[chapter_21]
During freshman year, Alice had a harder time adjusting to California culture than anyone else in the dorm. Rose is obviously a native, a fast-moving firebrand from the south end of the state who melted into Stanford without a hitch; and both Bella and Leah had the advantage of being part of the laid-back, cool-headed Pacific Northwest, so they had hardly any trouble adjusting to the Bay Area. But Alice? Alice was a Southern girl at heart and she had been out of step for the longest time - not only were the classes harder, more demanding, but the restaurants were different, the foods and drinks were different, and people had an awful habit of looking down on the twang in her speech.
Bella doesn't know if she was the first to notice Alice struggling, but she does know that she was the first to do something about it. "Let's go get ice cream," she'd said, snagging Alice away from the dining hall and out to the convenient shops just outside campus. "Ice cream is everywhere, right? I could do with a taste of home."
Alice hadn't disagreed, but she did put up a token of resistance. "Ice cream will go straight to my hips."
Bella hadn't missed a step, already used to how careful Alice was about food - not that it was a habit that would last, of course. She had merely pulled up Google Maps and said, "Froyo, then. Frozen yogurt is everywhere, too."
That had been the first time Alice and Bella had gone to the little shop boasting 10 flavors of frozen yogurt and over 40 toppings, and from then on it had kind of become their spot. Sometimes Leah and Rose would tag along, but it was really just an Alice-and-Bella thing. Any time one of them was feeling a little homesick or feeling overwhelmed by the reality of college life, they would pop down to the shop for a low-fat, high-sugar treat to lift their spirits.
Maybe I should have taken Alice here, Bella reflects. She had been caught up in her own things, but had she really not noticed the first signs of fraying at Alice's edges? Maybe if she had, maybe if they could have shared this treat and let out the steam, maybe then Alice wouldn't have spiraled.
But maybes are in the past. And it's never too late to make things right, as long as everyone is willing to put in the same amount of effort. So, Bella steps into the shop and sees that Alice is already there at their usual table and she doesn't hesitate, not even for a second, to find her seat. It's a little late in the evening, the sun already setting, but all that means is that the shop is relatively empty except for the bored teen scrolling through his phone at the counter.
Bella sits and Alice stares and Bella stares back. Where do they start? Should Bella prompt the conversation, or should she wait for Alice to begin? It seems they both have the same idea, because they speak at the same time.
"I-"
"Did you-"
"Oh-"
"Well, you can-"
"No, no. You go first-"
"Oh, okay. Alright." Alice nods, twisting her fingers together on top of the table. She isn't quite meeting Bella's eye, looking at her cheek or her ear. "Bella, I'm…I'm so sorry. Last time, I said some really terrible things to you, things that aren't true and things I don't really believe. And I'm so, so very sorry. I'm an awful friend."
The thing is this, though: Bella doesn't think Alice is an awful friend. The Alice she knows is sweet and thoughtful and a little naïve; she isn't someone who is quick to anger to one to hold a grudge; she's maybe a bit more permissive than she should be and she can certainly be overbearing, but she also have a good heart. A golden heart, really. Alice isn't an awful friend at all.
But..she did say awful things - things that Bella is still confused about.
"You said I didn't leave enough air in the room," Bella says quietly, trying to catch Alice's gaze. "You said, or, well, implied that being myself is…I don't know. I make you feel inadequate? I don't mean to….
"You don't!" Alice hastens. "Not really! Not usually! And it wasn't even you, really, it was my own issue. I'm not, you know, as confident as I like to seem. I feel like a little girl playing dress-up in her mother's clothes a lot of the time, and then there's you and you don't seem to have that problem at all, like you've got the whole world figured out and - And I know, I swear I know that this is something I have to get over, because it's unfair to compare myself to you and put you on a pedestal and then be angry when I can't seem to measure up. Really, I promise it's something I'm working on. Because…because my own issues wound up hurting my very good friend and I hate it."
Alice sniffles and Bella blinks back the wetness in her eyes. Alice is as earnest as she always has been, which makes it easier to reach across the table and catch Alice's hands, squeezing them in comfort.
Bella doesn't bother to hide the sheen of her tears or mask the emotion in her voice. Weeks of unresolved hurt is bubbling up and over, a slowly seeping wound on the way to healing. "I forgive you, Alice. Of course, I do. You must have been really hurt, right? I just…Ali, I just don't understand what happened."
"I don't deserve forgiveness," Alice says, lip wobbling.
"It's okay," Bella soothes.
"No, it's not. You should be mad, you should be so angry at me, because it's what I deserve for-"
"It's not up to you to decide if you're forgiven," Bella interrupts gently. She has a brief flickering memory of Sue saying something similar when Bella was much younger. Forgiveness is not for other people to decide and it's not even really for other people. Forgiveness is for the self. Or at least that's what Bella thinks. Holding a grudge about words spoken in anger seems like a pretty big waste of energy to her - so it's easier to forgive and figure out how to do better in the future. Right?
