Bella blinked as she felt Alice's hand wrap around her shoulder. She relaxed, snuggling into Alice's shoulder. For a woman who was hard as stone Alice's body was surprisingly comfortable. More comfortable than Edward's had ever been. That thought caused her to pause and stiffen slightly.
"Bella? Are you uncomfortable with this?" Alice's voice was soft.
Bella shook her head emphatically. "No Alice! Never! Just I was thinking about how when I try to get comfortable with Edward it is…. Well he is just hard and I never fit right y'know? Maybe that was the first sign."
"Oh. Well it just could be because he's just bulkier as a guy Bella." Alice was pensive. Bella saw her look to the clock. "Maybe you should go to sleep, it is getting kind of late. I'm surprised Charlie hasn't come in, asking me why I haven't left for home yet."
Bella nodded absently. "Yeah, could be. You know Alice ever since we returned from Phoenix, I wonder what I'd seen in him to begin with. He was so…."
"Controlling?" Alice's voice was hard. Bella blinked and looked over to her companion.
"Yeah. He thinks it's 1917 and he won't even kiss me properly. I mean I know my blood calls to him but you don't seem to have a problem being here all the time with me, cuddling and even when you were helping me with showers after coming back from Phoenix."
Alice shifted, looking at Bella. "Well I mean your blood calls me too, Bella. But I won't lie, it is easier for me because I can see if something bad will happen when I plan the day."
Bella shook her head. "Alice, that may be true but what about the times I've managed to surprise you? You said yourself you can't see snap decisions and-"
Alice laughed. "You do manage to surprise me often enough Bella. I thought I'd have to beg more for you to agree to shopping with me and you surprised me with that question earlier."
Bella blushed, and then was pleasantly surprised as Alice didn't even stiffen. It was a nice change from the times Edward was with her.
"Well you can't blame me for being curious."
"No Bella I certainly can't." Alice stood up, packing her own books up. She smiled as Bella frowned.
"C'mon Bella, Charlie is going to ask me to leave soon. You're still grounded. He was awfully nice letting me stay here past your curfew. And if I'm going to go shopping with you tomorrow, I need him to be happy with me."
Bella pouted herself. "Fine. Come back through the window though, I wanna keep talking to you till I fall asleep."
Alice grinned at her. "But of course Bella. Edward would be so mad if I left you unprotected. But mostly I wanna have a sleepover with you."
Bella smiled back uncertainly. "Yeah."
"You know I'd come back even if he hadn't asked me to watch over you. I trust you not to injure yourself Bella, and it gives me time to plan out our shopping trip tomorrow."
Alice smiled at Bella one more time before leaving. She heard murmuring from downstairs and Alice's light, tinkling laugh before the car started and left.
Bella frowned, thinking about Edward, and was surprised as she heard Charlie knocking on the open door.
"Yes, Ch- Dad?"
"I'm paroling you for tomorrow. Alice has convinced me that she needs your opinion on fashion. I don't know why, she seems like she can do just fine on her own."
Bella laughed, finding herself smiling at the pixie's actions. "She certainly is fashionable dad. But you know us girls we can't go without our best friends opinion."
Charlie looked at Bella. "You know Bella, she's good for you. It's a shame you aren't dating Alice instead of him."
Bella turned to look at her dad, the shock written on her face as she played absently with a pillow on her bed. "What! What do you mean dad?"
Charlie rubbed the back of his neck. "Dating Alice. She makes you smile more and she doesn't cause half the trouble he does. Plus I like her. Alice at least talks to me, unlike Edward."
"Right. Well thanks for letting me go shopping with Alice tomorrow."
"Sure Bells, just make sure you're back by 9. Still have a curfew." He shuffled out of the doorway, closing the door to her room and heading back down the stairs.
"Date Alice?" Bella laughed at her fathers comment, pulling pajamas out of her dresser and changing into them. The thought seemed less strange the more she thought about it.
Bella tried to imagine what it would be like to date Alice. Endless shopping trips would be in her future but she would probably give in. She always had for the pixie like vampire even though she hated to go shopping. Aside from shopping she could imagine that it would be nice to have Alice's arms wrapped around her. Yeah she was a girl, but honestly Bella had never really felt compelled to date guys. She'd always thought that was because they were just immature, and she couldn't imagine herself spending that much time with one person.
But she had with Edward. That part vexed her. He had been sneaking into her room, without her knowledge, which as she really thought on it was creepy. What if she had been changing? I mean he could have left before she truly saw him, but the principle was creepy. At least she knew Alice wouldn't do that. Right?
With that uncertain thought she looked to her window, realizing it had been a lot longer than normal for Alice to return. She stuck her head out of the window, hoping to see the vampire.
As she was about to give up on seeing Alice, she watched her car pull towards the driveway. What was she doing back with her car?
