The next morning, I wake up excited by the thought that Alice is waiting for me, just downstairs. I quickly get dressed and brush my hair and teeth. I rush down the stairs, a little too quickly, and step wrong when halfway down. I catch myself on the railing and manage to slide down the rest of the way on my ass rather than tumble down head over heels. Mindy rushes over and licks at me, tail between her legs in concern.
I look around, embarrassed in case Charlie is still home and saw it. Or worse, Alice heard me with her stupid super-hearing. Relieved when I don't see or hear anything, I dust myself off and limp my way to the back door the let Mindy out, who only goes far enough to relive herself then comes right back and nuzzles her head in my hand.
"I'm okay Moo Moo, you don't need to worry. You should be used to this by now, I know I am." I say, scratching her chest and making her leg twitch.
Chip has jumped on the little cabinet by the door and paws at my arm, no doubt jealous of Mindy's attention. "Oh, so sorry Chippy. There you are." I say, scratching his back near his tail, which makes him lift his head and start licking frantically at the air.
Laughing, I say my goodbyes and head outside. Sure enough, Alice is outside waiting for me. This time though, she is just casually leaning against my truck, her yellow Porsche no where in sight. I've finally accepted that my heart with always skip a beat and breath catch whenever I first see her after any time apart. I've stopped momentarily, raking my eyes up her body, which I can't help doing. She's wearing black strappy sandals, a blue dress that comes just below her knees, and a black blazer unbuttoned over it.
I stopped so briefly, any human wouldn't have noticed. Of course, Alice isn't human, so she noticed my hesitation. When my eyes make their way up to her gorgeous face, she's looking at me with a sly smile. Cheeks reddening, I make my way toward the truck, glancing down for a moment to make sure I don't trip over the part of the worn flagstone walkway that has cracked and sticks up. In the two seconds my eyes left her, Alice got in the truck and has already made herself comfortable.
"Where's your car?" I ask, setting my bookbag on the floor beneath her. She has her feet curled under her on the bench seat, so I figure my bag being down there won't be in her way.
"It seemed you didn't enjoy all the attention we received yesterday, so I figured we could just ride in together in your truck instead." She said casually.
"I'm pretty sure the attention had nothing to do with the car, Alice." I say, rolling my eyes as I plug in my phone to the AUX cable. I realize I don't need to, since I'm sure we won't listen to anything and just talk. It's a habit though.
"You may be right, but I want to try to make you more comfortable in any way I can, Bella." She says sweetly, taking my phone off the seat next to me and hitting the play button on the lock screen.
"So, do you not want to talk today?" I say louder than I probably need to when the music blasts through the old speakers in the truck.
"I just wanted some background music is all. Now, I believe it's my turn!" She says, after turning the volume down on Boy With a Coin by Iron & Wine.
"Alright, hit me with your best shot." I say, grinning at her enthusiasm. I should be dreading going to school after what happened with Lauren, but it's hard to be worried about it after talking to Alice yesterday and with how bubbly she is today.
"Tell me more about when you were little. You've only really told me about hating coming here during the summer to visit your dad and about taking care of your mom. Tell me some of the happier times." She says, eyes twinkling when I glance at her as I look over my shoulder to back out of the driveway.
"Well, my mom left Charlie, taking me with her, when I was two. I don't remember much for the first couple years, since I was so young, but I remember the last few places we lived before settling down in Phoenix. We spent quite a bit of time in the South, I think 'cause mom wanted to get as far from here and as much sunlight as possible. I know we first went to North Carolina and then Texas, at least that's what she told me. I don't remember them, since I was still little. My memories start when we lived in Georgia, when I was four. We have family there, and I think mom couldn't afford to live on her own at the time. Besides Phoenix, we spent the most time there."
"Was it just because you had family there that you spent more time in Georgia?"
"That's part of the story, so be patient and let me finish." I say, bumping my shoulder into her, despite knowing that it's a useless gesture.
"I'm so sorry to have ruined your flow." She says, sticking her tongue out at me, but smiling all the same.
"We spent about four years there, with my Aunt Kelly and cousins. The best memory I have of that time is one weekend we spent in Atlanta not long before we left for our next adventure. We spent the first day going to the Georgia Aquarium. We went to every exhibit, seeing as many of the shows as we could. I saw the dolphin show, and my mom even splurged and got us the penguin encounter. Next we went to the World of Coca-Cola. I thought that was kinda boring, except taking pictures with the Coke Polar Bear and trying all the different soda flavors of the world at the end. The next day, we spent at Six Flags. I was too little to really enjoy all the rides, but we still did the Haunted House water ride and rode a few of the smaller rides for kids. I took pictures with all the Looney Tunes characters and we got our Caricatures done.
"Not long after that weekend, mom got a job in Tucson. Apparently, while we were in Georgia and Aunt Kelly was taking care of me, mom was getting her Bachelor's degree in Education at Columbus State University. I think that's the most dedicated she's ever been at anything. So, an elementary school in Tucson offered her her first job out of college. I was nine when we moved, and hadn't really ever made friends since we moved around a lot. That didn't change at first, because we only were in Tucson for the one school year. She was offered a job in Phoenix that paid more, and we stayed there ever since. We moved around a bit, but never outside the city. So, I finally was able to make some friends." I finish as we pull into the student parking lot.
After I park, I look over and Alice has a faraway look in her eye, a smile playing at her lips. I watch her for a moment, drunk on the peaceful look on her face. I could have sat there forever, watching her. Of course, the loud bang of a car door shutting next to us makes me jump and causes Alice to laugh at the startled look on my face.
