Monday, September 11, 2006: 11:00 pm
Bella's POV
The question had been nagging at me for weeks. Since the fight with the werewolves was over. I had thought about it before, when it had happened, but most of that was in despair. Now, weeks later, I still didn't know.
How had Billy seen through my act? How did he know that my loyalties were not changing over to him? How did he know that I was lying?
I sat on the piano bench, not playing, mulling this all over in my head.
Edward came over and sat down next to me.
Are you still trying to figure that out?
I nodded.
Any ideas?
Probably because you were so determined to stay on our side just days before.
Yeah, probably.
I then began to play a crude version of Beethoven's Symphony 9. I had just learned it yesterday and I figured I needed to practice.
Edward smiled as he listened to me.
All too soon, I had to go back to Charlie's. I didn't mind, I would just figure out Minuet Three tomorrow.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006: 6:00 am
Edward's POV
When Bella left for Charlie's, I immediately started planning. Her birthday was tomorrow, and everything needed to be just right.
I ran up to Alice's room.
"Come in!" she said before I even got to the door.
I walked in.
Alice was sitting at her desk, sketching.
I looked over her shoulder to see what she was sketching. It was a silver Audi Coupe, the exact car I wanted to get Bella.
"That's—" I began.
"The car you want to get Bella." Alice finished for me.
"How did you…"
Alice tapped her head, "Saw it, several weeks ago, it's becoming more and more prominent."
I nodded.
"What I don't get, is why am I buying it? It's your gift."
"I can't spend a dime on her. So I figured if you bought it for me using my money, so it's still my gift…"
"Oh, I get it."
I pulled out my credit card. "Here."
Alice took it out of my hands. "I'll get it after school."
I smiled, "Thanks. How's your gift coming along?"
"Jasper and I'll rig her room later."
"Rig it?"
"Hook up the best sound system ever."
"When are you doing that?"
"Jasper's going to do it while we're at school, then, when I'm done getting the car, I'll go over and double check it."
"Did you call Rosalie?"
"Not yet, I'll call her at lunch I guess."
I'm back!
"Not a thought of this."
Alice nodded and went back to her sketching.
I rushed down the stairs to meet Bella.
Alice's POV
There is was again. The same vision. It was me buying a silver Audi Coupe, what didn't make sense was that Edward was getting that car for Bella, so why was I buying it?
I began sketching the car as I waited until it was time to leave.
I heard Edward approach and I told him to come in.
He hovered over my shoulder for a couple of seconds.
He wondered why I was drawing it, and I told him, while wondering why I was buying it.
It just figures that he wanted me to buy it with his money, so technically he wasn't spending a dime on Bella just like he promised.
We talked about my gift and then he reminded me to call Rosalie.
Then Bella came back and Edward ran down to meet her, saying that I wouldn't even think about this.
Of course, I went back to my sketch.
----
The first few classes dragged on forever.
I couldn't wait until after school when I was going car shopping. I know it's not at a mall, but it's still shopping, and it's Edward's money I'm spending.
Then I was going to make sure mine and Jasper's gift was just perfect. It had to be. It was Bella's birthday, legally if not physically.
Finally, it was lunch and time to call Rosalie. I wasn't exactly looking forward to the call, but I knew Emmett wanted to be there.
Edward and Bella would be fine on their own for lunch.
I ran out to the parking lot so I wasn't within "hearing" range of Bella and dialed Rosalie's cell phone number.
"Hello?"
"Rose it's me, Alice."
"What do you want? I'm in Paris looking for the perfect place for…" she stopped suddenly.
"Place for what?"
"Never mind. What did you want?"
"Emmett wanted to be at Bella's birthday party…"
"Oh, hang on, let me give him the phone."
"Hey Alice,"
"Hey, um, Bella's birthday…"
"Oh yeah! When?"
"Tomorrow, starting after school, our time."
"I'll make sure we get there."
"All right."
"See you then, we'll make sure we bring her something."
"Okay, see you then."
We both hung up. Now to "lunch."
If the first four took forever, the last two took even longer. I really wanted to go car shopping.
Finally! The last bell! Off to the cars…
Tuesday, September 12, 2006: 12:00 noon (Forks Time)
Rosalie's POV
"So, what do you think Bella would want?" Emmett asked me.
"I'm honestly not sure."
"She likes Linkin Park doesn't she?"
"Well, she played like twenty songs by them on the piano,"
"Maybe we could get her tickets to a concert of theirs,"
"That's a great idea!" It was really, it didn't take much thought.
Emmett got online and bought and printed off two Linkin Park tickets.
"You think she'll like them?" he asked.
"I'm sure she will."
I hoped she would. I really did.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006: 3:00 pm
Edward's POV
"What is going on?" Bella asked as we walked through the door. "First Alice dashes off at lunch, then she dashes off right after school to do something else. Is something the matter?"
"No."
She looked at me skeptically just as my cell phone rang. It was Alice. Her skeptical look increased.
"Hello?"
"Um, Edward, I have a slight problem…"
"What is it Alice, what's wrong?"
"Nothing really bad, just bad enough that you need to come down here."
"Can't you tell me?"
"Is Bella standing right there?"
"Yes."
"Then no, just come down here, it's not as bad as you think."
She hung up. Great.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, Alice just needs me for something. I'll be back in an hour, tops. Just stay here and do your homework or something, make yourself at home…" I was really distracted. What could be going on?
Bella's skeptical look increased once more then she walked into the house to do her homework.
I should have made sure she wouldn't stop by her house yet. Hopefully, Esme would take care of it.
I got to the car dealership to find Alice leaning against a yellow Porsche that was parked next to the silver Audi.
"What's wrong?" I repeated.
"Well, I was here for the Audi, obviously, and I bought it with your card," she held it out to me and I pocketed it. "Well, anyway, then I saw this car," she pointed to the Porsche behind her, "and well, I kind of bought it too and I can only drive one car home at a time and…"
I held up a hand to stop her. Tell Alice to shop, she will.
"Where are the keys?" she tossed me the keys to the Audi.
Before I had even made it to the driver's side, she was already in the Porsche starting it up.
"Must you be so ostentatious?"
She laughed and gunned the engine. "Race you!"
I started the Audi, "You're on!"
We raced, I won.
We pulled into the driveway silently thankful that no one saw us.
Bella was sitting at the piano playing Minuet Three when we walked in the back door.
"Are you going to tell me what's going on?"
"Nope!" Alice said as she skipped off to her room.
"And you?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
She sighed and continued playing.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006: 3:00 pm
Jasper's POV
I was done and just waiting for Alice to show up.
I figured I could even afford to be late, I was right. Where was she?
No one was in the house but me. I found one of Bella's books lying on her desk. Pride and Prejudice. Definitely Bella.
I browsed through it, debating on whether or not to call Alice.
It was 3:30 when she showed up.
"Sorry, we had car trouble."
"Car trouble?"
"Well, Edward was having me get the Audi for Bella and I saw this Porsche…"
"You bought the Porsche didn't you?"
"Mm-hmm. It's bright yellow and really fast! Edward and I raced home, he won but oh well. So, how'd setting up the sound system go?"
I led her up to Bella's room and showed her the tiny but powerful speakers in each corner of her room. The speakers were hooked to the brand-new computer that we got her. I had transferred all her other stuff onto the new one and installed some nice software. Then I uploaded several of her CDs onto it and even tested it out.
Alice booted up the computer and turned on some music. Debussy.
"Bella will love this!"
"I know won't she?"
She shut down the computer and we left for home.