I don't own any characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyer.
It has been a week since we joined the Cullens, and they already started talking about where they would want to live next. I couldn't believe it; the movers have just reached Indiana with our boxes! It was nice that even though Alice, Jasper, and I have just moved in with them, our opinions still mattered. I voiced my interest in living next to the water, whereas Alice wanted a place closer to the big cities in order to get her weekly dose of new clothes supply. Carlisle also found my interest in going to school amusing and started researching that idea. All Cullen kids were supposedly homeschooled and none of them ever shown interest in going back to an actual learning facility. Alice mentioned that she would like to see what school is, how do lessons work. She wanted to interact with humans, which I, along with other members of my new family couldn't relate to, but at least I wouldn't be going there alone.
Carlisle still had a couple of years left for his hospital contract, so that wasn't something that I needed to be worry about for now. At the moment, my bigger concern was Tanya's upcoming visit. I knew her well enough to understand that she will be a destruction to my somewhat peaceful life here, I'd have to bring her places and talk to her about things that I didn't want to say out loud. She was like a cousin to me; we couldn't be sisters because everyone around us wouldn't be able to handle us both at the same time. We were complete opposites and it was a miracle that we became so close. She was temperamental and quick to action, whereas I was more relaxed and thoughtful. According to Jasper, both of us were very stubborn, which made it impossible for him to be in the same house with us for longer than a few weeks.
"Alice? When Tanya arrives, where should I take her?" I asked.
"You mean where should we take her?" Alice smiled. "Oh, Bella! I was waiting for you to ask me that for weeks!"
"You want to come with us?" I looked at her confused. My sister and Tanya never got a chance to get close, I didn't think she would be even a little bit interested in spending time with my blonde friend.
"Of course! Rose is coming too, she doesn't know she is yet, so don't tell her." Alice's smile grew. I locked my mouth and threw an imaginary key away.
"Females on the run?" I laughed.
"That's the theme. We are going dancing! There is a place in Indianapolis, just opened a couple of months ago. They are playing some older music; you are going to love it!"
"We are going to a place with sweaty people dancing next to each other? Isn't it risky?" I asked.
"Don't worry, you have me, I'll get everyone out if I see something, but so far, nothing should go wrong." She ensured me.
"I don't know, Alice. We should ask Carlisle if he thinks it's a good idea."
"He will be on my side." My sister said after a few seconds of staring into a wall.
"Alright, I guess we are going dancing." I smiled.
"I'm so glad you're excited about that. I can finally show you your dress!" Alice squeaked.
"My what?!"
"Your dress, I bought it when Rose and I went shopping. Oh, it's gorgeous and blue, just the way Edward likes it."
"Shhh!" I whispered.
"Relax, no one is home. Besides, it will go so well with the hairstyle that I'll give you." She spoke.
"No, you promised me no mannequin Bella after we join the family…" I was interrupted.
"…And Rose warms up to us enough to let me style her hair. She hasn't yet, so you're still mine to make beautiful."
"You mean to torture?" I laughed. Her face now looked offended.
"Bella, I thought you were my sister. Why am I seeing you wearing jeans and a ponytail to the club?" She asked.
"Alice, I'm sorry, you know I'm not big on girly things." I sighed.
"Just this once, that's the last time I'll ask you that for a casual event. Please!" Alice was getting closer and closer to me until she froze just a couple of inches away from my face. I looked into her nearly tearful eyes and she suddenly hugged me real tight. "Oh, thank you! Thank you, Bella!"
"I haven't said yes!" I told her.
"No, but you will!" she started jumping in my arms.
"I really hate you sometimes." I sighed.
"No, you really don't."
"So, Edward will like it? I whispered.
"He will be stunned." She promised me. "I'll make sure of that. Do you know if Carlisle has a book in Chinese? I'm going to cite it in my head, so Edward can't read my mind and see you prior to our outing."
"And I can't just pull my shield on you because…" I asked.