Alice appears to swallow down her protest at this, the guilt still writ plainly across her face.
Bella squeezes her hands again. "I'm here to listen if you want to talk about what happened."
"It's a whole mess," Alice says, casting her eyes down.
"I have time," Bella tells her.
And then Alice unloads the whole story, laying it all out for Bella's perusal. About the Denali internship, which went from suspiciously cushy to downright grueling over the last few weeks, so much so that Alice only finished the internship for the sake of her resume; about a boy named Jasper Whitlock, who Alice had first detested then admired then befriended and who she is now avoiding because, as it turns out, Jasper Whitlock is also Wit Monger, Alice's in-game friend, who had initially only joined DOW to look for Swanning. Bella learns all about how each of these things connects directly to her, especially the fact that the Denali heir, James, seems to have only hired Alice under the mistaken belief that Alice was actually Swansong and who had taken his anger over the subterfuge out on Alice by singling her out for time-consuming tasks. The parts about Jasper also strike Bella, as she finally recalls that a boy with the same name had tried asking her out multiple times during the spring semester. All in all, by the time Alice finishes this topsy-turvy tale, Bella can see exactly where Alice was coming from when she finally reached the end of her rope.
Denali, either the company or James Denali in particular, wanted Swansong, who is Bella.
Wit Monger wanted Swanning, who is Bella.
And Jasper Whitlock also wanted Bella.
Alice winding up in the middle of it due to two cases of mistaken identity had managed to undermine Alice's own sense of self and her self-confidence because it really seemed like it didn't matter what Alice did if everyone was always looking for Bella. So. Bella understands. She can't imagine she would have had a happy response either if she had been in Alice's shoes.
Although - the thing about James Denali does make Bella wonder. Swansong is well-known in the NorCal server, so it would make sense if someone recognized the handle. But the way Alice explains it, Bella can't help but think the only reason Alice was hired as a mistaken Swansong is because James Denali knows Swansong in the game. Is it possible that James Denali is someone Bella has played against on DOW? Is it someone she's offended? Maybe. Swansong has offended many would-be challengers by beating them in duels. Could James Denali be one of them? Something about that whole situation feels personal. She can't quite wrap her head around it.
Jasper Whitlock, on the other hand, seems very much like a problem. This is the same boy who didn't seem to understand a gentle - or direct - rejection, the same boy who had several mishaps with Alice, and the same boy who, apparently only recently understood that Bella was not interested. More than anything else, she aches for Alice, who seems to have developed one-sided feelings for Jasper, a boy who can be nice but also has a tendency to speak without thinking. Alice's tender heart is not a good match for someone like that. But then again - Bella doesn't really have any right to judge, although she does hope that Alice treads carefully where Jasper Whitlock is concerned.
By the time Alice has gotten through the last dregs of details, night has truly fallen and they are both red-eyed, holding hands over the table. They've been getting pointed looks from the teenager at the counter for the last half-hour, so they place their orders and pile toppings onto their frozen yogurt and take small bites, letting some silence wash over them. The return of some semblance of normalcy feels almost out of step, their edges not quite lined up, but this is better than it was. Bella can see a light at the end of the tunnel. She feels like smiling, so she does, offering it to Alice who returns the expression warmly.
Something in Bella settles, even as she turns over new worries in the back of her mind.
"Rose said you were staying with Masen," Alice says after two bites, scraping her spoon over the generous toppings on her frozen treat. "How's that going? Or…Should I, I mean, can I even ask that?"
Bella swirls her own spoon around. "It's fine," she answers. "Things are going well, But I'm actually staying with his brother's girlfriend, Esme. Fiancée now, actually."
Alice's eyes widen. "Ohh…"
"Mm-hmm."
Alice clanks the plastic spoon against the paper bowl. "I…should have asked before. Earlier. When you left, I mean. I should have asked where you went."
"It's okay," Bella says, honestly holding no ill-will against that oversight. They were both upset. Bella didn't even tell Leah until after she'd already gotten settled in.
"But it's not," Alice insists. "I mean, like, everything aside, it was late and you're a woman. It wasn't safe!"
"Maybe not," Bella concedes, because that much is true. She doesn't know a single woman who wasn't aware of the dangers that lurk in big cities, especially at night. Bella is fortunate and she knows it. "But…I had Masen. He took care of me. He arranged everything so I would be comfortable and wouldn't feel, you know, pressured."
"He's good, isn't he?"
Bella smiles fondly. "He really is," she says softly.