"I don't remember my human life, but hearing you tell me about yours, I hope mine was as adventurous and happy." She says, taking my hand in hers and running her thumb over my knuckles.
"I hope so too." I choke out, a pang of guilt welling inside me. At first, I attribute it to her not remembering her childhood and me remembering a lot of mine, but something in me makes me feel it's something else. "So, next question?" I ask, pushing the feeling aside.
"What are we doing this weekend?" She asks, non-chalantly.
"Nice try. You'll find out tomorrow." I laugh, grabbing my bag and getting out of the truck.
"Tomorrow is forever away though! Can I get just a hint?" She asks with a pout as I meet her at the back of the truck and we walk together to school.
"You know, for someone who is well over a hundred years old, you sure are impatient." I say, trying not to look at her and give in to her puppy dog eyes.
"Maybe because I'm so old is why I'm impatient, you think about that?" She says, huffing as she crosses her arms over her chest.
"Fine, I'll give you a hint." I say, which earns me a victory smile from her. "Your hint is… We won't be in Forks." I say, laughing when she stops and looks after me angrily as I continue walking towards the main building.
"That doesn't count!" She says, stomping to catch back up to me.
"You never stipulated what kind of hint. And it's too late to do it now. I've already given you one." I finish when I see she is about to protest. "Alice, let me surprise you please." I say imploringly, which makes her groan in defeat.
"Fine, I won't ask about tomorrow anymore… Until lunch." She says, skipping ahead cackling madly as she looks over her shoulder at me. I stop to look up at the sky and sigh in defeat.
Alice and I sit with my friends at lunch instead of by ourselves, having gotten a lot of the heavy conversations out of the way. She's sat with us enough now that everyone treats her like one of us, for the most part. Today, Jessica is talking animatedly with Alice about the dress I helped her pick out, earning me a proud smile from Alice that makes my stomach flip. Suddenly, the hairs on my neck rise, and I look around the room for the cause.
A few tables away, I see the football player that hit the gay boy not long after I started school here. He is staring at Alice, a hungry look in his eye that I recognize all too well. Without thinking about it, I grab Alice's hand under the table tightly, my eyes still on the boy. Alice notices my sudden change in posture and feels my hand squeezing hers, so looks up at me.
Following my gaze, she sees the boy and turns in her chair so he can only see her back now. When he finally looks away, I look down at Alice and move to release her hand, but she holds on. Jessica, who had still been talking to Alice when I interrupted her, looks over her shoulder to where I was looking.
"That's Hunter. Even some of the other guys on the football team can't stand him. To say he's an asshole would be an understatement. Did you see what he did to Patrick and Gavin a few months ago?" Jessica asks us.
"Yeah, I saw that. I don't understand how someone could be so cruel to someone else just for who you like or love." Alice says, squeezing my hand under the table.
"It takes a special kind of hatred and viscousness to treat people like that." I say quietly, scooting closer to Alice, who I'm fairly sure used her super speed to kiss my cheek. A glance down at her sheepish smile confirms my suspicion and I smile back, warmth spreading from my cheek throughout my body.
"So, Jessica. Can you give me a hint of what Leanne has cooked up for us tomorrow?" Alice whispers, completely throwing me off guard.
"Jessica, don't you dare answer that!" I say, glaring down at Alice who just laughs and steals one of my tater tots, causing me to glare even harder at her, if that's even a thing.
"What about tomorrow? Did you guys decide to go to the dance?" Mike says, interrupting Eric, who he was having a conversation with about video games.
"No, we already made plans, remember?" I say, trying hard not to roll my eyes at him.
"Oh right, Seattle. Aren't you just gonna go shopping anyway? Why do you need a hint from Jessica about the plans?" He aims the question at Alice.
"Oh, well… Uh…" Alice stumbles, clearly at a loss at what to say. I realize it's because of me not having told anyone besides Ang and Jess about our date.
"I asked Alice out the other day, so tomorrow is going to be our first date." I say, sparing her. Even though watching her fumble for words is utterly adorable.
"O-oh… I didn't realize you were… Um…" Mike stutters while Eric stares at me from next to him with his jaw hanging.
"It's not like she has to announce it to anyone. What is she supposed to do, throw it into her introduction? 'Hi, I'm Bella and I like girls.' Does it really matter?" Jessica chimes in, earning a high-five from Angela and a laugh from me.
"Yeah, you're right. Well, I think you two make a cute couple." He says, with a genuine smile at us. Jessica, beaming, kisses his cheek, making him blush.
"What do you have planned, Bella? I know of an awesome- Ouch, hey!" Eric starts, but is interrupted by Angela smacking his arm.
"Thanks Ang. No spoiling the surprise guys. Alice is already impatient enough as it is. I don't need half the school fueling the fire." I say between laughing fits, since Alice crossed her arms and huffs when I mention her impatience.
Alice walks me to Physics, like usual, and I take my seat next to Edward. Mr. Banner brings in an ancient box TV with a VCR on a rolling cart and settles it in next to his desk. He pops in a VHS tape, hits play, and the intro to Bill Nye the Science Guy crackles through the speakers. He doesn't say a word, and just sits at his desk and grades papers. It's quiet for a while, which I'm grateful for, and I think I might be lucky enough to get to go through a whole class without the jerk next to me pissing me off. Of course, that doesn't last.
"Are you really going through with this date with my sister?" He asks quietly. He managed to make it through a whole episode before talking, so I guess that's progress.
"Why are you making it sound like I don't want to go out with your sister? Like I'm doing it to spite someone." I ask, feeling the well of anger build up that he always brings out of me.
"Well, aren't you? If so, you're succeeding. I am sufficiently spited." He says, chuckling at his own joke.