"Because, Bella, the citing makes him frustrated, and he's so funny when angry." She laughed and made a face that definitely resembled Edward's when he was irritated. Lips tight together, eyebrows nearly reaching the middle of his nose, a vein popping out on the neck. I couldn't help myself, so I started laughing too.
The day of Tanya's arrival has finally come. I called her after my conversation with Alice to let her know we were going out, and she assured me she will bring some nice dresses with her. Rosalie wasn't fond of the idea of going out with three people she didn't know so well, but I guess Emmett talked her into coming along and getting to know us better. Alice spent most of the afternoon curling my hair and styling it into an updo, my dress was indeed perfect. It was dark blue, covering my shoulders and barely reaching my knees. It was an ideal dress if not for the too-deep V-neck. I tried getting it to go up, to cover more of the skin, which Alice loudly protested to. Her own clothing was more conservative than mine. It was black, the single sleeve was only covering her right shoulder, leaving the rest naked, but it didn't go low, everything was hidden, not like mine. My sister used what felt like a ton of pink blush to highlight the nowadays fashionable high cheekbones, and my eyebrows were now heavily emphasized. She painted both my nails and my lips with the same bright red color and even managed to practice the new "cat-eye" flick of the eyeliner that she saw in one of her magazines. The only thing that helped me get through all that was the fact that Rosalie would be next to undergo the styling procedure.
When I stood up from my chair and finally got a chance to look in the mirror, I couldn't believe that it was still me. So much of my usual appearance was changed. I felt pretty, not myself, but definitely pretty. The blush made me look more human, my eyebrows were straight, no spaces in between the hairs. The eyeliner made my eyes look even more mysterious and somewhat dangerous. I preferred that, it meant that there would be an even smaller chance that human men are going to try to talk to me. I thanked Alice and left the room.
"Rosalie, the little monster is awaiting you in my room." I laughed.
"Coming." I heard from downstairs.
I crossed the hallway and lightly knocked on the door of Edward's room. After a second, I heard footsteps and he was right in front of me. His eyes were running across my dress and face, finally stopping at my eyes.
"You look so beautiful." He spoke.
"Thank you, do you mind spending time with me before you're leaving?" I asked sheepishly. Neither Edward nor I were bringing up our obvious connection. I preferred it that way, just letting things run the way they are, we were in no rush. Since Rosalie, Alice, Tanya, and I were going out tonight, Jasper, Emmett, and Edward decided to go hunting in the Appalachian Mountains. It was a small gift from us to Carlisle and Esme, who didn't get a lot of chances to spend some time together without their "kids".
"It would be my pleasure." He smiled and stepped inside his room, inviting me to go in as well. I walked in, and he closed the door behind him. "Can I steal a dance from you?"
"I suppose you can." I smiled and took his hand. He pulled my body closer to his and started humming a melody into my ear.
"Claire de lune?" I asked surprised.
"You like Debussy?"
"My parents used to listen to him play on the nighttime radio every day. That one was the last one I heard before I disappeared. It came out just a few months prior."
"I'm sorry, I can choose something else."
"No, please, continue. I like it." I spoke, and he kept humming.
Edward moved slowly around the room, gently spinning me around. I couldn't be happier to be a vampire, I was dancing with a gorgeous man without stepping on his feet. The smile was growing wider on my face. Our moves were opening up our hearts, I felt like we were understanding each other completely. It felt almost as I could see into his soul. I realized I wasn't breathing anymore, his moves left me breathless as when he lifted me an inch, I understood. I knew now. His feelings for me were so obvious. People say a great love is one that settles you down, gives you a cup of water, and pats you on your back. But I say a great love is one that casts you into the wind, sets you ablaze, makes you thirsty, sends you through the skies and ocean; the kind that cuts you loose like a tsunami and you can't stop swimming simply because you keep on destructing everything you touch! I say that's a great love; one that plunges and flies, and you keep swimming with it! Edward was my ocean, my sky; and I was his.