"And obviously a good kisser," Alice adds, a hesitantly teasing note to her voice.
"Huh?"
Alice's eyes flicker down to Bella's neck - right where -
Bella slaps a hand over her neck, a blush swiftly rising on her cheeks. Alice laughs and Bella huffs, ducking into her bowl of frozen yogurt with a pout.
But even with the embarrassment - it's nice to have Alice back.
The Missus
:)
This Is Really Masen
It went well?
The Missus
Very!
I missed her a lot
Everything that happened
was just like a pot boiling over
You know?
This Is Really Masen
I'm glad you won't be upset anymore
I didn't like that
The Missus
Aw! You do care! Lol
This Is Really Masen
About my wife's emotional
well-being?
Of course
In fact I care about nothing else
The Missus
(embarrassed emoji)
I was kidding
This Is Really Masen
I know
:)
The Missus
Anyway!
This Is Really Masen
Yes?
The Missus
I have to move back to the dorm
this weekend
So…
This Is Really Masen
Will you need help moving?
I can make time
The Missus
No need! Really!
Alice is helping
This Is Really Masen
I see
Let me know if that changes
The Missus
I will :) thanks
This Is Really Masen
Always
"Nice digs," Alice says approvingly as she follows Bella into Esme's apartment Saturday afternoon.
Alice peers around, taking in the vibrancy of the apartment, seemingly entranced by the mash of colors and textures. Bella already knows that this apartment is giving Alice ideas - already she can imagine the fabric that Alice is going to start hunting down for her clothes.
"It is a pretty nice apartment," Bella agrees. "Here, come on. The room I'm staying in is here." They each have a box in hand because even though she'd been here a little over a month, Bella had managed to accumulate things.
She blames Masen, who seems to find some enjoyment in making sure Bella has a souvenir from each of their dates - a Pokemon plushie, movie ticket stubs, a stuffed orca whale, a figurine of the DOW character class Bella plays. He had, at some point, not-so-accidentally left advanced software engineering books, already dog-eared and highlighted and annotated, for her to permanently borrow. She has one of his shirts and two of his hoodies, neither of which she plans on giving back unless asked. These are, of course, only trinkets gifted by Masen; Esme had also done her part, passing along clothes and shoes and books about female empowerment. The point is that although Bella might have left the dorm with her backpack, laptop, and a single suitcase, she will be returning with two boxes full of things that will have to be neatly sorted before Leah returns to the dorm and gets all anal-retentive about organization.
Bella doesn't mind it. She does, however, make sure to comb through Kebi's room and the apartment, looking for anything she might have placed thoughtlessly. All the while, she and Alice chatter about how much of the world the ever-so-mysterious Kebi has already seen, musing about places they might like to go.
"Australia might be fun," Alice says, cheerfully folding up the fashionable clothes Esme has seen fit to give Bella. She, of course, also takes the time to examine each article before packing it away. "This skirt is so cute and totally you. Look at the little pink stars! How darling!"
The skirt is, in fact, very cute, a thing of white and grey wispy layers that floats around her thighs and manages to make Bella's legs look twice as long as normal. Bella has no idea where Esme found it, but it seems like Esme has decided to make sure that Bella's wardrobe is diverse, insisting one article of clothing at a time that it's the least she can do for taking care of Esme's fish. This particular skirt is only one of a dozen other new pieces of clothing collected by Bella's new female role model. At this rate, Bella won't need to buy anything new until winter.
Well. She isn't a huge fan of shopping, anyway. Really, Esme is the one doing Bella a huge favor.
"Aren't all the creatures in Australia dangerous?" Bella wonders, double-checking that the drawers she used are empty. "You know, all the memes about it?"
"Yeah, but…Even the kangaroos?"
Bella shrugs. "Probably."
Alice pouts. "Well, if not Australia, then where?"
"South Korea," Bella says promptly. "Or Japan. France would be cool, obviously, or Brazil or India."
Alice laughs. "Those are all places that have food you like!"
"Is that not a good way to pick a place to travel?" Bella asks rhetorically.
Alice tsks. "You travel by food, I travel by animals. I think probably neither of us should be put in charge of an itinerary."
"You're probably right. Rose can be in charge."
"Not Leah?"
Bella scoffs, shaking her head. "Please. I love my sister, but she would second-guess the decision and micromanage all the fun out of planning. Rose, on the other hand…"
Alice nods. "Rose is our trip advisor. I'll let the group chat know!"
Bella imagines Leah's faux-outrage at this development, laughs at the thought, and then circles back to the bathroom, reasonably sure she'd left behind the shampoo Esme had turned her to. Free of sulfates and loaded with keratin, Bella's hair has never looked so good or felt so soft. Esme, she thinks, is a guru of the feminine mystique. Bella can only hope to learn more from her example, which is why she makes sure to collect all the products Esme had recommended. Bella adds these products to the second box and narrows her eyes in thought. She feels like she's forgetting something else. What could it be? Oh!
