*Hello everyone! I want to say thank you to all of you who decided to read, follow, and comment on this story. I cannot believe that with this chapter I reached a personal milestone of over 60k words. When I filter for new stories to read, I almost always filter it to 60k words or more. I wasn't sure if I would even reach this point, but I am thrilled to have accomplished it. Again, thank you so much for reading this story. I hope you are enjoying it! *
The alliance between the two blondes seemed like an excellent idea. Lily was thrilled to have someone who she could count in. She texted Leah apologizing for being such a drama queen and being forced to bail on their weekend. Leah messaged back not to long after stated that it was fine. She told her Sam was equally thrilled to have a piece of information to help his tribe and pack as well as pissed that it took being messaged by an unknown person to get him that information. Leah also joked by ordering Lily not to get eaten while playing with the vampires.
Lily snorted at the thought. She was much more likely to be killed by Bella accidently dropping a butter knife into her eye than being attacked by Alice, Esme, or Rose.
That was anther interesting development. Rosalie had instructed her to call her Rose throughout the night. She was an excellent at strategizing. She had a whole game plan set for surviving this evening that she thoroughly explained to Lily. She was flattered and also slightly curious to see if Rosalie thought she was slow.
The rules were simple.
She was to call Rosalie "Rose" as her family did. She would not allow Bella of all people to use her nickname, so she believed it would get her point across to Bella that she was not wanted or desired at her home. It was, after all, the one place Rose and her family could be themselves. Bella had invaded both her family and safe haven, and Rose was pissed.
Rose and Lily would not be leaving the other alone with Bella. She did warn Lily that being alone with Alice was also dangerous, but for a different reason. Alice was a force of nature when it came to girly human nights. If Lily was left alone with her for too long, she would become Alice's newest dress up doll. She appreciated the heads up.
If she was going to punch Bella again or get into a fight of any sort, she was a.) not allowed to draw blood because apparently her blood triggered the vampires and b.) not start a fight without Rose there because she liked to watch the drama.
Rose absolutely refused to pretend to sleep to play into the whole sleepover thing. Lily didn't blame her. She liked relaxing with her eyes closed, but laying still for an unknown number of hours while two humans slept sounded boring for anyone.
Finally, if Lily wanted to eat pizza of any sort, she was not to order anything with anchovies or garlic.
They weren't too many rules in retrospect. Lily decided that instead of ordering pizza they could stop by the store to pick up the ingredients. Besides, she doubted any pizza place delivered to the Cullen residence. It was far from town and secluded in the woods. Great for keeping their privacy but not so great when ordering out delivery. But then again, she supposed, vampires don't exactly eat human food so she doubted it bothered them normally.
Rose looked at her after she suggested running to the grocery store together. Lily couldn't figure out if Rose thought she was crazy or if it was a good suggestion. Eventually, she shrugged her shoulders and agreed. However, she would be the one to drive and Lily better not get sick in her car.
After she showed Lily where the garage was located, her jaw dropped.
It was full of beautiful look cars and motorcycles. Rose looked amused at Lily's jaw dropping to the floor.
"So, can you guess what I drive?" she asked, smirking.
"Oh Rose, that's easy. You obviously drive the mom van in the corner" Lily teased.
Rose did not find it amusing in the least.
"No, be serious! What do you think I drive?"
"Seriously? Come on! You obviously drive the beautiful ostentatious red car that looks extremely loved."
It was, in fact a Mercedes CLK350 Convertible according to Rose. It was her pride and joy, but she was rarely allowed to drive it anywhere. Apparently, it attracted too much attention according to Edward. Lily sensed some tension there, but decided it was too early into their friendship to ask for more details.
Something caught her eye while they were getting into the car. It was a separate wall in the back that was covered in bike jackets, helmets, and license plates. In frount of the wall were several different motorcycles parked, all in a row. They looked like they were as loved as Rosalie's car.
"Rose, who belongs to those?" she asked, pointing towards the motorcycles with her chin.
"Oh, that's my twin, Jasper. We aren't actually twinning, but it's the cover story we go with. He's my favorite sibling out of everyone. And before you ask, no I do not count Em as a sibling. He is my husband. Nothing incestual there, no matter what the stupid human students think."