Bella sat in bed room, pondering for a moment until she heard the bell like voice and her fathers own lower voice laughing.
"Bella!" Alice's voice was excited as she opened the door.
"What are you doing here?" Bella grinned back at the vampire.
"Well… I asked Charlie if I could sleep over since we'll be leaving early in the morning for Seattle to go shopping. So, since he loves me," Alice grinned widely before continuing, "I persuaded him that I should sleep over. Aren't you excited Bella?"
Alice pulled an exaggerated sad face, before grabbing her own pajamas from a small suitcase and practically dancing to the bathroom.
Bella smiled in affection for her weird friend, moving to pull the covers back on her bed. She stopped and stared at the suitcase wondering what else Alice could have needed to bring for one night at her house.
"Bella, you really should be cleaning your bathroom more, it's filthy."
"What could you possibly need for one night that requires a suitcase Alice?"
Alice grinned, "Well Bella this is a sleepover. We have to paint each other's nails and have snacks and talk about the boys we like and-"
Bella laughed at her friend, "You've been watching too many 80s movies Alice. Most people don't do all of that at sleepovers unless it's a big party."
Alice's face fell. "Oh. Well I just wanted to have a sleepover and I thought-"
Bella hugged Alice. "Ali, Alice. I love it really. If you wanna stay up and paint my nails, and watch me eat, we can. At least for a bit. But I do have to sleep some because someone is gonna have to be up early."
Alice smiled, tightening her arms around Bella and inhaling. She mumbled from her spot against Bella's shoulder.
"I can't hear you Alice. Human ears."
Alice pulled away from her hug. "What did you want to do first?"
Bella pretend to think for a moment. "How about we get the nail painting done. If I'm hungry I'll have a snack and then we can see how awake I am."
Alice was in the suitcase and back to Bella faster than she could blink.
"Okay I've got black, red, purple, sparkling, and clear Bella."
Bella laughed. "Let me sit down first so I can get my socks off." She grinned at Alice's enthusiasm and sat down on her bed, removing her socks.
"So I'm thinking you could do a color coat and maybe sparkling or clear on top Bella."
Bella nodded. "Just do what you think would look best Alice. I know this is your first sleepover too so for once I'll let you choose and I won't complain too much."
Alice squealed, opening one of the bottles of nail polish.
"So what did Charlie tell you when he came into your room?"
Bella grinned, "I thought you got visions of the future Alice. Shouldn't you know?"
Alice shrugged. "You're a private person Bella, I didn't think it was my business."
Bella looked at Alice's face, watching the attention to detail that she put into painting her nails.
"He told me I should date you actually. Said that you make me happy and actually talk to me unlike Edward."
Alice actually looked surprised at this and stopped painting her toenails.
"And what did you think of that?" Alice's tone was controlled. Bella studied the way that Alice was unusually still before responding.
"Well at first I thought he was crazy. I'm not sure why he'd suggest that to me honestly. He said that I'm happier with you around and that you actually talk to him."
Alice mmm'd in response, cleaning an errant bit of nail polish off Bella's big toe. "It didn't freak you out?"
Bella made a face. "Why would I be freaked out by that? Shouldn't you be the one freaked out since you were born so long ago?"
Alice laughed. "Bella I'm a vampire who doesn't remember their human life. I've never understood the human prejudices about this. If it makes you feel good, why not?"
"You know, I can't answer that. I've never understood that prejudice that either." Bella looked back at her toes, realizing for the first time that Alice had drawn small flowers on each toe.
"Alice these are amazing! I mean I'm not one for this girly stuff but I actually like this."
Alice smiled at Bella, "I'm glad you like it. Now we just have to wait for it to dry." She frowned, clearly impatient.
"Alice there's no way to speed this up." She saw an adorable pout on the pixie like vampires face.
"Well since we'll have to wait, we can gossip about what's going on at school if you want. Since there's not much to say about boys."
Alice nodded. She started telling Bella about things that she'd overhead and Bella nodded and hmm'd not really paying attention. She realized that while she'd normally be chafing at Edward because of his resistance to kiss her properly or insisting that she needed sleep, spending the night with Alice was so far fun. While Bella did acknowledge that some of the reason was that her father knew Alice was here, she was just having fun being around Alice.
"And then Jessica rode into the Cafeteria on a unicorn, and said she loved you."
"What? Alice what the heck."
The musical giggle that followed made Bella smile. "You weren't listening Bella, I had been talking and you just stopped responding. It looked like you were miles away thinking there."
Bella blushed, she should have realized that Alice would notice the moment her attention was taken from her.
"I think I'm going to break up with Edward." The words came tumbling out of her mouth before she could even think.
"Wait, what was that Bella?" Alice looked genuinely confused.
"I'm going to break up with Edward." Bella's voice was more confident now.