Bella picks up the second box and takes it to the living room, where Alice has already gathered the rest of Bella's things into a pile. Alice makes an inquisitive noise when Bella trots into the kitchen, digging around for her new favorite Jiji mug and the box of blueberry tea Bella had come to love. She's in the middle of working these additions into the second box when Esme abruptly enters the apartment, the door cracking loudly against the wall. Bella nearly upturns the entire box, and then she and Alice look at the entryway with wide, startled eyes.
Chest heaving, Esme delivers the brightest, prettiest grin, and says, "Thank God you're still here! I thought I missed you!"
"Esme! Aren't you supposed to be at Carlisle's?"
"He can live without me for a few hours," Esme insists. She has a paper bag in hand, one stamped with a logo from a local home goods store, which she immediately gives to Bella. "I couldn't let you move out by yourself, and anyway, I have something I want to give you. So, here!"
"Esme, really, I can't…"
"I insist."
Bella knows enough by now to understand that when Esme insists on something, Esme usually gets her way. Bella has no real grounds to refuse, so she takes the bag and peers inside to find an electric kettle and an assortment of high-caffeine beverage mixes. Bella is touched. She'd mentioned in passing that it would be nice to have hot drinks in the upcoming colder months and Esme had effortlessly solved this problem for the entire dorm, seemingly without any fuss. "Thank you for this," she says, swept by a tremulous warmth. "And for everything else. I've loved living here."
Esme sweeps her into a hug. "Sweet girl. I loved having you here. You can always come visit, whenever you want. Keep the house key and don't let me or the fish miss you too much."
"I won't," Bella promises.
Satisfied, Esme pulls back and surveys the room. Her eyes fall on Alice and she smiles warmly. "Hello! You must be Alice. I suppose you're helping my Bella move out?" At Alice's hesitant nod, Esme lifts her chin. "Great! That means I'm not late!"
"Late?"
"I have a Lyft waiting downstairs," Esme says proudly. "You two can't take all of this stuff on the bus, can you? Let me take you back to your dorm."
Bella knows better than to argue and, this time, she wouldn't even want to. If it had only been the suitcase and the bags, then taking the bus might have been fine. But with these extra boxes, which are heavier than they look, it would be cumbersome to do anything other than take a car back to campus. And she can't think of a reason to say no in the face of Esme's seamless direction, which has them and all of Bella's stuff tucked away into an idling car within minutes.
During the drive, Alice and Esme get to know each other. They both have an intense appreciation for fashion that allows them to swiftly find common ground, gushing over designers like Vera Wang who are making their collections accessible to everyday people. At this topic, Bella is admittedly in over her head, so she occupies herself with enjoying the easy bond between two of her favorite people. She thinks it means a lot to Alice that Esme, who surely understands the circumstances that allowed Bella to move in with her, is not hostile or openly disapproving. It goes a long way to Alice's own healing.
By the time they get to campus some twenty minutes later, they're all laughing at the tale Esme weaves about one of her college memories - which involves whip cream, a lost key, and one very irate RA. Esme takes one of the boxes, Alice takes another, and Bella shoulders the rest of her luggage as they weave through campus to Roble Hall.
Things are going well, right up until the wheel on Bella's suitcase pops off right in front of one of the science buildings. "Shoot," she hisses, halting in her tracks to stop the suitcase from scraping along the pavement. It's a large suitcase. She could maybe carry it herself if Alice took her laptop bag and her backpack, but then Alice would be too weighed down. Bella has just resigned herself to sore arms in the morning when the suitcase, as if by magic, lifts from the ground.
Bella looks up and gapes.
Ah. Not magic. It's Professor Anne Cullen, who has apparently taken it upon herself to carry Bella's suitcase, even as she greets Esme with a warm level of familiarity. Bella stands by, eyes wide, and darts a glance to Alice, who looks torn between humor and helplessness.
Professor Cullen finishes greeting her son's fiancée and then looks at Bella with a knowing glint in her eye, one that Bella is intimately familiar with. It seems like Masen got some of that keen intelligence from his mother regardless of the fact that they are not related by blood. "Bella Swan, yes?" Professor Cullen asks. "You were in my class last semester."
"Yes, ma'am," Bella replies immediately, trying to wrap her head around the fact that her professor knows her by sight. Is it that strange? Maybe not. But Bella isn't naïve enough to think that Professor Cullen knows all of her students by name and face.
"Your final paper was very impressive," Professor Cullen praises. She has a gentle sort of loveliness that hints at the stunning beauty she must have been in her youth. "My husband and I have heard so much about you from Masen. We've been so busy this summer, but we'll have to arrange something now that you're no longer my student."
