Chapter 17 – A First Time for Everything
The next few days were hectic. School was out all week for Thanksgiving, and I was in the kitchen every day, working on getting everything prepped for the big holiday meal. Everyone was coming over, eighteen people in all, including Granny Hale and Sue's mom, Grandma Clearwater, as well as Jake, Vanessa, and Jake's dad, Billy. I had already planned out the whole menu and done all the shopping, and I was prepared to cook and serve everything by myself. I was surprised, however, when Emmett came into the kitchen wearing his chef whites from the fundraiser and handed me mine, looking to help me cook.
"Sous Chef Emmett, reporting for duty!" he said with a grin and a salute. I just laughed and pulled on my jacket, and then I handed him a bag of potatoes to start peeling. Emmett had brought his iPod with him and set it into the docking station on the counter, cranking up his alternative rock playlist to help keep us moving. A very suggestive song started playing, and I was glad Esryl was down for a nap, because the lyrics were quite explicit.
"That's gross, Emmett. Turn that nasty stuff off."
He was shaking his backside, singing along, and it was highly entertaining to watch him being so silly. Rosalie came into the kitchen with Alice looking for sodas, and Emmett grabbed her and started dancing with her, holding her in front of him, as he danced behind her. Rosalie kept trying to elbow him as he danced to make him stop, which made for an amusing picture, and I couldn't help but laugh at the sight.
"Hey, I'm just stirring the pot," he grinned, making Rosalie turn and smack his head.
"Seriously, Emmett?" she growled at him. He finally let her go, and we got back down to business. We got most of the prep work done early, and the next morning, Emmett came down to help me with Thanksgiving dinner. We pulled off a beautiful spread that looked and tasted like it could have been catered. One of Chef Kurtis's staff had shown Emmett how to make fancy garnishes, and he took great care in making sure everything was beautiful. To see him so proud of himself for something besides sports was amazing.
Carlisle surveyed the table, taking in how nice it all looked. "Emmett, are you sure you want to play football in college? I think you'd make a great professional chef. Ever thought about exploring the culinary arts?" he asked Emmett, as he examined the sprays of intricate flowers adorning the trays of food. They had been carved out of many different types and colors of vegetables and then nestled into sprigs of various herbs.
"I have, actually, and this isn't the first time the thought has crossed my mind," Emmett admitted. "It wouldn't be much different from being on the football field, actually. Someone always yelling at you, you're sweating like a pig, working off a play list, or menu, dodging people who could trip you up if you're not careful, you're under pressure not to drop the ball, or plate in this case, and you have to work as a team to make it through to the end.
"If your cooking sucks, the crowd will boo, or refuse to pay, and if they like it, they'll cheer, or tip well, compliment the chef, and come back again. The better thing about being in the kitchen is, unless you cut your hand off or burn yourself with an exploding oven, slip on a grease spill and break your neck, drop a frozen turkey on your head, or are taken out by the head chef in a fit of anger, you're not likely to get an injury that'll end your career. You can't just put a bandage on a blown knee, a spinal cord injury, or a brain-numbing concussion."
He looked like he was thinking seriously for a moment, but then a huge grin spread across his face. "I love playing ball, but I think I like eating better. Besides, I don't need to look at all those cheerleaders anymore. I've got the hottest one to look at any time I want, so culinary arts school is sounding better all the time. I could even see me owning my own restaurant someday."
Elliott and Carlisle both convinced Emmett he would still need a good business education to run a successful restaurant, so then they were off discussing culinary schools that offered business training as well. Rose was applying to Texas Women's University and The University of Texas Southwestern nursing programs, plus a couple of other colleges around the Dallas area, since she wanted to go to nursing school close to Jasper. Alice wanted to work in the fashion merchandising industry, and she was hoping to stay near Rose and Emmett. And even though she didn't say it out loud, I knew she wanted to be near Jasper as well.
"This all sounds very exciting," Esme interjected into the conversation. "One of my dearest friends went to The Art Institute in Dallas for her BA in interior design. I remember her saying they also have undergraduate degree programs for fashion and for culinary arts, and they focus on the business aspects of those professions, too, as part of their curriculum. Maybe that's a school you two could look into, if those fields are what you both want to pursue," Esme suggested. Emmett and Alice were excited, so after dinner, they piled up with Rose in the family room floor, looking over Emmett's laptop at how to apply
"Have you two turned in applications anywhere?" my dad asked Edward and me later over dessert.