"Why am I not surprised you'd think that? Edward, how many times do I have to tell you? I am not interested in you. I genuinely want to show Alice a great time. I really care about her. And if you care about your sister, you'd get it through your thick skull that there is never going to be anything between you and I. Ever." I say, trying to keep myself from angry-crying.
"If you're going to risk your life dating a predator like us, you should at least pick the right one of us. Have you ever dated a man? Give me a chance, I'm sure you'll change your mind." He says, moving his hand over toward mine.
I can't take it anymore. I get up, ask Mr. Banner for a bathroom pass, and storm out of the classroom and into the girls bathroom down the hall. Fuming, I run the cold water and splash it over my face and neck. I lay my head in my hands, elbows on either side of the sink, and shake my head. I shouldn't be surprised Edward would say that. All my lesbian friends back in Phoenix said the more homophobic and self-centered men would say similar things when they told them they weren't interested in them.
After the way he reacted to what Hunter did to Patrick and Gavin, he definitely seems the homophobic type. And anyone who thinks he isn't self-centered is blind. I just have to remind myself I only have to put up with him a couple more months, then the school year is over. Next year, the moment I realize I'm in a class with him, I'll switch to another class without him in it. Ugh, why couldn't there have been an opening in another class a few months ago when he asked? That would have saved me a lot of trouble.
I'm just about to dry off and leave when the door swings open and Rosalie saunters in. She sees me, but doesn't say a word. Instead, she strides over to the sink furthest from me, leans against it, and pulls out her phone. After watching her in confusion for a minute, I turn to leave when she calls out to me.
"Don't let guys like Edward get to you. They aren't worth it." She says, never taking her eyes off her phone.
"Used to it, are you?" I ask, wondering how she knows it was Edward that's gotten to me.
"Very much so. Don't give them the satisfaction of knowing they got under your skin. They'll misinterpret why. He'll think whatever he said has you questioning yourself. Does it?" She says, finally looking up and meeting my gaze.
"Absolutely not." I answer, knowing she's right about him misinterpreting my abrupt departure and dreading going back.
"Good. I'd hate to have to torture you for breaking my favorite sister's heart. Now, put your game face on and get back in there. Show him you're not playing his games." She commands, looking back down at her phone.
"I could never hurt Alice, so don't worry about that… And thanks, Rosalie." I say, turning around and walking back to class. Not before seeing the corner of her lip twitch up into a smile, though.
I sit back down in my seat, only 5 minutes are left for the bell, so it wasn't really worth coming back at all, but I know Rose is right and I have to show Edward he can't get to me. He's smirking when he sees me come back, probably thinking I've come back to fall into his arms. He opens his mouth to say something, but I interrupt.
"Just so you know, I have dated guys before. They did nothing for me. On the same note, most other women do nothing for me either. It has nothing to do with gender, and everything to do with the individual person. Nothing is going to change that. Alice is amazing. I like her because she is funny, smart, kind, generous, understanding, curious, and a million other things. Not because she is a woman. I like her for what's on the inside, not between her legs. Now you, you are a chauvinistic, homophobic, rude, narcissistic, bumptious asshole. I'm not interested, in you Edward. You can't convince me otherwise, no matter how hard you try. As a matter of fact, the harder you try, the harder you'll fail. Give it up already." I say, finally meeting his eye and showing him I mean whole-heartily what I'm saying.
Just then the bell rings, and I calmly put my things away. He eyes me for a moment longer, then stands up, slamming his seat on the table behind us and walks out without another word. Alice strides in, helping me to gather the rest of my things and walk me to Drama. She isn't smiling, and I wonder if she knows what happened.
"Rosalie text me. You okay?" She says when the last student exits the room.
"Yeah, I'm fine. She gave me a pep talk, which I never in a million years would have thought would happen. Inspirational speeches much be another Vampire thing." I say, grinning up at her.
"I think that's a Cullen thing, actually." She says, playfully shoving me ahead of her out the door.
The rest of the day passes much like all the others. Taking Rosalie's advice to heart, I don't spare Edward or our exchange in class another thought. Alice and I don't talk much during Drama due to being on opposite sides of the room with our tasks. Neither do we get to talk in Gym, being put on separate teams again. Lauren has refrained from goading me today, no doubt due to some of the things I've heard whispers about.
To my delight, Alice was right yesterday. Behind me on the bench I hear a girl telling another girl that Lauren tried to tell her I was a whore and my last school who is going to continue my path of sleeping through the rest of my high school years here. She regales excitedly that she didn't get far with that, having been verbally smacked down by Emmett, who was walking by. I don't get much more than that, since they start talking about how dreamy Emmett is and I lose interest. I never really doubted when Alice said I have allies here, but hearing that still causes a warmth to spread through me.
After school, Alice rides with me to my house and she starts asking me a barrage of questions. What are my favorite flowers, my favorite gemstone, my favorite kind of chocolates, and more about my favorite things. When she's done with that, she fires off more questions. This time wanting more details about the important people in my life like Charlie, Renee, and Jeana. They're so fast, I can only blurt out the first things that come to mind, which I suspect was her intention, not wanting to give me a chance to hold anything back.
"Where are we going tomorrow?" She tries to trick me after a particularly fast rapid-fire session.
"Oh, you almost had me there." I say, having almost actually answered.
"Damn, I thought that would work for sure." She says, crossing her arms and looking ahead. Suddenly, she stills for a moment with a vision. "Uh-oh, I better head out."
"What do you mean uh-oh?" I ask, dumbfounded. Just then, headlights appear on the house and a dark blue Dodge Dart pulls up behind me.
"There's a… complication. I should leave now before I make things worse for you. I'll see you tomorrow, 1 o'clock." She gives me a weak smile.