"Uh." Edward sighed and looked at the door. "Emmett is going to barge into my room if I don't come downstairs in a minute."
"You have to go already?"
"Unfortunately." He gave me a sad smile.
"I'll see you tomorrow."
"I'll be counting seconds until I get back to you." Edward kissed my hands and started going out. "Have fun with Tanya and the girls."
"Have a good hunt," I replied. "Goodbye."
"Goodbye, love." He spoke as he disappeared into the hallway.
Love. He called me love. My hands were shaking a little bit, and I couldn't get any words out. Oh, how I wished I've talked to him about my feelings before. Just to know, just to be sure he meant it in the way I wanted him to mean it.
I couldn't do anything else now, and in order to occupy my mind with something else, I went back to my room to check on Alice and Rosalie. The blond one looked absolutely stunning now. If I wasn't insecure about my appearance before, then I definitely was now. Her now curled hair was lying on her left shoulder, which looked absolutely stunning with her bright pink dress. Her makeup accentuated her big kind eyes and full lips. She was perfect.
"How did I do?" Alice asked.
"You definitely have a talent," Rosalie said. "It looks very nice."
"I'm so excited! Tonight is going to be perfect! Tanya will be here any second now, and we'll be ready to go in 40 minutes. Sharp."
"Yes, my little general." I laughed.
Tanya came flying inside the house, and with a high-pitched scream may I add. She hugged us before being commanded to put on her dress and get inside the room as soon as she does that.
"So, how are things back home? Your sisters happy?" I asked while Alice was doing her magic on Tanya.
"It's loud. Very loud." She sighed. "I hate being the only one in the house without a mate. Irina and Kate are very occupied. It's very hard for Laurent to adjust to our diet. He's really trying though. Garrett is easier, he hasn't slipped yet, which is surprising. I believe it's because of Kate. That man is ready to kiss the ground she walks on. Very adventurous, too adventurous if you ask me. Have I told you that for the first couple of days after they came, he got Kate to use her powers on him at least three dozen times? He is a psycho, a masochistic psycho, Bella!"
"I'm sure he's just trying to impress her."
"Well, he definitely did that, they are always together now. He never leaves her sight."
"And that makes you feel lonely. I understand." I squeezed her hand.
"Enough being depressed and lonely already! We are going out tonight! It's going to be so much fun! Just think about dancing and music!" Alice spoke, and Tanya gave her a small smile.
After a few minutes, all four of us were sitting in the car, ready to go to Indianapolis. Rosalie was driving, Allice jumped on the front passenger seat, and Tanya and I were sitting in the back. The whole drive took about two hours, it would be a lot easier and faster for us to run there, but my little sister insisted that the car would keep our dresses and hair safe, so we had to agree to the slowest road trip to Indianapolis. During the drive, my mind kept going back to Edward and the last words that he spoke. It was hard not being able to talk to him right this second. I was sure that I could still follow his scent to the mountains where the boys went hunting. It took an insane amount of self-control to not rip the car door and run. I saw Alice watching me in the rearview mirror. That helped a little with my control. I wouldn't want to ruin her "amazing" night.
We arrived at the nightclub around 8 in the evening, it took a few minutes for us to park and get inside. The building looked old, made out of red bricks that had scratches in them, two massive windows with gates on them. A large sign on the entrance said: "Sunset Terrace." The place didn't look very safe or enjoyable, but the music and laughter that I was able to hear were decent. I could recognize Glenn Miller's "Chattanooga Choo Choo" as one of the songs. The musicians performing were very talented indeed. We walked inside, and I was shocked at how different the place looked compared to its exterior. The walls were dark burgundy, the tables made out of nearly black wood, small lamps were sitting on each one of them. Overall, the interior design was fancy and elegant. The dancefloor was smaller than I expected, it would fit 10-15 people at a comfortable distance. The nightclub was rather empty still, and it was a relief. At least, there will be no need for me to hold my breath as much.
Alice squeaked and got us a small table closer to the exit.