"I applied to Portland Community College," I said quietly. "I may go to PSU later, though."
"I always thought you wanted to go Ivy League, Bella? I've been saving like mad since you were three and told me you wanted to be a doctor, so you could help cure sick kids. I don't have a huge fortune put aside, but I've done well enough I think we could get you into a better school than Portland Community College," my dad said with a frown. I only nodded. I didn't want to get into a discussion with dad right now about how I couldn't bear to leave Esryl behind. I was sure all of them would tell me she wasn't my responsibility, that I needed to think about my own future, and I couldn't take that. Edward saw my discomfort and jumped into the conversation, taking the focus off me.
"I've applied to Cornell, the University of Miami, NYU, Penn State, and a couple of others out east, as well as PSU. I haven't decided on my specialty yet, but most likely, it'll be pediatrics or obstetrics, although I've actually been entertaining the idea of dentistry these days, either orthodontics or oral surgery. PSU has a great program for that," he said and took my hand under the table. "It takes about half the time as a medical degree, too, which would be nice. Not everybody needs a pediatrician or obstetrician, but most people do need a dentist at some time or another," Edward laughed.
"Edward, whatever you decide, I'm sure you'll be great at it. But you can always change from medical school to dental college if that's what you decide later," Carlisle said, and Elliott fervently agreed. Edward smiled slightly and released my hand, and I could tell he felt the pressure from his father and Carlisle to go on to become a full-fledged medical doctor. I was sure he would do it then, if for no other reason than to make them proud. Carlisle's opinion mattered greatly to Edward, almost as much as his father's did. I was proud of him, but I could feel the tightness in my chest, as I thought of him leaving to go to college clear across the country, without me.
I was in the kitchen later and had just finished washing up the last of the dishes and putting away the pies when Jasper strolled in. I could feel him staring at my backside, and I couldn't help but cringe, remembering some of the things he used to do to me when I wasn't looking.
"You're looking at community college, huh, Bella? Figures," he scoffed condescendingly under his breath. I spun around and stared him down, daring him to say another word.
"What's it to you, Jasper?" I asked, tired of his crap and emotional from thinking about my future and Edward's. "What have I ever done to you to deserve the way you treat me? Have I EVER said or done ANYTHING to you to hurt your feelings or make you feel bad about yourself? Have I? No, I've never done anything but treat you like my brother, and you've done nothing but tried to hurt me!" My voice cracked at the end, as I threw the dishtowel I was using onto the counter and ran to find Esryl. It was getting late, she needed a bath before bed, and if I stood there any longer, Jasper was going to get to see me cry in front of him for the first time ever.
I got us into the bathtub, and while I washed Esryl, I thought about the past few days. Jasper had taken every opportunity to get little digs into me whenever Edward wasn't watching him. What really annoyed me, though, was that I constantly caught him staring at my body. Alice noticed, too, and had become quiet and moody, choosing to stay in her room most of the time when Jasper wasn't around. It was sad to see a normally perky Alice be so subdued.
I got Esryl ready for bed, and we lay down to read her a story. I ended up tucking her in after she fell asleep only three pages into Bambi. I headed to the kitchen for a glass of water, but as I passed Alice's open door, I caught her posing in front of her mirror, trying to stand with her butt out, while arching her chest forward and pushing on her breasts, trying to make them stick out even further. She had actually filled out a lot in the past few months and had gotten curvier in all the right places. I just didn't think she had realized it yet just how much.
"You know, you're perfectly adorable the way you are, Alice," I said from her doorway, unintentionally startling and embarrassing her. "If he can't see the wonderful person you are, then he doesn't deserve your attention." She broke down crying and ran into my arms.
"I've always wanted him, Bella. Ever since your mom's wedding when we first met, I've had it bad for him. When I'd get to go to Texas with his family to visit, it meant everything to me to see him, but he's never even given me the time of day. Now, he stares at you all the time, and he doesn't even like you! I think he sees me as just the boys' annoying little kid sister."
"Maybe he's gay," I suggested. That finally made Alice smile. However, we both knew better, especially given that horrible movie he'd had us watching the other night, and his obvious reaction to it. "You know, maybe you're just trying too hard, Alice. You're all over him anytime he's around. Why should he think about you as anything other than a clingy little kid when that's all you've ever been to him? I think it may be a case of you being so close that he can't really see you, if that makes any sense.
