huh?" laughed Jackson, as he, Carlisle and Alice walked toward their cars. "They were worse than when Em and Rosie graduated eighth grade. Geeze! I can't wait to see them when it's Ali's turn, and just wait until High School graduations start!"
Carlisle grinned, "They sure did turn on the waterworks! Ha! They even had Rosalie dabbing at her eyes!" They both chortled at that and Alice rolled her eyes. "Boys were annoying at every age." she thought.
She looked across the parking lot at Jasper. He was talking to Edward and a couple of their friends. He looked so handsome in his charcoal suit, white dress shirt and Jade-colored tie. She sighed. She just didn't know what to think of the way he had been acting lately. He was always looking at her with a strange expression on his face. It made her very nervous and she found herself avoiding him, especially when no one else was around. She had enjoyed the drive-in last weekend, but not until after she had gone to sit with him. They had snuggled under the blanket and joked around like they always did, and she had felt comfortable, but as soon as the movie credits started rolling, he had changed again. He had looked at her with that strange expression and had actually kissed her on the mouth. It had been real soft and quick, but it had embarrassed her and she didn't know what to say after that. She hated feeling that way around him. She had given him a little smile, taken the blanket and gone back to her own seat. He had started to say something to her, but she had seen Emmett and Rose walking back to the car from the concession area, and had interrupted him with relief. She couldn't help but wonder now what he had been going to say, but, at the time, she had panicked. She hadn't been alone with him since, and she didn't plan on being alone with him again any time soon.
Jasper listened to Edward, Kristy and James talking about some of the parties that were being held tonight. He was so aware of Alice standing with their dads across the parking lot. She had been as skittish as a feral kitten around him for the last four days and it was starting to piss him off. Rose had given him some good advice on the way home from the drive-in, but Ali's avoiding him, hadn't given him much of a chance to try any of it.
He was trying to be patient with her, but she acted like they were strangers. He got that she was young. He even got that she was confused and that parts of her memory were still messed up, but it wasn't like they hadn't known each other her whole life. He snapped back to the conversation when he heard his name.
"What do you think, Jas? Should we hit Lauren's party, or pass?" Edward asked him.
"I don't know." He shrugged. "She can be so annoying, but if that's where everyone else is going, I guess it'll be cool."
"Awesome!" said James. "She can be a pain, but she has the best parties! I heard she invited some high school kids and they're bringing beer. Plus, a lot of those high school girls she knows are pretty freaky, ya' know what I mean?" He wiggled his eyebrows.
"James!" squeaked Kristy. "Please! Not in front of me, okay? Yuck!"
The boys laughed. "Sorry, Kristy!" James apologized, sheepishly. They had known Kristy since Kindergarten and she was a good friend.
She grinned and said, "Okay, change of subject. You guys playing baseball this year?"
All three of them nodded. "We've already started practice." said Edward.
"Yeah, last Thursday was our first meeting. We go on regular schedule starting the end of next week." added James.
"That's cool! My friends and I love coming to your games. Oh! That reminds me!" she suddenly exclaimed, looking at Edward. "I heard Emmett's going to state!"
Edward nodded. "Yeah! They won the regionals and go up state next week. My mom's taking us all up there. It'll be a blast!"
Emmett walked up to the group. "Hey, dudes! And dudette!" he added with a grin, spotting Kristy.
They all greeted Emmett and congratulated him on going to state. He chatted for a minute and then told the boys, "Our moms sent me to get you guys. I guess we're going to dinner now."
"Oh. Well, we'll see you guys at Lauren's then." Edward said to Kristy and James, and he and Jasper waved and followed Emmett over to their families.
Jasper's grandparents were here, so they had ridden with his parents and Jasper had ridden with the Cullens and Edward. Rose had driven her, Emmett and Alice. Jasper saw Alice getting into the back of Rose's Camaro, so he quickly walked over and jumped in behind her. She looked at him with wide startled eyes and, scooting over, looked desperately out the window for Rose.
"Are you avoiding me, Ali?" he asked her softly, looking at her, his green eyes intense.