"One can never know for sure." She smiled. "See, I even looked for a getaway plan."
"Thank you!" I spoke sincerely and sat down on a chair. I noticed a woman coming closer to our table, her badge said Margaret. Her dyed blond hair suited her light grey eyes, a short apron hung loose on her hips.
"Good evening, ladies. What are we drinking tonight?" she asked.
"We'll get the martinis," Alice announced.
"Absolutely. Any appetizers to go with it?"
"We are alright with the drinks for now." My sister spoke again. "Thank you."
"For sure, I'll be back in a few minutes."
"Why did you order the martinis?" I asked her quietly.
"We have to do what others are doing. Think of this as a test run of your social skills and self-control before you have to go to school full of kids." Alice replied.
"You actually want to go to school?" Rosalie looked at me shocked.
"Yeah, I thought everyone knew that already."
"I didn't think you were serious about it. Did you think about the rest of the family? What if you slip? It will compromise all of us!" Rosalie said a little too loud, so I looked around, but nobody else seemed to pay a lot of attention to us.
"She controls herself pretty well, and she will have me in case something goes wrong. I thought it through, it will work. Cheer up, Rosie!"
"No, you know what, Alice, I won't cheer up. Emmett made me go with you tonight in hopes I'll get to know you better, and will start treating you like family. I can't do it, not when you are just so happy and enthusiastic about being what we are." Rosalie stood up and headed for the door.
"I'll talk to her." I sighed. "Go dance, have fun, I'll be back in a few minutes even if Rosalie decides to run home," I assured my sister.
I walked out a little faster than a normal human on heels would. I managed to find the runaway a few blocks away from the club.
"Hey, wait up!" I spoke.
"What do you want, Bella?"
"To talk."
"Well, I don't want to talk to you or your extra happy sister." She spitted out and turned around again.
"Please, I just want a chance to get to know you better. Neither I nor you wanted my siblings and me to join your family, but it happened, and we can't control it, so can we at least be civil with each other?"
"You're not my family. I don't think I'll ever consider you as my sister or whatever Carlisle wants me to consider you as." Rosalie turned around.
"I don't want to be sisters. I already have one, and she is a huge pain in my ass. I'm asking if we can get over our differences and grudges for the benefit of our family." I looked at her and she finally nodded.
"Fine, we can talk." Blondie crossed the street, and I followed her into the park on the other side. It was dark, a few lamp posts made the atmosphere a little creepy, but I knew there was nothing that I should be afraid of. "So, what do you want to know?"
"Why does it bother you that Alice is so optimistic?" I asked.
"Her optimism doesn't bother me, Bella. What really bothers me is her happiness. She seems to be so alright with her vampirism. No regrets about the past, she doesn't know, doesn't understand what opportunities she lost."
"That's not her fault that she doesn't remember," I said calmly.
"No, it's not. Nevertheless, it bothers me. I'm jealous of her, Bella. She doesn't remember her human life. She doesn't have to live with constant regret about not having children or not being able to grow old together with Jasper. I wish I had lost my human memories."
"Why would you want that?" I asked stunned.
"Because I keep imagining a house with a big backyard, grey-haired Emmett by my side and our grandkids playing in front of us. I want that so bad, and it's not possible. I'll never be able to have that, and I have to live with that knowledge every day. The freshest memory that I have of my human life is the last few hours of it, and they were horrible. You know, Carlisle has a theory that the worst moments of our human lives will stay with us forever? So, yes, I am jealous of Alice, she didn't experience anything traumatic, and yet she doesn't remember her human life. I should be the one with no memories!" Her words were flying out of her mouth with so much emotion in them. At that moment I finally understood her. At least I thought I did. My feelings about my existence were very similar, and even though my need for having children was locked up in a small box that I promised to never visit, I felt like I could relate to the woman in front of me.
"I'm going to tell you something, but you have to promise not to tell anyone, not even Alice." That sentence came out of me before I realized what I was doing.
"Sure." She looked at me.