Before I can process what's happened, she's out of the car. She gives a quick glance to the car behind me and then walks down the street. I figure she ran to my house, using her Vampire speed, and will do the same to get home, once she's out of sight of whoever these visitors are.
"Hey, Bella! Surprised to see me?" Jacob calls out as he hops out of the drivers seat of the car. Charlie is pulling in with his cruiser now.
"Very! What are you doing here?" I ask, walking up to him as he pulls out a wheelchair from the trunk of the car, putting a puzzled look on my face.
"Billy!" Charlie calls out, bouncing out of his car, looking like a little kid at Christmas and helping Jacob with the wheelchair.
"My dad wanted to come surprise your dad." He answers, opening the passenger side door of the car and revealing an older, more heavyset version of himself. Seriously, the only difference in them is their age, they look so much alike.
"Dad, are you sufficiently flabbergasted?" I call out teasingly as I open the front door and turn on some lights, holding it open for them as they wheel Billy into the house.
"This sure is unexpected. What brings you around?" Dad asks, kicking off his boots and hanging up his belt by the door.
"We figured we'd catch the game with you. It's been too long." Billy answers, taking off his hat and setting it on the credenza next to him.
"Yeah, our TV went out a few days ago." Jacob chimes in, earning a smack from his dad.
"Jacob here also couldn't stop raving about how excited he was to see Bella here again." Billy says, no doubt teasing Jacob.
"Well, you guys go ahead and get it set up, I'm gonna run upstairs to shower and change outta my uniform real quick. Make yourselves at home." Charlie says, already running upstairs.
"I'll make us something to eat. You guys are hungry, right?" I ask, earning a subtle nod from Billy, who is looking at me with piercing black eyes. "Wanna help me, Jake?" I say, breaking eye contact and heading to the kitchen.
"Sure!" He answers me, grinning from ear to ear. "What do you need me to do?" He asks, rubbing his hands together and looking around like the sink is going to answer him instead of me.
"There are some potatoes in the bag on top of the fridge. Slather some oil on them from the cabinet next to your head there, sprinkle some salt and pepper on them, poke some holes in them with a fork, and wrap them in tin foil from the drawer behind you." I say, pulling some steaks out of the fridge and setting them on the counter.
"Will do!" He says buoyantly, and I can't help but smile at his enthusiasm.
"So, who was that in the truck with you? I thought I knew most of the kids from your school, but I didn't recognize her." He asks while I season the steaks, the iron skillet heating up on the stove.
"Her name is Alice Cullen." I say, not sure if he is going to react badly. Maybe he's finally believing in his people's legends.
"That would explain the look on my dads face when she got out of your car." He laughs, wrapping the last potato up. "What's next for these guys?"
"Put them on a cookie sheet from the cabinet by your knees there and pop them in the oven for me." I say, pointing with my elbow toward said cabinet. "I forgot; your dad doesn't like the Cullens. I bet seeing one of them with me got his blood boiling." I say, feigning ignorance.
"Yeah, the superstitious old man went from all smiles to brooding like some emo teenager in one of those old movies from like 2009." He answers, making me roll my eyes at his use of the word old to describe something from only 10 years ago.
"Jake, I'm sorry to break it to you, but you can't call something old if it was from your lifetime. Not until you're over the age of 60, at least." I joke with him, putting the steaks in the now hot skillet.
"Whatever. Old lady." He says, earning a punch in the arm from me. "Ow, that actually hurt. You're stronger than you look."
"And there's plenty more where that came from, keep it up." I threaten, holding my fist up for emphasis. "So, how come I haven't seen you guys around here since I moved in?" I ask, after a comfortable silence with nothing but the sizzle of the steaks to break the otherwise silent room.
"Well, my dad kinda pissed off your dad when he brought up his dislike of the Cullens. I think dad is trying to bury the hatchet, so tonight is kinda a reunion for them." He says, leaning against the counter and watching me work.
"Ah." Is all I can think to answer. "How's the progress on your car? You find that '67 Dodge yet?" I ask, trying to fill the now awkward silence.
"No, not yet. We borrowed that one out there. I think I have a lead though. I just need to save a bit more money. Hopefully, it doesn't get sold before then."
The steaks and potatoes are done now, so we set up some plates and head back into the living room, where Billy and Charlie are absorbed in the game. Jacob hands Billy his plate, I had Charlie his, and we sit together on the floor. I don't really focus much on the game. I'm more concerned with listening to the older men's conversation, listening to hear if Billy is going to rat me out. I'm not really worried about Charlie knowing about Alice and I hanging out, I'm more concerned with Billy trying and succeeding to convince Charlie that I shouldn't spend time with Alice.
"That was a great game. You guys should come out for the next one." Charlie says a few hours later, Billy and Jacob just outside the front door, about to head home.
"We'll be here. If nothing else, for Bella's amazing cooking. Who woulda thought the girl who convinced my Jacob here that mud pies would taste good would turn out to be able to whip up something so tasty." He teases, revealing his first genuine smile to me since he's been here.
"Definitely not from me or her mom. You guys have a safe drive." Charlie says, waving as Jacob helps his dad in the car and puts the wheelchair in the trunk.
"Bella, you be careful too." Billy says quietly, when Charlie heads back in the house.
I just nod in response, waving at Jake and watching them until their lights fade out of view. When I get back in the house, Charlie is already cleaning up the dishes, a wide grin on his face and bounce in his step.
"It was nice seeing your friend after so long, huh?" I say, not being able to hide my own smile at his happiness, no matter the intended cryptic warning Billy parted me with.