She looked scared for a second, but then tried to cover it with indignation. "No! I didn't even know you were behind me!" She went rigid, stuck her nose in the air and looked out her window.
"I thought you had fun at the drive-in." he said.
"I did!" She looked back at him. "I didn't say I didn't."
"Well," he said, gently. "you haven't talked to me since then."
"I... I've been busy." She defended herself, and turned back toward her window.
He leaned over and whispered in her ear. "You can't get rid of me that easily." and chuckled when he saw her shiver and then resume her rigid pose. He relaxed against the back of the seat and just watched her. He knew she was aware of his every breath. He grinned and loosened his tie. He took in her shiny, long hair. She wore it in loose curls today with a white comb holding it off of her face. She had on a floaty-looking white dress with little cap sleeves and a round neckline. It came to just above her knees and she had little white flats on. She looked like a ray of sunlight. He smiled at that cheesy thought and then started thinking how he'd like to pull her into his arms and kiss the breath out of her. She'd probably scream her head off and run. He grinned, evilly. He didn't want to torture her, but he wanted her to deal with him, not keep hiding from him.
Rose and Emmett got into the car and Rose was surprised to see him there. She took in Alice's stance and gave him a pointed look. He just shrugged. He wasn't going to let Rose make him feel guilty, or help Ali hide from him, either. Rose sighed and started the car.
Alice didn't think she'd be able to eat. She wished they would just let her go home. She didn't know why Jasper was doing this to her. He said he wanted to hang out like they always did, but he didn't act like he always did. He just stared at her and said strange things all the time. She missed him. She sighed, maybe if she just kept away from him for a while, he would forget whatever was making him act weird and he'd act normal again.
"Ali?" She turned her head when she heard her name. "You comin'?" She looked up to see Emmett looking at her from the open door. They were at the restaurant already. She had been so lost in thought, she hadn't even noticed Jasper get out of the car. She smiled at Emmett and let him help her out of the car. As she got out, she noticed Rose and Jasper walking ahead, talking intensely. Jasper looked angry and, for the hundredth time that day, she wished she could go home.
"Here's little Ali! How are you, Darlin'?" Jasper's grandpa asked, grabbing her for a hug as she walked in the door with Emmett.
She grinned and hugged him back and smiled. "Hi, Papa Mitch! Sorry, I didn't get to see you earlier."
"That's okay, Sweetie! I know you gorgeous girls take longer to get ready than these ugly boys do." He sniggered at his joke, elbowing Jasper who was standing next to him. "It's definitely worth the wait though, ain't it boy? She's sure growing into a beautiful young lady, hey?"
Ali felt her face burn as Jasper gave her a mocking look, "She sure is, Gramps."
"Well, where's yer manners, young un'?" He said, giving Jasper a little push. "Escort the young lady to the table."
Jasper held out his arm with a big grin and Ali took it reluctantly, all her hopes of sitting far from Jasper dashed. She let him lead her to the large table where their families were chatting and finding their seats. He pulled out a chair for her and she murmured her thanks as she sat. She waited for him to make some outrageous comment, but was shocked when he just walked away and took a seat next to Edward. She let out a sigh of relief, but then felt a slight sense of loss. "What the heck?" She was so confused.
Dinner went better than Alice expected. She sat between her mom and Jasper's grandma and enjoyed their attention and conversation. She was even able to eat almost all of her dinner and found that she had been starving. When it was time to go, Jasper went with Edward in their parents' car and she went back with Rose and Emmett. She wondered what he was up to, but he never said or did anything more. When they got to the house, he just went home to change to go to a party with Edward and his friends.
"Ali? It's Jessica!" Jessica practically screamed into the phone.
"Hi, Jessica!" laughed Ali.
"Guess what? My mom said I can have a couple friends over tonight since we don't have school tomorrow! Will you come?"
"I thought Lauren was having a party tonight." Ali said.
"She is! That's why my mom said I could have a sleep over! So I would stay out of Lauren's hair!" Jessica laughed. "Say you'll come! Please!"