"I'm only telling you that so you can get the jealousy of Alice's memories out of the way." I took a deep breath. "My sister didn't have a good end to her human life. I don't want to compare her story to yours, but I think it will make you look at the situation from another angle."
Rosalie nodded.
"Have you ever wondered why we call her Alice even though her first name is Mary?"
"I assumed she didn't like Mary."
"No, growing up she really liked her name. She was proud to have our grandmother's name. She went by Alice because a small piece of paper that she found in her asylum gown told her that was her name."
"Asylum gown?" Rosalie questioned.
"I don't know why my parents sent her there, but Jasper has a theory that she was able to see glimpses of the future even in her human life. My father was a very religious man, and I know if she did have her gift even as a human, he would believe she was possessed. They gave her up to the Lunatic House in Biloxi, made up a fake grave, and told everyone she died. That's why Alice's hair is so short. A standard procedure, shaving heads for all new patients. It was growing out again when she was turned. They tortured her every day that she was there. I think that's why she had a piece of paper with her name on it. She was already losing memory because of the things the doctors were doing to her. James told us he was following her after I disappeared, if he wasn't able to get one sister, he'll get another one. Some other vampire saved her from him by turning Alice into one of us. James killed him for ruining his last chance at getting back at me. Alice woke up alone, with no one to teach her the rules. It's a wonder that she had her gift or she would be hunted down by the Volturi. The only thing that she knew about herself for her first 28 years of this life is what that piece of paper told her. She knew her name was Alice; she was 19 and she wasn't insane." I finished and looked up at Rosalie.
"I'm so sorry. Poor Alice." Her voice was trembling. "I had no idea, she never told me."
"That's because she doesn't know. And I don't want her to know, so please, don't tell anyone." I asked.
"Who knows about that? Only you?"
"Jasper and the Denalis do too," I answered.
"I'm not going to say anything. But, Bella, I do think Alice has the right to know her story. It's unfair to her that you're keeping it a secret.
"I'm protecting her." I shook my head. "That's my job as an older sister. I have to protect her from that, she is so happy, and I'm not going to let her past ruin that."
Suddenly, Rosalie was hugging me. It was a tight but gentle hug, and it was definitely unexpected. It took me a second to put my own hands on her back and return the pleasantry.
"It must have been hard keeping it a secret, and I appreciate that you trusted me enough to let me on it." She whispered into my ear.
"It's alright if you don't consider us your family, we might never be that for you. I just wish we could be friendly with each other. I think Esme would like that." I told her when we created distance between us again.
"I think I can manage with you and Alice being my friends. Carlisle was right, I never had any, and maybe it will take time to get used to having other females my age in my life." She gave me a small smile.
"We'll work on it together," I promised. "Ready to head back?"
"Yes, I guess I owe Alice a hell of an apology for ruining the night." She laughed.
"I think Tanya would want one too," I added.
"Well, I'm not the one who found a mate in the eyes of her beloved."
"Her what?!" I stopped.
"Edward. Come on, Bella. Have Tanya never told you about her undying affection towards my brother?"
"Edward and Tanya?" I asked still not moving.
"She likes him, there was never anything between them. As far as I know, Edward was only interested in one girl in his life, and it's you." She squeezed my hand and lead me towards the club.
"Are Edward and I that obvious?"
"In the eyes and ears of a person who lives in the same house with you two? Yes, absolutely. Emmett and Jasper already placed bets on how long it will take you two to finally talk about it." She laughed.
"Really? How much is at stake?" I asked.
"Three hundred. Emmett believes it will be another month until one of you tells the other. Jasper's bet expires in a couple of days."
"I can't let Emmett win. Jasper doesn't have that kind of money." I smiled.
"Wait. Are you saying you are planning to tell Edward?" Rosalie was the one who stopped now.
"I was thinking about it since we left the house, now I have a motivation as well."
"Tanya will be so angry!" Rosalie laughed. "First, she finds herself being the only one without a mate in her own house, and now you're stealing her presumed boyfriend."