"Yeah, it's been a while. Last time I saw him, he was trying to convince me to kick the Cullens oughta town. I wasn't having any of that though. Carlisle is a great man, and he does wonderful things for this community." He says, drying off his hands when he's washed the last of the dishes. "Hey, I haven't had a chance to talk to you yet today. How was school?"
"I mean, it's school. I went to classes, talked with friends at lunch, went to more classes. That was pretty much it. Nothing really exciting." I answer, and he nods in response. I get the feeling he is hedging for something else though. "Is there something else you wanted to talk about, Dad?"
"Well, are you still going to Seattle tomorrow?" He asks cautiously.
"That's the plan."
"You sure you don't want to go to the dance? Did you not get asked by any of the boys at school?" He asks, not meeting my eye from what is no doubt embarrassment.
"No, I don't dance and don't want to go to the dance. Besides, it's girls choice. I would have to do the asking." I reply, deciding not to throw in 'or another girl would have to ask me'.
"Oh. Well, I don't really want you to go to Seattle alone. I can skip my fishing trip and come with you?" He says, a combination of relief and dread in his voice.
"I won't be alone. A friend is skipping the dance too and we're gonna go to Seattle together. You can go on your trip. We're running low on fish in the freezer as it is. There's only about enough in there to feed a family of four for about a year. We need at least two years worth at a time." I say teasingly.
"Oh." He perks up a bit at this, ignoring my jab at him. "Who is it?"
"Alice Cullen. She'll be by around one to pick me up. We'll be out super late, so don't wait up for us." I answer, knowing he would if I didn't warn him.
"Alright, well still text me every couple hours, so I know you two are okay. Make sure she does the same for her dad too." He says, yawning and stretching.
"You got it. Now, get to bed. I wanna get some chores done then I'll hit the hay too." I say, giving him a quick hug.
He heads up to bed, and I spend the next couple of hours getting laundry done, cleaning the bathroom and kitchen, and tidying up my room. I still have things I should get done, but figure I should get to bed so I can be well rested for tomorrow. Of course, that's an impossible task. I have a hard time sleeping, too excited and nervous for tomorrow. I toss and turn, glancing at my phone to check the time, double checking my alarm is set to give me plenty of time to finish my chores and get ready.
Finally, around 4am, I fall asleep. At 10, my alarm goes off and I spring out of bed and to the shower. I shave everywhere, wash my hair, and scrub vehemently at my skin. Next, I spend a good hour throwing my clothes around like they do in movies, trying to pick out something to wear. I didn't understand why girls did that in movies, until now. In the end I go with ripped jeans and a t-shirt without a hoodie for once, so I can show off my tattoos.
Next, I spend another half hour deciding on what to do with my hair. Not that I know how to do anything with it. My go-to's are wearing it down or in a ponytail. After a quick Google search on my phone, I find a style I can do, which is a messy bun with some loose strands framing my face. I make myself a grilled ham and cheese to eat, not wanting to get too hungry while out with Alice, since she doesn't eat herself.
I still have about an hour until Alice gets here, so I decide to finish some of chores I didn't get to yesterday. I put on my music to shuffle, open the curtains and blinds to let some light in, and start cleaning the litterbox. When I finish that, I dust the shelves, taking off the pictures and books to get underneath and between them. Finally, I start vacuuming the living room. Just as I'm finishing, I'm Too Sexy by Right Said Fred comes on and I can't help to dance and sing along to it, using the hose on the vacuum as a microphone. Mindy comes in then, watching me with her tail wagging.
I'm too sexy for my love
Too sexy for my love
Love's going to leave me
I'm too sexy for my fur
Too sexy for my fur
So sexy it hurts
Halfway through, Mindy starts dancing with me, getting on her back legs and putting her paws in my hands to let me lead her around for a few seconds at a time. Chip doesn't participate, instead laying on the back of the couch and watching us, tail twitching when I look over at him. When the song ends and there is a pause before the next song, I hear laughing coming from behind me. I turn around and see Alice on the other side of the window, doubled over.
"What's so funny? You've never seen a girl dance with her dog before?" I yell over her laughter when I open the front door.
"Only in movies. That was adorable though. I'm more laughing at the song choice than anything." She says when she finally sobers up.
"Hey, I didn't really pick it. It's on shuffle and it came up. Don't tell me you don't dance and sing along when I'm Too Sexy comes on?" I say, standing aside to let her in. "Oh, do I have to invite you in? Is that a thing?" I ask, suddenly remembering another thing from movies about Vampires.
"No, that's another myth." She says, stepping inside wearily.
"Why the hesitation then?" I ask, grabbing my coat.
"Animals don't usually take well to me. Well, to my kind really. I don't want to make your pets uncomfortable." She says, right before Mindy bounds over and sniffs at her, hair raised on her back.
After a moment, she wags her tail and shoves her head under Alice's hand for scratches. I can tell Alice wasn't expecting that reaction, by the way her eyes widen and the delighted grin that spreads on her face. Slowly, she crouches down and scratches Mindy's chin. Then she gets kisses all over her face, and starts laughing blissfully.
"This has never happened before. Every animal I've ever come across has either tried to run away from me or tried to attack me. I have to cross to other sides of streets when someone is walking a dog by me to avoid any attention." She says gently stroking Mindy's sides while she sits and pants happily in front of her.
"Well, Mindy isn't like most dogs. And Chip isn't like most cats." I say, looking over and seeing Chip hesitantly stalk toward Alice. He sniffs her hand, then after a moment rubs his cheek on her and starts purring. "They're exceptionally good judges of character. Getting you to come in was a test, and looks like you passed." I say, which earns me a warm smile from Alice, who has her hands full trying to give Mindy and Chip equal attention.