"Oh! That's - that's really not necessary, Professor."
"Please, call me Anne."
Bella very much does not think she can call her professor by her first name, but this woman is also her boyfriend's mother and Bella doesn't think the normal rules apply. Esme and Alice seem to find Bella's wordless floundering amusing, even as Bella is stuck nearly dumb by the sudden nerves that are twisting her up.
Bella doesn't really get nervous around strangers. She can always find a way to fall back into a placid smile and polite conversation - but with Anne Cullen, those manners are mysteriously missing, especially when Anne so nonchalantly talks about Bella officially meeting the parents.
Oh, God. She's meeting one of Masen's parents right now. She must be leaving such a bad impression!
"I see you're moving back into the dorms," Anne Cullen observes. "Let me help you."
"Oh, you don't have to!"
"Nonsense," she says. "You're important to Masen, so you're important to me. And it seems like you're having suitcase issues. It's really no problem at all."
"That's very kind of you," Bella manages, and somehow she makes her feet move forward, leading them all back to Roble Hall amid polite chit-chat and light-hearted jokes.
Anne Cullen doesn't come into the dorm with them and neither does Esme. Instead, they take Bella's things right to the door just outside the residency and make their goodbyes. Esme gives Bella - and Alice - one last hug and then Anne Cullen squeezes Bella's hand.
"I'll have Masen set something up," Anne says. "Heaven knows he's so busy with his company, but he'll make time for this. We're long past due for a dinner anyway!"
"Okay."
"I'd better get going. It looks like you have a lot to do. Goodbye, girls!"
Esme wiggles her fingers. "Bye-bye!" she says teasingly before she turns around clicks after Anne Cullen, looping their arms together and saying something along the lines of So, I was thinking about the wedding….
Bella watches them leave. "Oh, God," she says weakly. "Did that just happen?"
Alice giggles. "Are you breathing?"
"I am," Bella answers. She turns to Alice, pleading. "Did that just happen? Tell me, did I sound dumb? I sounded dumb, didn't I?"
"You were fine," Alice says kindly. "It was the first time you're meeting one of his parents. Being nervous is fine, right?"
"I guess…"
"They seem like good people. You can make a better impression next time, okay?"
Bella knows, intellectually, that Alice is right. This whole day was a whirlwind of spontaneous happenings that left Bella a little derailed and she can cut herself from slack from not being her most gregarious the first time she speaks with her boyfriend's mother outside of class. It's fine, she knows.
But she also knows, from what little Masen has told her, that the entire Cullen brood is not as kind of Carlisle or Anne - there is one person in the family that Masen is not keen on letting her meet, ever, if he has his way about it. It puts this meeting in a whole other light. What if - and of course this is not likely to happen, but - what if Anne Cullen mentions Bella's awkwardness to Grandfather Cullen and that makes the man put more pressure on Masen? It's an irrational concern, but it's there all the same. What she's heard about Grandfather Cullen does not paint a picture of the kindly patriarchs Bella has known all her life - so naturally, she doesn't want anything to exacerbate Masen's already tense relationship with the man, especially not if she's the cause for escalating tensions.
The next time Bella meets Masen's parents, she needs to be more prepared. She has to do better.
But for right now, she needs to finish moving back into the dorm so she can start prepping for classes, her first of which is on Wednesday. She has a lot to do, things to unpack and a friend to bond with and a cactus that needs some attention.
Cardinal Trees ʘcardinaltreesblog
Who do we see our reigning beauty queen with now? A mystery woman and our very own Professor Cullen? Are you thinking what we're thinking? #inlaws
(Picture Attachment: Professor Cullen walking with Bella Swan, another woman with caramel hair, and another girl. They are all holding boxes or bags or luggage and are obviously in the middle of moving. Professor Cullen looks very casual while Bella Swan looks somewhat embararrassed.)
Since this is Bella's first night back in the dorm, Alice insists on running out to get the white sauce chicken-bacon-artichoke pizza they both love in celebration. It's rare that they get to enjoy the triple-cheese goodness of this pizza without Leah or Rose making faces at the roasted artichoke and other vegetables, so Bella doesn't argue. She's very hungry by now - mortification really has a way of whetting her appetite.
Instead, she makes the most of her time while Alice is picking up their order, quickly unpacking and stowing away her things. Putting all her things to rights is an easy task, even when she has to hunt down hangers and make room in the bathroom. She spends a few minutes checking on her cactus, sliding it this way and that to find the best place for it to get sunlight and air. After that, she does a cursory tidying of the common room, more for something to do than any other reason. Alice has kept the space surprisingly clean while Bella has been gone - a sure enough sign that Alice was truly upset.