"Maybe you should just back off and even ignore him for a while. We both know he's not the kind to take being dismissed very well," I smirked, remembering a game of hide and seek when we'd first moved to Portland, where Jasper had hidden so well that everyone had given up and continued playing without him. You would have thought he was an abused child by the way he'd acted, so hurt that everyone had just blown him off. He'd also always had Alice trailing after him, ready and willing to do his dirty work, knowing she would do anything he asked, so I was pretty sure he was just used to taking her devoted presence for granted. Well, no more.
"I think I have an idea, if you're up to it. It may not get immediate results, but maybe it'll get him to start noticing that you're no longer a growth on his neck and start seeing you as an attractive, desirable woman." Alice nodded eagerly, so I made a phone call.
Jake answered with his usual enthusiasm. "Hey, Bella! Whassuuuup?" Jake growled, making me giggle. He was such a dork.
"Jake, I need your help. Well, actually, Alice does." I went on to explain the situation, while Alice sat next to me, biting her thumbnail. I could tell she was embarrassed, but desperate enough to do whatever it took to get Jasper to notice her. Fortunately, the perfect opportunity to put "Operation Blinders Off" was already in the works.
Jasper's birthday was tomorrow, and Sue wanted to give him a small party. Of course, since our place was bigger, I was making his cake, and he was already staying here, we were having it at our house. I invited the SHAGNIC's to join us, and I asked Jake if he or one of the other guys would be willing to help Alice out. Jake called Seth, who eagerly offered to do it. Seth was incredibly sweet and totally gorgeous. He was tall and muscular, with a wide, brilliantly white smile and sculpted features that rivaled the hottest male models. Jake told me Seth had always liked Alice, but he had never acted on it, because he figured she was off limits as my sister. However, he had sort of been showing some interest in Summer as of late, but Summer had acted oblivious, just like Jasper. Maybe this little arrangement would be an eye-opener for them both.
Emmett was with me in the kitchen again, and we used our copious amounts of Thanksgiving leftovers to make hors d'oeuvres, dips, kabobs, and soup for the party, and I made the birthday cake Sue had requested. Emmett's eyes lit up when I pulled out the cake decorating stuff I'd gotten for my birthday, so I gave him a quick lesson and then turned him loose. I never would have guessed it would be love and first pipe. He was in his element, but a total paradox: huge and burly, but with a delicate, artistic hand. The boy was a natural with a pastry bag, and I was fairly certain his football playing days were numbered, as he joyously decorated with abandon.
"Dude, when did you become such a girl?" Edward teased, as he came into the kitchen.
"Dude, when I raided your drawer looking for socks and found that lacy jock strap," Emmett deadpanned and shot a squirt of frosting across the side of Edward's face, leaving a large dollop hanging from his earlobe and dripping down the side of his neck. I couldn't help it and broke down in a fit of giggles.
"Jerk!" Edward growled at Emmett and reached up to wipe the frosting from his face, but I grabbed his arm and stopped him.
"Allow me." I began by reaching up and gripping his clean cheek with one hand and gliding my other hand into his hair, fisting it to pull him down to me and hold him still. I slowly began running my tongue up the side of his neck, lapping the gooey chocolate from his skin. Edward was breathing hard by the time I got to his ear, and when I sucked the lobe into my mouth, he gasped and grabbed me around the waist, pulling me into him. I continued to collect the chocolate across his jaw to where it stopped just beside his bottom lip. Just as I licked the last smear from the side of his mouth, Edward turned his head and captured my mouth with his, giving me my first real kiss ever. The moan that escaped me was embarrassingly loud, as Edward gripped me closer and continued to taste the chocolate that was on my tongue and lips.
"Should I just clear the counter so you can lay her up here, Bro?" Emmett asked sarcastically, as we had become completely lost in our first kiss. "I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing you two doing that," he grumbled. After another minute of watching us, Emmett turned back to decorating the cake and muttered, "Dang, Edward, I'd offer to let you lick the bowl, but I swear I don't want to watch you getting off on the KitchenAid." That effectively ended the moment, and we broke up laughing.
"That was my first real kiss," I smiled, my arms still around him.
"Yeah?" he smiled. "Well, it wasn't my first, but it was definitely my best."