"Who is the mechanic in the family? Please tell me its you!"
Rose laughed a genuine laugh at that. "What makes you think its me of all people?"
"Come on! You're gorgeous and that's all well and good. But everyone needs a hobby. You working on cars just seems to fit. Plus, you were reading a car magazine at my sickbed. "
"That could just as easily been Emmett's" she reminded.
"Nah, he seems like someone who would rather play videogames like a big kid than work in a garage. Plus, you had some oil on your hands when we met. It has to be you."
"Good deduction Sherlock. Yes, Its me. I love working on cars. Its something that can easily occupy my hands while I can zone out. I get stressed out just as much as anyone. It helps, doing something unexpected." She paused at that, thinking.
"Emmett is a big kid. He breaks game stations and televisions often enough. He gets pissed whenever he loses. That usually results in the controller being thrown at the tv. You know we have super strength, so it doesn't just bounce off like normal. It goes through, sometimes even landing in the wall behind it. Esme has grounded him so many times because of it."
"How on Earth can you ground a vampire?"
"Easily actually. For Emmett, she takes away all his games and gaming stations. Hides them somewhere, but that also hurts Jasper. That's the real punishment. Him and Jaz are really close. They usually play video games together while Edward mopes at his piano or hangs out with Bella."
"I'm sensing a codependent trend there."
"Oh, you have no idea the fucking bull shit they have put my family through."
"Well, it's a very long night approaching us. I would love to hear it." She just couldn't wait. She knew it was a risk, getting nosey too soon, but it just sounded like too good of a story.
"You're right. Let's see how tonight goes. If I'm not too pissed, I'll tell you."
They finally arrived at the grocery store. Lily's stomach was a bit uneasy at having been thrown about sharp winding turns at over 90mph. But she kept her promise and hadn't puked in Rose's car.
The girls grabbed a cart and set out to get all the ingredients. They were trying to figure out if they should make the dough from scratch or use premade dough when Rose's phone went off. She checked it, rolled her eyes, and sighed.
"Alice says to get the ingredients and to stop being lazy."
"Alice is too nosey for her own good."
"try living with her and a mind reader."
The picked up everything, as well as soda and chips. They had some disagreements on pizza toppings. Lily wanted to make a Bianca pizza, resulting in her trying to explain to Rose what exactly that was. Rose argued that pizza without sauce was just a toasted cracker and cheese, but Lily disagreed.
The different cheeses melted together to create a delicious concoction of cheese and flavor.
Unfortunately, it did require some garlic. Rose consented to breaking that rule, if Lily promised not to paint her nails any shade of pink. It was an easy trade off.
They also picked up some pepperoni, bacon, and pineapple for other toppings just in case Bella wanted something else for her pizza.
The girls checked out, with Rose paying for everything despite Lily' saying she should pay as she would be the one eating everything. Rose just glared at her and disregarded lily's protests.
They also stopped by a local coffee shop to pick up another frozen coffee for Lily. Rose absolutely did not want to risk her falling asleep before Bella did.
The drive back was just as tumultuous as the ride to the store. Thankfully, they made it back to the house before it started to rain again. The soft pitter patter of raindrops fell just as they opened the garage.
"Well, that was excellent timing!" Lily happily announced. Rose agreed, before they both started carrying everything into the kitchen.
Alice and Bella still hadn't arrived yet, so they decided to get to work on making the pizza dough. The recipe they had found online turned out to be ready within an hour of cooking after resting. Rose ended up tossing a piece of flour at Lily's face, hitting her perfectly on her cheek with a puff of white. Lily just looked back at her before giving a war cry.
The girls ended up making a huge mess, but thankfully they still managed to get the dough into a bowl to rise.
"Great, I have dough in my hair. Thanks a lot Lily." Rose grumbled.
"And yet you still look beautiful. Like a messy baker in Italy."
"Italians don't get messy, they're too particular."
"well, imagine how jealous they would be if they saw you and your gorgeously floured hair."
"Lily, darling, please shut up. Let's go take showers before they get here. I do not want to look like this to Bella. Here, you can shower in this room. I'll shower in mine. Try not to drown."