Bella smiles at the empty rooms, at the mismatched beanbag chairs and the social media station in the corner of the common room and the way all of the bins and cubbies will be back at full capacity in a few days. Soon enough, everyone will be back and she will have to adjust to the new schedule of her classes.
The one thing she can't avoid thinking about, however, is the fact that this new semester is automatically going to mean less time with Masen. She can't very well continue her internship while taking a full course load and keeping her regular Twitch schedule going. Or can she? She might have some free time during the week…
Of course, being able to work in some hours at Midnight Sun is a completely different matter than having near-constant access to Masen. It's going to be different now. She probably won't be able to see him very much - if at all - during the week. And if Midnight Sun does get that Volturi contract, then between Menagerie and DOW2, Masen will have less time than before.
Bella already misses him. It isn't quite sadness but a healthy dose of reality that has her usual enthusiasm for new semesters mellowing. In the past, new semesters have meant another foot forward for her future; now, this new semester feels less like an opening door and more like a closing one.
She knows it's not. She and Masen haven't broken up and they're even in the same city. Bella has no logical reason to be sad. With them both busy, of course they will see each other less. Esme and Carlisle manage when Esme spends half the week in San Francisco. She and Masen can make it work when they're less than half an hour away from each other.
All the same, Bella can feel the distance keenly, so she's very glad when Alice returns with their pizza and grand plans to marathon Queer Eye for the rest of the night. Bella gratefully and happily distracts herself and uses this time to fix the final fissures in her friendship.
Masen isn't going anywhere. She - she likes him way too much to let that happen. They'll be fine.
This Is Really Masen
I heard you met my mom
The Missus
Omg
Did she tell you?
Did she hate me?
This Is Really Masen
She doesn't hate you
Nobody could
The Missus
Now is not the time for
platitudes!
The Is Really Masen
You have nothing to worry about
The Missus
I'm not worried
This Is Really Masen
Okay
The Missus
Just you wait Masen Cullen
It'll be your turn to meet the parents
next and then you'll understand
This Is Really Masen
Is that so?
I look forward to it
By the time Monday rolls around, Bella is nearly ready for the fall semester to begin. Leah is already back in town, but she hasn't even been to the dorms yet because of the Immersion Program, which will be running until Tuesday night; and Rose isn't due to return until Tuesday morning, which is later than she planned but a family obligation held her up at the last minute. All this really means is that Bella and Alice have volunteered to do what they can to get their roommates prepared, too, since it doesn't seem like either of them is going to have time.
Bella tackles the problem with a divide-and-conquer strategy. Bella will buy all the textbooks they all need for their classes and Alice will hunt down the essentials for their stockpile, from snacks to study materials. This works out well because Alice had to go pick up fabric she ordered for a class anyway and Because one of the books Rose's needs isn't at the campus bookstore, but at a second-hand shop not too far from Midnight Sun. So, bright and somewhat early on Monday morning, Bella and Alice head out to each get their tasks complete.
Finding Rose's textbook is like a needle in a haystack. If any of them could afford to buy new books, Bella would probably be able to find everything at the campus bookstore. As it is, scholarships only cover so much and it's cheaper to buy a used book from a second-hand store, anyway. It just so happens that the one book Rose needs isn't at their usual bookstore, but at one that is a little more out of the way. Smartly, Bella had called ahead to get the book reserved, so it's already waiting for her by the time she makes it that far off-campus.
Weighed down by a backpack and two bags of books, Bella navigates her way to Midnight Sun, which is only three or so blocks away. She didn't tell anyone she was coming, because her official last day as an intern had been last week, so she can only be amused by the over-the-top reaction many of them have when she shoulders her way into the office.
"Bella?"
"Our intern has returned!"
"The prodigal intern!"
"What did you bring us - wait, no, please no more textbooks, never again."
"That's…that's a lot of books."
"They're not all mine," Bella says reassuringly.
"Well, thank fuck for that."
"I would die. I would literally die."
There's a hustle of quick greetings and then half of the group falls away to return to their work. There's a faintly terse feeling in the air, probably because that Volturi contract isn't completely on the hook, yet. Bella wonders how the company is going to juggle the demands of two projects. Masen must be - oh. Well, Masen isn't here.
Bella frowns slightly, trying to shove away the nugget of disappointment creeping up on her. Of course, Masen is busy. He didn't know she was going to be here. She'll can find him in a minute or wait around until he emerges from…wherever he is. She just wants to say hi and see him one last time before the fall quarter begins.
"The intern looks blue," Liam observes.
"Hey, Bella. You okay?" Charles checks.
She waves him off. "I'm fine. A little tired." Both true. She casts her eyes around, then does a double-take. "Uh. What is that?"