"Ugh, we better go now. If this keeps up, I'll never leave." She says, reluctantly withdrawing her hands and standing up.
"Alright, let's go. You two be good while I'm gone." I say, grabbing my coat of the hanger by the door, just in case it starts raining or gets too cold, and following Alice outside. "So, does this mean you've never had a pet?" I ask when we settle into her car. It's a cloudy day out, but it doesn't look like there will be any rain, thankfully.
"No, but I've always wanted one. I gave up on the idea though after trying to volunteer at an animal shelter in the 40s. The animals reacted pretty much the opposite way of yours when I went there. Even the bunnies hid when I walked in." She says dejectedly.
"Well, that was over 70 years ago. Maybe things have changed since then." I say, putting my hand on her arm as she back out of the driveway and speeds off toward highway 101. "Now, onto other subjects! Today is a happy day!"
"Alright, how about we just listen to some music then? Even with my driving, we still have about 2 hours until we get there. And I figure you want a break after my rapid-fire questioning yesterday." She says, pulling out her phone and handing it to me with her Spotify open. "By the way, I love this piece on your arm here. I'm glad you decided to show more of your skin off. It's sad that you feel the need to hide yourself under those baggy hoodies." She says, brushing her finger on the skull and spider lilies tattoo on my upper left arm.
"Very considerate of you. And thank you, I came up with the idea for this after watching a movie a few years ago. Now, let's see what you have here… Oh, this is the one, definitely." I say, tapping on my choice.
1-3-5-8-7-6-5-4-3-5-2-3-4-#5
And the 8 is the same as the 1 but an Octave apart
Try to learn it by heart
"Okay, how do you know this song?" Alice asks, laughing at me as I follow along perfectly to the song, even when it gets to the faster parts.
"When I spent summers with dad, we would listen to these kinds of songs over and over again. Dad listens to a lot of stuff from the 50s, I think because my Grandpa Jeff was big into it and passed it down. We listened to this song and a few others so much I have them all memorized."
"What's another song you guys listened to a lot?" She asks, looking up at me with a slight smile on her face, framed by the window behind her and where the trees are blurring by.
"Let's see if you have any… Yep, of course you do. Should have known." I say, playing the next one.
While riding in my Cadillac, what, to my surprise,
A little Nash Rambler was following me, about one-third my size.
The guy must have wanted it to pass me up
As he kept on tooting his horn. Beep! Beep!
I'll show him that a Cadillac is not a car to scorn.
Beep, beep. (Beep, beep.)
Beep, beep. (Beep, beep.)
His horn went, beep, beep, beep. (Beep! Beep!)
"No wonder you have such a wide range of tastes in music. You listen to everything from this to things like Infant Annihilator and everything in between." She says, laughing as I continue singing along, then she joins me at the end.
"So, are all of you able to sing? Is that another part of Vampiric charm?" I ask as I search for something else to listen to.
"Oh, definitely not. I've heard Rosalie and Carlisle trying to sing in the shower before, and I wouldn't wish having to listen to that on my worst enemy. Esme and Emmett tried singing in the car once when we went on a road trip, but Edward and I put a stop to that before they got a few words in. No, I'm the singer in the family. Edward isn't terrible, but he is much better at instruments. Piano especially."
"So, karaoke night in the Cullen house is out of the question?" I laugh at the horrified look on Alice's face when she was remembering everyone's singing.
"Only if you don't mind having songs ruined for you." She laughs back, taking the phone back out of my hand and picking a song herself. "I think you've lost your DJing privileges for now."
"Hey, you asked me to play those songs!" I say defensively.
"And I regret my decision." She says, hitting play on Say, Say, Say by Paul McCartney feat. Michael Jackson. "Let's see what other songs you know that kids these days can't appreciate."
Alice sings Paul's parts, and I chime in playing Michael. She sounds amazing, as usual, and I actually come to accept that together we sound rather good. She continues challenging me with music knowledge. She only finds one song I don't know all the words to, Cutie Pie by One Way. So, I chalk that up as a win.
We finally get to Seattle around 3pm (Alice cut the four hour drive in half, doing over 100mph almost the entire way) and finally find a parking garage near Pike Place Market, paying for the day. I'm glad I didn't bring the truck now, 'cause I don't think I could have made it up all the hills without rolling backwards at a red light and hitting someone behind me.
Since our original plan was to come out here to go shopping, that's what we do first. We check out all the stalls, buying knick-knacks here and there. The only thing I end up getting myself is a new belt with an Octopus buckle that looks badass. I buy Alice a few things I notice her eyeing, which she protests at first, but finally relents after she realizes I'm not backing down.
We are there up until the stalls start closing, going up and down each level, even checking out the gum wall and making our own addition to it. I grab a small snack that I can eat while we keep wandering, not wanting to make Alice sit and wait for me to eat a full meal. While she's looking at a stall that has some jewelry, I turn around to the flower stall behind us, keeping an eye over my shoulder to make sure she doesn't look for me, and get a bouquet of sunflowers with white calla lilies that had caught my eye.
When she turns around, I hold the flowers to her, and her eyes light up with more happiness than I've ever seen and the biggest smile. "Oh my god, they're gorgeous!" She says, running her fingers over them and breathing in their scent.
"At the risk of sounding super corny, I have to say they don't hold a candle to you." I say, looking at my watch and then holding out my arm to her that isn't weighed down by our bags. "Come on, let's keep walking around the city. We still have some time before our next destination."
"What's our next stop?" She asks, placing her hand in the crook of my arm and letting me lead her back to the parking garage.
"You'll see when it's time." I say, winking down at her.