"Would you save me if you heard the gurgles?"
"Nope, I gave you warning enough."
"Rose, I feel the love."
"Bye maniac." Rose said before shutting her bedroom door. Lily entered the room she had been instructed to shower in, but it surprised her.
It was full of older history books. There was no bed, but a rather comfy looking chair. Other than that, it seemed awfully spartan. Maybe it was Edwards room? He seemed like a guy who didn't enjoy clutter.
Grabbing a change of clothes that were comfy she stepped into the shower. The amount of shower heads within it boarded on ridiculous, but they felt wonderful.
She quickly washed and conditioned her hair before soaping up. She made sure to scrub under ner nails to remove any dirt from her earlier misadventures with plants.
Afterwards, she stepped out and toweled off. She put her hair up inside the towel in an attempt to keep it contained. She put on her yoga pants, soft booties, and tank top before exiting out.
She had not expected someone to be in the room when she left the bathroom.
Lily screamed in surprise, causing the poor blonde vampire to drop his book in surprise.
"I am so sorry! Rose said I could use the shower in here! I didn't mean to invade your space!" She quickly stated after catching her breath.
"Darlin' you can use anything in this room without worrying. What's mine is yours. By the way, my name is Jasper in case you forgot."
His accent was cute Lily decided. She hadn't spent much time with Jasper or any of the males in the family. His hair was curly blonde as well with topaz-colored eyes. She could almost bet his eyes were blue before he turned. He was tall, she could tell by him just sitting in the chair, and very muscular. He wasn't a goliath like Emmett was, but fit in his own way.
All and all, Lily almost wished he had been the one leaving the bathroom instead of her. She quickly decided that sounded perverted and shook the thoughts from her mind.
"Thanks, I appreciate it. I really am sorry to have startled you. What are you reading?"
Jasper reached down to pick up his forgotten book off the floor. "Its an autobiography from an unknown civil war soldier. I got an advanced copy. Its really very good. It is made up of his journals from that time period. He was a confederate soldier, but ended up spying for the north later on."
Lily smiled, listening to his voice. She had never heard him speak so much in her presence before.
"It sounds like you already know how it ends" she teased.
Jasper just smiled crookedly before shrugging. "I enjoy history. That time period is a particular favorite of mine" he said in his southern drawl. "I think I hear Alice coming up the driveway. You mos' likely only have a few minutes before you're held hostage."
"Shit! I thought we had more time! It was nice talking to you! If you hear Rose and I shouting for help come save us please!
"Darlin' I'll be there before you could begin worryin' I promise" He seemed sincere, but she wasn't sure. He could have just as easily been teasing her.
"Lily, hurry up! Alice is here!" Rose shouted from the hallway. Lily quickly said her goodbyes before scrambling out of the room.
Rose was dressed in cute mini shorts, a blue tank top, and had her hair up in a messy bun. Lily quickly realized that she still had a towel on her head before shyly returning to Jasper's room, causing him to smirk up at her again.
"I… forgot I still had this. I'll just put it in your dirty laundry basket. Sorry again for the interruption!" God, she felt so awkward. He probably thought she was a crazy woman. She quickly tried to put her curls up in a messy bun, but it looked nowhere near as artfully designed as Rose's hair did.
Rose was laughing silently at her when she entered the hallway.
"Just shut up" Lily snapped, face still blushing from her awkward interaction.
"Sure thing Darlin'" she said in an attempt at sounding like Jasper. She continued to snicker before heading down the stairs. Alice had already started setting up the living room with sleeping bags, pillows, blankets, and various other girl's night items.
Bella looked around like she was shocked to have been brought in on a girls night, but also slightly amused. That was, until she saw Rose and Lily. She lost all traces of amusment at seeing the girls.
"Hello Bella, you ready for pizza?"
"I'm good, I ate at my house."
"Well… suit yourself. Rose, wanna help me get mine ready?" Lily asked, remembering not to leave Rose alone.
"Absolutely. Bianca pizza's your favorite right?"
"Heck yeah!" Lily said excitedly as they left the room. Rose easily lost her tense shoulder's at having left Bella to her own devices.
"Who eats before coming to a girl's night?" Rose ranted.