"Well, I don't know..." Alice hesitated. She knew Lauren would look for any opportunity to humiliate her if given the chance. "What if Lauren sees me?"
"Come on! We'll be upstairs. She'll be too busy to worry about us. Besides, my mom will be here and Lauren won't dare do anything with her here." Jessica cajoled her.
"Well... okay..." conceded Ali. "I'll make sure it's okay with my mom."
"Call me back if she says no," Jessica told her. "But, Ali, please try to talk her into it. We'll have so much fun! It starts at 7:00. That way you'll be there before Lauren's party starts at 8:00. Okay?"
"Okay!" Ali chuckled. "I'll be there. What should I bring?"
"Just yourself and some cute pajamas!" Jessica squealed. "I've got pillows and blankets and snacks, so you should be good!"
"Thanks, Jess! I'll see you in about an hour, then!" Ali laughed at her enthusiasm and hung up. She went downstairs and found Esme in the kitchen. "Hey, Mom! Whatcha' doin'?"
"Hi, Sweetheart!" She turned to Alice, smiling. "I'm gonna' make some cookies for the hospital bake sale. Wanna' help?"
"Well," Ali started, biting her lip. "I would, but I was wondering if I could go to Jessica's tonight? She's having a sleep over and asked me to come."
"Ali! That's wonderful!" Then her face fell a little. "Um... what about Lauren? You know her mom and I have talked many times, but that doesn't mean she won't be unkind to you."
"Well, Jessica said that she's having a graduation party tonight, so we'll be upstairs and Lauren will be busy downstairs, so she won't bother me." Alice told her.
"Okay, and Jessica's mom is going to be there?" Esme questioned.
"Yep! Jess said she'll be there all night." Ali confirmed.
"All right, but make sure you have your cell phone in case you need me to come get you." cautioned Esme.
"I will, Mom, but I'll be fine." she assured herself, as well as her mom.
Esme drove Alice to Jessica's house a little while later. Alice was trying to stay calm, but, inside she had butterflies the size of bats. She had never slept over a classmate's house before. She had packed her bag, shaking with excitement. She brought her cutest P.J.s, her toothbrush, toothpaste, brush, clean clothes for morning, her iPod and her phone. She hoped that was all she'd need, but it was only one night, so she was sure she'd be fine.
When Esme pulled into Jessica's driveway, Jess came running out. Alice kissed her mom goodbye, grabbed her bag and jumped out of the car. Jessica was chatting a mile a minute and gave Ali a big hug.
"I'm so glad you could come, Ali!" Jessica squealed. "We're gonna' have so much fun! Everyone else is here already. Come on!"
Ali waved to her mom and followed Jessica into the house. Directly inside the front door, Jessica came to a stop. "Lauren! What do you want?" Jessica groaned. "Mom told you to leave us alone."
"I just thought I'd say hi to Alice." Lauren said, with a bright smile. "It's good to see you, Ali. I'm glad you decided to come."
Ali looked at her suspiciously. "Um, thank you, Lauren." She followed Jessica up the stairs, aware of Lauren watching her.
"Have fun, girls!" Lauren called after them.
Alice let out a sigh of relief when they got to Jessica's room. The other two girls there, Janice and Stephanie, were already friends of hers, and they immediately started chatting and giggling.
Lauren was downstairs when she heard the doorbell. She was ready for a great party and her mom was gonna' hang out on the deck with a book so she could still chaperone, but not bug them. Everything was perfect. She only had one more detail to work out, but she had to make sure one other person came to her party first. About ten minutes later, Lauren felt a huge smile cross her face as she saw Jasper and Edward arrive. Now, all she had to do was arrange the last detail. She rubbed her hands in glee. She didn't know why she enjoyed torturing Alice Cullen so much, but she did. It was paybacks for keeping Jasper from asking her out, she guessed. Either way, she was so looking forward to her plan.
"Ali! Oh my God!" squeaked Jessica. "Do not tell Brent I said that! Promise me!"