"What's what?"
"That," Bella says, gesturing at one rather glaring eyesore in the room.
"Oh, that," Liam says, bored. "That's your desk."
"That is not my desk," Bella disagrees. Although she'd only ever used the desk for a short time, it had never been so…well, loud. She had kept it neat and clean, free of any distracting artifacts. Now, however, the desk that had once been hers is decorated with multi-colored crepe streamers, no less than three signs declaring Swansong's Desk, and a truly dedicated, awful collection of paper swans, stuffed swans, swan feathers, and a swan-shaped pillow. And then there is the yellow-and-black caution tape creating a two-foot barrier around the desk to consider.
Bella tries not to gape, shaking her head slowly.
Liam snorts. "No, it definitely is your desk."
"This desk will always be your desk," Charles agrees.
Peter, evidently sensing an opportunity to cause mischief, darts around the desk, gesturing wildly at all the kitch decoration that has been placed around the computer and on the chair. "See all this? We marked it as yours. This is your desk forever and ever!"
Dimly, Bella is glad Leah is not here to witness this or capture it on camera. She isn't sure what her face is doing, but Liam and Charles and Emmett all do a poor job of muffling their amusement at her expense.
"Yeah," Emmett agrees, struggling to keep a straight face. "Look, Al even made a sign!"
Alistair's sign is decidedly slightly more tasteful than the others. It also says Swanning instead of Swansong. It's still atrocious, however, and Bella is absolutely certain Alistair did it on purpose. He can be such a troll sometimes!
Bella looks to him for an explanation.
Alistair shrugs indifferently. "A sign seemed necessary. This is, after all, your desk isn't it? If we put up signs, then not even Peter's, er, friend will be able to take it."
"Plus we're so proud that we had a lady intern!" Peter crows.
Bella needs to not be looking at or thinking about this desk anymore. She latches onto the closest source of an alternate subject. "Peter's friend?" she asks. Several fingers point at a tall figure dressed in black who is lurking just off to the side, still as a statue and silent as a grave. The intimidating aura and intense expression doesn't throw Bella, however, because this is a face that is familiar to her. "Garrett? What are you doing here?"
Peter blinks at her. "Oh, have you met Garrett?"
"From the food truck? Of course!" Bella turns a friendly smile at the dour-faced man. "How are you?"
"I'm fine," Garrett rumbles, looking away but mostly just looking at Peter, as if watching his reaction. "Working here, now. And you?"
"Oh, you know," Bella says breezily. "Same as always."
Garrett bobs his head.
"Wait!" Emmett says loudly. "Wait just a damn minute!"
Bella looks at him in askance.
Emmett huffs. "So far only Peter has gotten away with calling him by his actual name! The rest of us get murder eyes and three degrees of the cold shoulder. And like, I get it for Peter, but - But why do you get to call him Garrett?"
Bella's brow wrinkles as she looks between Garrett and Emmett. "Well, what do you call him then?"
Alistair is the one who answers. "K.O."
Bella blinks. That name sounds familiar… "As in that player from DOW?"
"Uh-huh!" Peter confirms. He sounds abnormally happy to know this fact and share it with whoever cares to listen.
Bella looks at Garrett with amazement. What a small world it is after all. "Oh, wow!" she says brightly. "You're really good! Well, since you're here in person, can I ask you about that one maneuver you do, with the double-flip and the weapon's draw?"
"Of course," Garrett agrees quietly. "What about it?"
"Well, do you-"
"That's it?" Emmett demands.
Bella makes a noise of confusion.
Emmett stutters. "Just! You just. And he. Polite. I can't…"
"Emmett exe is experiencing a malfunction," Peter chortles.
"I'll kill you," Emmett promises, only to blanch and rapidly backtrack, very much not looking at either Peter or Garrett. Not that Bella blames him. It's not like Garrett really did anything, but the room got several degrees colder the second Emmett got testy with Peter. Friends, indeed. "Uh, I'll only think about killing you, obviously. Or just maiming. No actual injury involved!"
Peter seems to be oblivious to the silent threatening exchange, the whole thing going over his head. "Oh, what, are you scared?" he taunts.
"Yes," Emmett says emphatically.
"The dude is scary," Charles agrees. "No offense."
"You are rather intimidating," Alistair adds.
Garrett shrugs.
"Nah," Peter insists. "It's just the eyebrows. He's the nicest guy around! Keeps me totally satisfied."
Bella, who unlike Peter is decidedly not blind to the implication behind those words, feels herself blushing. Peter might not seem to understand how that sounded, but everyone, including Garrett, did because Garrett is now staring at Peter with heavy eyes, practically drinking him in. It's just this side of polite for public, honestly. That kind of look should be illegal.