"Damn it. She will kill me for leaving her as the only bachelorette." I laughed too.
"She'll get over it. You know how independent she really is; besides, every vampire has a mate somewhere in the world, she just needs to be patient."
"Yeah, I think you're right."
"I have to thank you, Bella. I didn't believe tonight would make us closer, but I think it did." She smiled.
"I think so too, Rosalie."
"Please, since we're family now, Rose or Rosie is fine."
"Deal." I smiled back. "Now, let's go find our party before Alice goes berserk and rips our heads off for ditching."
My sister was indeed angry about our long disappearance but quickly forgot about it when Rosalie started apologizing profusely. Neither Alice nor Tanya were expecting always distant Rose to be so emotional, so the whole situation was forgiven and forgotten in a few minutes. We danced to Glenn Miller's and Harry James's songs until the club was closing. I gave Margaret a decent tip, and we got into the car to start the drive home.
We finally reached home after midnight. I went straight to the shower. The amount of makeup on my face was bothering me now. After half an hour in the bathtub, I was finally able to feel like myself again. Black mascara streaks were coming down my face, but that was the only part of tonight's makeup that was left. My skin was as white and naked as it always was. I walked back into my room and put on my favorite pair of jeans and Jasper's shirt. I looked over some of the boxes that the movers brought in a few days ago. I never got the chance to unpack them because I've been spending so much time with Edward. I took the first four that contained my clothes and quickly put them into the dresser. Some of my other things went into the bedside cabinet, my favorite shampoo and conditioner were now standing on my bathtub.
I sighed when I realized that nothing is stopping me from talking to Tanya now. I had a shower, brushed my hair, and all the boxes were unpacked now. I needed to tell her about Edward and me, it would be best if she finds out about our growing feelings towards each other from me. Every step towards the spare bedroom where she was now staying was hard and slow. I kept telling myself that Tanya would be fine, and there were 4 other people in this house, so she wouldn't be able to overreact. With another deep breath, I finally knocked.
"Oh, finally! Come in already, I never knew a vampire who walked as slow as you!" Tanya reached for my hand and pulled me inside her room.
"I think I need to tell you something." I started.
"Okay, why do you sound so serious?"
"I just don't know how you will react," I said honestly.
"Well, whatever it is, you can tell me."
"Um…"
"Spit it out, Brandon!" she insisted.
And I did. I spit out everything that has been going on since Jasper, Alice, and I came here. I told her how close Edward and I are getting, about my belief that we are mates. The only thing that I didn't share with her was our first night, the lake and stars would forever be mine, and nobody needs to know about that.
"So, you're leaving me all alone in the single club?" She smirked.
"I suppose so. I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that to happen. Rose told me you were interested in him, and I don't want to lose you as a friend." I whispered the last words. Somehow intimacy and blunt honesty were still new to me.
"Bella, we can't control who we fall in love with. If Edward is indeed your soulmate, I can't be happier for the both of you. You've spent so much time looking for your sister and blaming yourself for her disappearance, you deserve to find a man who loves you, who makes you truly happy. My interest in Edward had a place because we were both single, and I was…honestly, still am trying to make myself believe that there is someone for me." Tanya touched my shoulder.
"I truly believe you'll find him one day," I spoke.
"Since I met you, I found myself getting more and more optimistic every day. You motivated me to never give up on hope. How many New Years have you wished for your sister to come back to you? You never gave up on it, and look how that turned out."
"I don't know if you are trying to make me or yourself believe in what you're saying." I chuckled.
"I'm trying to be nice and give you a compliment!" she lightly punched my shoulder.
"Okay, okay. So, are we good then?" I asked.
"We are good, there is nothing to worry about. Now, let's go see what other clothes you have. Honestly, Bella, you could have chosen something a little nicer to wear for when Edward shows up." She laughed and pulled me into the hallway.
Please review. If you'd like to know when the next chapters are coming out, shoot me a message on Twitter FlaunderTommo.