Ali laughed. "What will you give me if I don't tell?"
Stephanie interjected, "She'll give you their first-born!"
All four girls broke out in giggles. Alice was having so much fun. She was so glad that she hadn't been too afraid of Lauren to come. They had changed into their Pajamas and given each other manicures. They took turns picking songs on Ali's iPod to listen to, and they were getting ready to put a movie in. They couldn't decide if they wanted to watch '17 Again' or 'The Tooth Fairy' with the Rock. They had all seen '17 Again', but Zac Efron was so dreamy, they could watch it over and over again. The Tooth Fairy was new and none of them had seen it, but, even though the Rock was hot, he was old.
"Let's watch '17 Again' first, then we can watch 'The Tooth Fairy' later." suggested Stephanie.
"Yeah! I gotta' get me some Zac time!" declared Janice.
With a plethora of giggles, Alice and Jessica agreed, and they put the movie in the DVD player and settled down to watch. Outside the bedroom door, Lauren listened with a grin. She just had to think of a reason to get Alice downstairs. Maybe if she asked her and Jess if they would help her for a minute, she could get her alone afterward. Alice was always willing to help someone out, she didn't think she'd refuse. Lauren knocked on the door, and opened it enough to stick her face through.
"Sorry to interrupt, but Mom is busy and she said to ask if I could get a couple of you to help me?" She smiled, sweetly. "It'll just take a minute."
Jessica got up off the floor, "Okay, what do you need?"
"Well, I need, probably two of you, to help me carry some stuff into the dining room. You know, snacks, and stuff." Lauren looked at Alice.
Alice looked wary, but she stood up, too. "I'll help." she offered.
Lauren smiled, "Thank you, Ali! I really appreciate that!" Lauren took in what she was wearing. "Perfect!" she thought, with an evil chuckle.
The two girls followed Lauren down the stairs and into the kitchen. She handed them some trays of different snacks and directed them to take them into the dining room. She followed with cups and plates. They made a few trips before everything was set up and Lauren thanked them. "Oh! I forgot! Jess, would you run down to the basement and get the bag of ice out of the freezer, please? I'll show Ali how to get back to your room on my way to set out these last things."
"Okay," Jessica said, and headed for the basement door.
"This way, Ali." Lauren beckoned. Alice followed without a second thought. Lauren set the last two trays on the dining room table and went into the other room. "Do you mind if I ask you for one more thing?" she said to Alice, with a big smile.
"Um, no, that's okay." Ali gave her a tentative smile.
"Right this way." She went to a door and opened it. It led to a large storage closet. "See that box up on the top? I can't reach it. If I lift you, do you think you could reach it?"
"I'll try, but I'm probably too heavy for you." Alice informed her.
Lauren looked her up and down as though she was judging her weight. "Hmmmm, maybe. Do you mind if I ask someone else to help us then?"
Alice shrugged her shoulders. "No problem."
"Okay. I'll be right back." And she hurried out the door. Alice waited and soon heard voices approaching. "Thanks so much for your help." she said to someone. Alice's eyes widened when Jasper came into view. He looked surprised to see her.
"Ali? What are you doing here?" he looked down and noticed her skimpy summer pajamas. The top was a thin, silky, cotton tank and the bottoms were very short satin boxer shorts. He could tell that she didn't have a bra on and probably not any underwear, either. "And what are you wearing?" he asked.
"I'm here for a sleepover with Jessica, and these are my pajamas." She answered in a huff at his condescending attitude. "Lauren asked me to help her for a minute."
Jasper looked at Lauren. "What do you need me for?" he asked her.
"See that box on the top shelf? Ali and I can't reach it ourselves. I thought that, maybe you could lift her up so she could grab it for me." Lauren gave him a soft smile. "I'd really appreciate it."
Jasper sighed. "All right. Come on, Ali." He walked into the closet and lifted her up. Just as she was about to grab the box, Lauren turned off the light and shut the door. "Damn it! I knew she was up to something!" he exclaimed.