Does Peter really not see it? Apparently not. Poor Garrett.
"And on that note," Bella says, cutting swiftly into the awkward. "Has anyone seen Masen?"
Emmett looks relieved for a change of topic, and he isn't the only one. "He went upstairs just before you came," he says.
"Thank you," Bella tells him sincerely, and then high-tails it upstairs.
The door to Masen's loft is as open as ever and from the stairs she can see the way he digs through one of the drawers by the couch, clearly looking for something. She gently places the burden of books down and tip-toes behind him.
"What are you looking for?" she whispers.
Masen doesn't have the decency to flinch in surprise. He cranes his neck back, unimpressed. "Spare ear buds."
Bella smiles. "Junk drawer in the kitchen," she tells him.
Masen furrows his brow, asking a silent question that she hears anyway.
"You said they were such poor quality that they belonged with the rest of the junk," she reminds him. It had only been two weeks ago and it had been the first time she had ever seen Masen truly irked by anything. He had high standards for his electronics. "You kept them anyway, just in case your current ones broke."
Masen sighs. "They have."
Her smile grows at his moderately irritated resignation. "Will you be able to cope?"
Masen closes the drawer and stands, turning around to reel Bella in closer, his arms looped around her lower back. "I'll manage," he says softly. "It's much harder to cope with not seeing you every day."
Bella flushes, bites her lip, then turns her face up to his, letting the mixture of wanting and missing wash over her face. "I'll come around often," she says. "I won't let you miss me too much."
Masen cradles her jaw, adjusting the angle so he can duck down for an easier kiss. He kisses her with a languid ardor, sipping at her lips unhurriedly, pulling away just enough to whisper words against her tingling mouth. "Mark your words."
Bella does, and then she loses herself in the rest of the kisses he gives her.
Piping Hot Tea
Thorny
Well thank fuck you two
kissed and made up now
i need some peace
Sleep Talker
What did your cousin do this time?
Thorny
He's an idiot
It doesn't even matter what he did
at this point
I swear I'm adopted
or disowning Royce
Both
Paparazzi
Families are like that
Short Cake
Speaking of kissing!
Don't forget to look at
Bella's neck!
Paparazzi
What
Sleep Talker
Alice no!
Thorny
Are we talking about a hickey
How big is it
Short Cake
Silver dollar
Thorny
Hot damn
Sleep Talker
Omg
Paparazzi
You've been defiled!
I don't like this boyfriend!
He takes too many liberties
Short Cake
You sound like my grandpa
Thorny
LOL
Well we all know Lee Lee
is really a grumpy old man
Paparazzi
I'm defending my sister's honor
Or what's left of it!
Sleep Talker
It's not that big of a deal!
Thorny
Ignore her
Spill the damn tea
How was it?
Sleep Talker
It was just kissing!
Thorny
Nothing that ends with a
hickey is just kissing
There was some petting involved
Paparazzi
I don't want to hear this
I can't hear this
If I get pissed, then Seth will
want to know why and then
our parents will know
Sleep Talker
Please don't tell Dad
Paparazzi
Ha!
Maybe I should!
That'll keep you in line!
Thorny
Not if Masen's any good it won't
Short Cake
He seems like a good bf
I don't see the problem
Sleep Talker
Thank you!
Leah just chill
Paparazzi
You better be wearing a scarf
when i get back or so help me
I will hunt that pretty boy down
Thorny
And what?
What will you do?
Sleep Talker
I'm also curious
And worried
Paparazzi
Obviously I'm going to
make him put a ring on it
Short Cake
Beyonce would approve
(Gif Attachment: Beyonce's
iconic Single Ladies music video)
Sleep Talker
I think it's a little early
to be talking about
marriage!
Short Cake
What are you talking about?
You've already met the parents!
Paparazzi
WHAT
Thorny
Our little Bella is growing
up so fast!
Sleep Talker
For the love of god
A/N: This is update 3 of 4. Lots of things happening this chapter! We're about to move into another plot arc, so stay seated and keep your arms inside the vehicle at all times! Also, from this point forward, pay very close attention to the time stamps on all YouTube chapters - I'm going to start doing something different! And kudos to anyone who guessed Garrett - it's very amusing to me that the only ones he allows to use his name are Peter (obviously) and Bella, who he very probably views as the only other normal person in any given room.
As always, be brutally honest! I can take it! Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay smart. Oh, and by the way, #allcountriesmatter, don't they? Nobody wants to hear my actual opinion about this holiday, I'm sure. But just know that I, along with many other people who have anxiety or other mental disorders such as PTSD, are not huge fans of the crackle-pop of those ridiculous fireworks. If you're watching a display tonight, wear a mask. If you have animals, give them plenty of love!
~Rae