We put our bags in the trunk of her car, and she puts the bouquet in the back seat, putting the seatbelt around it to hold it up and keep water spilling out of the bag around it. We wander down the Waterfront, and Alice tells me stories of what things were like the first time she visited here in the 40s, before she met the Cullens. She takes me into Seattle Antique Market, across from the Seattle Aquarium, and we wander around pointing out all the pieces that catch our eye.
Finally, around 9pm, I take her to the Seattle Great Wheel, which is giving off an LED light show. I lead her to the Will Call window and present the tickets I pre-paid for online. They hand me my physical ticket and we head down the line leading to the VIP gondola. There is a large crowd, which I'm glad for because it means the ride will last longer. I give the attendant at the end of the line our tickets, pointing out that I paid twice, so we can get two rides instead of one.
We get inside and sit next to each other on the plush red leather seat that faces (at the moment) toward the Space Needle. We are each handed glasses of champagne, which surprises me because I didn't see it was part of the experience, and they didn't card us. There is an AUX cable attached to the stereo system, and I plug in my phone to play some slow Dean Martin music on a low volume. Alice startles me by taking a sip from her glass, and leans her head on my shoulder.
"I thought you couldn't stomach human foods?" I ask, wrapping my arm around her waist and running my thumb along her side.
"Food yes. Drinks, not as much. The hungrier we are, the worse it is. I filled myself up before meeting with you though, so my body is strong enough this won't bother me any." She says, taking another sip from her glass. "This is the happiest I think I've ever been. Today has been perfect. I'm having a wonderful time, Bella. Thank you."
"Don't speak too soon. I still have one more thing for us to do before the night is over." I say, putting my glass down to hold her hand.
"And you aren't going to tell me what it is, are you?" She says with a sigh, but I can tell she's smiling.
"Where's the fun in that?" I say, pulling her closer to me.
"I used to ride the cable cars everywhere when I lived here before." She tells me after we ride in silence for a few minutes. "The streets were busy, but nothing like now. Everything is so much more crowded, with all the new buildings and the fact more people can afford cars now. Back then, cars weren't quite as common."
"Hey, they're still a luxury for some people. But I get what you mean."
"I actually worked at Boeing for a brief time, helping make planes for World War II. I had seen the posters featuring Rosie the Riveter while I was wandering through Montana, advertising a need for workers. All the men were off fighting, so they were 'resorting' to using women. I wanted a change, so I came here and got a job there and was housed in temporary housing over there in Denny Triangle." She points when we are at the peak of the ride toward The Spheres.
"Were you alone during this time?"
"I hadn't made many friends during my travels. A few other vampires I ran across, but our kind are typically loners. My family is one of the largest group of vampires. Usually you don't find more than two or three that travel together. Usually it's mates that travel together."
"Mates? Do you mean mates like friends? Like 'gooday mate" I ask, doing my best Australian accent. "Or like a romantic partner?"
"Romantic partner, I guess you could say." She answers, after laughing at my accent. "I don't know if that really covers it though, at least for those of us that don't have the same… diet as my family. Those that feed off humans hold less of their humanity, so don't really feel love like a human does. It seems more like a stronger than normal emotional connection and lust for them. But, because we feed off animals and not humans, us vegetarians hold onto more of what once made us human. Looking at Carlisle and Esme, and Rosalie and Emmet, you can see there is true love there. Human love... Anyway, there are vampires who travel together as friends, but not often." She continues, taking a larger gulp from her glass.
"Do you think… A vampire can feel that with a human? Or just another vampire?" I ask after debating if it was appropriate to ask so soon.
"I didn't… Until recently." She says, rubbing her hand along my arm, causing goosebumps to raise where she touches me.
We end up getting a third turn around, since no one else has paid for the VIP by the time our first two rides are up. We spend the entire time just cuddled in each other's arms, Alice telling me more stories about things she's done throughout the decades and me telling her more stories from my childhood.
I can't believe I was ever as nervous as I was. That I was ever hesitant to just touch Alice and be myself with her. That I could think we would tire of each other. We've been together an entire day and I still want to spend more time with her. For me, this never happens. I can't even stand to spend more than a few hours with my mom or Jeana, who are my best friends in the world.
I laugh at myself when I think back to how I hesitated to even ask Alice out to begin with. I was never ever one to believe in soulmates or love at first sight, but that's changed after tonight. When I look down and see the loveliest smile on the most beautiful woman, lying contentedly in my arms… I know I'm not the only one thinking this was simply meant to be.
When we get off the ride, we get our picture taken at the photo booth and are given a card with a digital code to download the picture the next day. They instruct us to go into the shop for the t-shirts that come with the VIP experience, which Alice is surprisingly excited for.
"Are you even going to wear it? It isn't designer." I say, eyeing the black shirt with a small logo in the top corner with simple 'VIP' text underneath. There is a bigger version of the logo on the back. "Do they even have your size here?"
"Oh, hush you. Of course I'll wear it, it's a souvenir from one of the best nights of my life." She says, hugging the XS shirt to her chest.
"I'll have to change that." I say, grabbing my own shirt and leading her out of the landing and in the direction of our last destination for the night.
"Change what?" She asks, a puzzled look on her face.
"I don't want this to be one of the best nights of your life. I want it to be the best night of your life." I say, leading her back toward Pike Place.
"If you keep things up, you might succeed." She says, skipping next to me excitedly.
We drop off our souvenir shirts back at the car and make the short walk back to Pike Place and take the stairs next to a closed produce stand down to the Can Can Culinary Cabaret. When Alice realizes where we're going, her eyes light up and she dances ahead, looking at the posters outside the doors. I present our tickets and we step into the small and intimate looking theater, taking our seats near the stage. I look at the menu and place an order for some pommes frites and the Rockfish and shrimp linguini, starving now after the long evening we've had.