He still held Ali up by her waist. It was pitch black in the closet and he could feel her trembling. "Hang on, Ali. I'll find the light as soon as I set you down." He began to lower Alice when he stumbled over something and tightened his hold on her. Her butt was pressed into his groin and he cursed when he felt her accidentally rub against him. Just then, the door flew open and the light made them squint.
"Here he is!" Lauren said, then she gasped. "Jasper! What are you two doing?"
Jasper saw Edward standing just behind her and a group of other people behind him. Jasper knew it looked bad. His hands were spread out over Ali's torso and her butt was jammed up against his crotch.
"What the hell! Jasper! Are you making out with my sister?" Edward growled.
"No! Of course not!" he ground out, embarrassed. "She's just a little kid! I was helping her get something off the shelf and the door closed." Even to his own ears, it sounded lame. He couldn't believe he fell for one of Lauren's tricks to humiliate Alice. He knew the more he protested, the guiltier he'd sound. He released Alice and set her away from him and turned to Edward. "God damn it, Ed! You know I wouldn't!"
Edward's face was scrunched up in anger and his eyes were furious. He grabbed Jasper by his shirt and pulled him out of the closet. "Do I? It sure looks like that's what you're doing!" he yelled in his face.
Jasper pushed him away. "Get outta' my face! It was a set-up! Don't be stupid!"
Edward pushed him back. "Now I'm stupid? I'm not the one in a dark closet with my hands all over my half-naked little sister! You have sex with Savannah and now you think you're gonna' hit on my sister?"
Several people gasped and Jasper turned beet red. "I'm gonna' kick your ass, Edward!"
"Try it! You pervert!" Edward yelled, taking a swing at him.
Jasper ducked and aimed a punch right at Edward's jaw. His head snapped back and he lunged at Jasper with an angry shout. The two boys went down, arms and legs flying, while Alice just stood there with her mouth hanging open, Lauren caught her eye and gave her a triumphant smile. She looked around at all the leering faces and wanted the floor to swallow her. She was trembling violently and her head began to hurt. There was no where she could go with everyone blocking the closet door, and she slumped to the floor, pulling her knees to her chest. The boys continued to roll around on the floor, punching and kicking each other, and, finally, some of their friends pulled them apart. Ali looked up and saw that they both had blood on their faces and Edward's eye was beginning to swell. "Keep your hands off my sister, asshole!" he snarled.
"I wouldn't put my hands on your sister if she was the last girl alive, dick head!" Jasper growled back. Ali put her head on her knees and began to rock back and forth. Jasper broke away from being held and stormed out of the room. Edward broke away, too, and stalked after him, yelling for him to come back and face him. Mrs. Stanley came in and said, "If you boys are going to fight, take it outside! There will be no fighting in the house!" and she followed them to the front door.
Alice heard Lauren laugh, "I knew it! I knew all along that she must be whoring for him. No one is that close unless they're screwing." Alice moaned into her knees and felt like she was going to throw up.
"Ali?" she heard Jessica say softly. "Ali, are you okay? I'm so sorry!" Alice finally looked up. Everyone was gone from the doorway and Jessica was kneeling next to her with a distressed look on her face. "I should've known she was being too nice! I'm so sorry, Ali! I swear I didn't have anything to do with it!" She put her hand on Alice's arm. "Can I help you up?"
Alice nodded, and Jessica helped her stand. She swayed on her feet for a second and Jessica led her up the stairs to the bathroom. Alice sat on the toilet as Jessica got her a cold washcloth. It felt so good on her burning cheeks and the nausea finally passed. Jessica bent down, "Do you want me to call your mom?" Alice nodded again, and began to cry. Jessica hugged her. "I'll tell everybody that it was Lauren! I swear!"
Alice shook her head. "They all know what she's like already. It won't stop them from talking about me. I'm just glad that school's almost out and they're all going to the high school next year."
Jessica pushed the hair back from Alice's face and wiped her cheeks with the cloth. There was a knock on the door, and Jessica went to open it. Stephanie and Janice stood there holding Ali's phone. They both had concerned looks on their faces. "Ali? Are you okay? What happened?"