"Maybe she was just being polite? I mean, she probably didn't want to make you guys uncomfortable with cooking. The scents are really strong to you right?"
"I see you have no such problems using our kitchen."
Lily shrugged. "A girls gotta eat. Besides, we can always dab some of Emmett's cologne under your nose to help block out the smell of my delicious goodness cooking."
They quickly set to preheating the oven and rolling out the dough while Rose shredded the different types of cheese. Lily had decided on ricotta cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, garlic, salt, pepper, garlic, and the tiniest sprinkle of Romano cheese for an extra bit of bite in the pizza. Some people tolerated cheese, while others loved the stuff. Lily easily was in the second category of cheese appreciators. It probably bordered on addiction level, right along with her sweet tooth.
Pizza in the oven sizzling away, Lily decided to get some soda from the fridge. She had decided on cream soda. Another thing people either loved or hated. She didn't try to tailor her likes and desires based on other people's opinions. She liked what she liked and that was that.
Shouting at Bella to see what type of soda she wanted, Bella meekly said she didn't want any.
Oh joy, this night was just going to be a blast. Lily could feel it in her bones.
Rose and Lily talked about various car topics and gardening methods. While Rose wasn't a big fan of gardening, she did enjoy joining Esme when she gardened. She also just couldn't believe Lily was so uneducated in cars. She vowed to rectify that.
The cooking timer dinged, letting them know the pizza had finished cooking. Rose beat Lily to opening the oven resulting in her grabbing the pizza.
It. Looked. Amazing! Rose artfully sliced it for Lily before putting the entire thing on a serving plate.
"This looks disgusting Lily. How on Earth can you eat something like this?"
"Rose, do not get me started on the differences in our diets. Because honestly the thought of hunting a kitty cat doesn't strike me as delicious or fun."
Rose, in mock outrage quickly let Lily know she had never eaten cat or dog in any shape or form in either of her lives. How dare she disparage her character?
Lily just laughed as they entered the living room. Bella had changed as had Alice into something more pajama comfy.
"Lily, that looks amazing! It smells awful but look at all the cheese!" Alice happily exclaimed. At least someone had good taste in pizza.
"It is called a Bianca pizza, or a white pizza. It's a sauceless pizza made of different cheeses. Sometimes people use alfredo sauce, but that's just gross. Just my opinion though."
Bella looked at the food with a sneer of disgust. Well, fuck you too Bella. If ou wanted pizza you should have joined us in making some Lily thought to herself.
Rose quickly picked up on everything.
"Bella, we have leftover dough in case you want a different type of pizza. You just have to get up and make it." Rose said coldly.
Bella just covered her previous facial expression with another that seemed meeker and more fragile. "No, its ok. I'm really not hungry" but then her stomach growled. Yeah, ok Bella.
"Is Edward going to join us?" she asked, hopeful.
"No, Bella it's a girl's night! Are you crazy? Tonight, is just us girls, face masks, mani-pedis, and romcoms!" Alice said, outraged at the thought of her nighttime shenanigans getting gate crashed by her brothers.
Lily tucked into her pizza happily, while Rose started on her toes. She had gone for a pretty shade of baby blue. She had also drawn beautiful flowers on each of her toes. She hadn't realized Rose knew how to do nails so well. She chose something similar for her finger nails, Lily using one hand at a time to continue eating pizza.
Afterwards, she swapped out to help do Rose's nails. She didn't want anything pink related, so she decided to go with a sparking deep shade of violet. She had also attempted to to do designs on Rose's nails but decided that she wasn't as artfully blessed as Rose was with nail art. She chose to do polka dots instead with silver glitter polish. Rose seemed content with it, so she figured she did a good job. Bella ended up getting pink nails while Alice got yellow nails from Bella.
They did facemasks next. Alice decided to put on "The Other Woman" before paying 27 dresses and finishing the evening with some old timey movie that Lily didn't pay attention to. At that point in the night, she was starting to nod off. Bella had seemed invested in the older movie, but then again she did seem like the type to enjoy them.
Lily wasn't sure when she had passed out, but she remembered someone picking her up and wrapping her in a blanket. She couldn't place who it was, but nodded off after becoming cozy.