We chat for a bit, since we arrived 20 minutes early, Alice bouncing excitedly in her seat. Apparently, she hasn't been to a cabaret show since the early 50s, when they started becoming less popular. Finally, it's time for the show to start right when I get my pasta. The show kicks off with the emcee introducing us to some of the dancers behind him. Next, more dancers come out with feather fans and do a performance. I'm surprised to hear they are using more modern songs, rather than pulling from the time period.
I spend more time watching Alice than the show. At how she mimics the dancers subtly from her seat. She glances at me every once in a while, smiling wide, to see if I'm watching. I smile back, her enthusiasm seeming to seep out and through the room to the performers on stage.
Since we are at the midnight show, which is for adults, the performance is more for mature audiences. Halfway through, two men wearing blazers and animal masks spin around on straps with rings on them suspended from the ceiling. The women in the audience cheer when they take off the blazers and their pants, and I am pleased to see Alice roll her eyes at their reactions. They change costumes a few more times, each time doing different tricks, spinning around on the straps.
Towards the end, there is a woman who does a more intimate dance for us. Partway through, she ends up taking her top off to reveal pasties covering her areolas as she continues to dance. I kinda choke on my food at that point, which I've been nibbling on throughout the ending of the show, earning a concerned look from Alice. I gesture to her I'm fine and to continue watching the show while I laugh at myself internally.
I don't remember much else from the show, because I spent more time watching Alice than the performance. I don't think that smile has left her face since she came to pick me up this afternoon. I remind myself to thank Jessica for convincing me to rethink my plans. There's no way my original plans would have had this same effect.
"That was amazing. I mean, it can't compare to the original shows from back in the day, but they did splendid considering." Alice says as we exit the theater, heading back to her car. She's so bouncy it's hard for me to keep hold of her hand.
"I mean, can you really consider anything 'back in the day'? I feel like it doesn't count when you don't age. Eventually centuries of time will be 'back in the day' for you and how would you differentiate what period you mean?" I say, teasingly, to which she sticks her tongue out at me.
"Whatever, you know what I mean." She says, finally calming down enough my arm doesn't hurt from the strain of trying to hold on to her.
"So, did I win?" I ask as we make it to her car and get in.
"Win what?"
"Did I turn this into the best night of your life, or do I have to try harder on our next date?" I ask as she pulls up to the exit.
"You're rather competitive, aren't you?" She says, laughing at my excitement.
"Extremely, except when it comes to PE games." I say, waiting for her to answer my question.
"And assumptive. What makes you think there'll be another date?"
"Oh, my mistake. You did seem like you had a horrendous time. How could I deign to presume otherwise?" I answer in my best posh accent, snaking my hand into hers and interlocking our fingers. Alice smirks at me while she looks in her side mirror to merge onto the freeway.
"Yes Bella, you won. This was the best date I've ever been on. Definitely the best night I've ever had. And I cannot wait to have more like them with you." She says, raising my hand to her mouth and kissing the back of it.
Her lips are cold and hard, but also feel soft and not at all unpleasant on my skin. I feel goosebumps rise up my neck and feel my face turn red at the gesture. I turn to look out the window, not wanting her to see the profound effect she has on me. The ride home is filled with her telling me her favorite parts of the cabaret, half of which I don't remember (I was rather distracted the majority of the time), and singing along to some songs that were used in cabaret shows she saw between the 20s and 50s.
We make it home around three in the morning, and Alice walks me to the door. We stand on the doorstep awkwardly at first, but I take a deep breath and steel myself. Alice looks up, locking eyes with me. I lean down, and meet my lips to hers. The moment our lips touch, it's like electricity courses through my veins, stopping my heart. I feel like I'm flying, and have to hold onto her to keep from floating away.
I'm enveloped by her scent, consumed by vanilla and cactus blossoms, and it's intoxicating. My eyes flutter closed, enhancing my senses. I lay my hands on her hips and pull her closer to me, and I feel every fiber of her jacket beneath my fingers. The cold of her skin seeps through, feeling good against my heated skin. My entire body tingles, heat building from my stomach up to my chest. Then suddenly, far too soon, Alice pulls away and we both gasp for breath.
"I'm sorry… I have the second-best self-control of my family, but that was pushing it." She says, then continues when she see's the crestfallen look on my face. "I'm not saying we can't kiss… Just that we need to moderate how long and often."
"No, I get it. I don't want to push you beyond your limits." I say when I see how dark her eyes have gotten. Before the kiss, they were a bright honey-gold. Now, they're approaching black, only faint lines of dark gold sprinkled throughout.
"Do you have plans tomorrow?" She asks, putting more distance between us. She takes my hand though, and I know it's because she doesn't want to be away from me. I see she's holding her breath, and understand I need to let her go soon so she can get her thirst under control
"Do you mean today? Cause tomorrow we have school." I say, and she just gives me an 'you're seriously joking now' type look. "No, I wasn't planning on doing anything today."
"Good. I'll come pick you up at four." She says, jumping up to me and kissing me quickly on the cheek. The feeling of her lips on my cheek hasn't even left yet when I hear her car start and she's pulling away.
I quietly make my way upstairs, careful not to wake Charlie. Exhaustion seeps in with each step up the stairs, and I collapse on my bed. I lay there, too tired to get back up to change clothes. My arms feel heavy as I grasp for the charging cord and plug my phone in. I barely register Mindy and Chip taking their places around me as I drift off. My last thought before sleep overtakes me is the feel of Alice's lips on mine, and how I can't wait to feel that again.