"I'll tell you later." Jessica answered. "Is that Ali's phone?"
"Yeah," Stephanie handed it to her. "It was ringing so we came to find you. Is Ali okay?"
"Not really." said Jessica, taking the phone and giving it to Alice. "Lauren played a trick on her in front of everyone."
"Oh no!" Janice gasped. "It's all right, Ali! Everyone knows Lauren is a bitch."
"Yeah, the only reason she has any friends at all is because they are afraid she'll be mean to them if they don't kiss her butt!" Stephanie agreed.
"You better check your phone, Ali. It could be important." reminded Janice.
Alice checked and saw her home number on the called ID. "It's my house." she said. "I better call them back."
Alice heard someone pick up. "Ali?" her mom said. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I'm okay." she said with a small sniff. "Did Edward come home?"
"Yes. He is quite upset as you can imagine." Esme sighed. "Do you want me to come get you?"
"Yes, please." she answered. "And Mom, it was a trick."
"I know, Ali. The boys know it, too. It just took them a while to figure it out." confirmed Esme. "Where was Jessica's mom while this was going on?"
"She was out on the deck. She didn't know that Jessica and I were downstairs, though. She came in when she heard the fighting, but she didn't know what happened." Alice assured her.
"All right. I'll be there in about ten minutes. Get your stuff." Esme said.
"Okay, Mom. Thanks." Alice closed her phone and looked at the other girls. "My mom's coming. I need to get my stuff."
Jessica took the washcloth from her and hung it up. The other two girls helped her up, and all four of them went back to Jessica's room. "I really am sorry, Ali!" Jessica cried. "We were having so much fun. I hate my sister! I never should've trusted her."
"It's okay, Jess." Alice told her. "I know it wasn't your fault. Next time, we'll have the sleepover at my house. Okay?" She threw her stuff in her bag and changed back into her clothes.
Samantha and Janice gave each gave her a hug goodbye and Jessica went downstairs with her. Lauren and her friends were in the living and dining rooms, so they snuck past them in the front hallway and went out the front door. Esme pulled up and Jessica gave her a big hug. "I really am sorry, Ali." Jessica said again.
"I know." Ali smiled at her. "It's okay." And she got into the car.
Esme looked at Alice with a pitying expression. "I'm sorry, Ali. I never should've let you go over there. I don't know why that girl is so mean."
"I don't know, either, Mom, but Jessica is my friend, despite the way her sister treats me, so I don't want you to make a big deal about it with their parents, please?" Alice begged, tears still running down her face.
"I already talked to her mom on the phone. I called over there when you didn't answer your phone. She is going to have everyone go home and Lauren is grounded for a month. She said she was going to go check on you, but I told her I was coming, so she said she would wait until after we left to clear everyone out of the house. She was genuinely upset that her own daughter acts that way. Your dad thinks she needs to send her to a good shrink!" Esme said, angrily.
Alice giggled through her tears. "Lauren would make the shrink need to see a shrink."
Esme chuckled. "I'm glad you're taking this so well, Ali."
"Well, I didn't at first, but Jessica and the other girls are really sweet and made me feel better. I'm not looking forward to seeing Edward or Jasper, though. They just left me there in the closet!" She admitted.
Esme looked over at her. "Well, as you can imagine, they are both pretty upset. They were yelling at each other in Jasper's front yard when Jackson heard them. He came out and calmed them down and then they came over to our place. They and your dad all had a talk and found out what happened. Of course, your dad and Jackson wanted to come straight over to get you, but I talked them out of it. I figured you'd had enough humiliation for one night."
"Oh God!" Ali groaned. "Thank you, Mom! I would've died, for sure!"
Esme reached out and patted her hand. "It's okay, baby. Everything is fine, now. Maybe the girls can come over one night this weekend and you can try again, huh?"
Alice grinned. "That would be great, Mom! Thank you."
"You're welcome. Now, dry your eyes so we can face your fathers... all four of them!" She and Esme laughed and Alice wiped her face.