She saw Alice close the nail polish bottles, and felt the bed sink down next to her.
"You always find ways to surprise me Bella. What made you come to this decision?" Alice was sitting next to Bella and tentatively put her arm around her shoulders. Bella sighed, putting her arm around Alice's waist and her head on Alice's shoulder.
"It's just not working. He's so old fashioned and his inability to stay close to me. Also it's really creepy to know that he was watching me sleep and sneaking in because my window was open when I didn't know."
Bella felt Alice tense. "He actually went through with that?"
"You saw that he'd planned to?"
Alice cringed and tensed. "Well I saw him decide he was going to. Then it changed. I'd thought like he thought better of it."
"So you didn't know? Because if you did and were just saying you didn't know, I'd be a little creeped out Alice. It's just wrong that he thinks that's okay. What if I'd woken up to see him by my bedside more than once?"
Alice growled low. "I saw him flip flopping between watching you sleep and not. I swear Bella, if I'd known I would have stopped him or tried to stop him." Alice was speaking rather fast now.
Bella squeezed the girl. "I believe you Alice, you wouldn't lie to me about this."
"I wouldn't. Wait you saw him?!" Her voice was raised now, loud enough that Charlie might hear her.
"Alice. Lower your voice first and I'll tell you about it."
She looked genuinely chagrined then nodded.
"Yeah, right after the car accident I started dreaming about him. There was one night where I woke up suddenly from a dream about him and I swore I saw him at the foot of my bed then I went to turn on my lamp and he was gone but the curtains were flapping."
Alice gripped my shoulder tighter, almost squeezing it too tight before relaxing slightly.
"You know those dreams, you probably slightly woke up and saw him from the first night. That's just wrong. What if you'd chosen to sleep with no clothes on, or, or had hurt yourself and were bleeding?"
Bella nodded against Alice's shoulder. "Yeah I was thinking about that after you left tonight. If I'd asked you not to come in through the window or watch me sleep, you'd respect that right Alice?"
"Bella! Of course I would. Just because your window is open doesn't mean I can come in through it. It would be an invasion of your privacy and- does it bother you, me watching you sleep?"
Bella shook her head. "Really it doesn't. I know you're there when you do watch me sleep. Plus, now that I know you don't remember being human at all, it makes more sense why you want to watch me sleep."
Alice nodded. "You are fascinating to watch sleep. Of course I've never really seen any other humans sleep so I don't have any points of comparison."
Bella laughed at Alice's words. "And why am I fascinating to watch sleep?"
"I'll answer that if you tell me more about your decision to break up with Edward."
Bella nodded, yawning. "Only if you'll finish painting my nails so I don't fall asleep before you have time to."
"Silly Bella if you were going to fall asleep, I'd have made you lay down. You can if you want. I'll just watch you sleep in the chair."
"No. That's where your brother watches me from all night. If I fall asleep, I want you to lay down with me."
Alice nodded and danced to the nail polish bottles. "Of course Bella. Now you owe me the rest of that explanation."
"Okay, see like that. I asked you to lay down with me. Your brother will insist he has to stay in the chair or I'll fall asleep with him on the bed and wake up and he's across the room. He says that he's afraid of me being cold. If I ask you to respect a decision of mine you do. It's like Edward thinks I should listen to him because he's the one who's 100 something years old and I'm just 17 year old Bella. Just because I'm only 17 doesn't mean that I don't know what I want. It was the same thing when I asked him to be turned into a vampire. He acted like I didn't understand how permanent the decision was."
Alice had nodded and mmhmmed at every statement until being turned into a vampire. Her voice was light, tentative.
"I do agree Bella with everything except being turned. It is not a decision to be taken lightly. If I'd known you had talked to him about being a vampire, I might have insisted that he let James' venom change you. I can somewhat understand where he was coming from because you don't know what it's like to be a newborn. The thirst, the burning, most newborns can't resist the call of blood when they're first turned and will attack any human until they learn control. But if you truly wanted to be one of us, then I'd respect your decision and help you get used to it."
Bella looked down at Alice. "Thank you Alice. Did I tell you how your brother told me about being a vampire?"
She shook her head. "Well first I guessed after talking to Jacob at the reservation."
"Jacob who?" She asked, suddenly more still.
"Jacob Black. He repeated the legends of the tribe to me. That they were descended from wolves and that there were Pale Ones the tribe had met 100 years ago."
Alice laughed. "They really are descended from wolves. In fact if the smell coming from La Push is correct there's more of those shapeshifters there now."
"Wait, that was legit? There are actual werewolves there?"
"Bella, you really must not have paid attention to the people's reactions then. If we can't go to La Push because of the treaty so why would the wolf legends be false?" Alice was laughing as she spoke.
Bella blushed, "I was more interested in the whole why the Cullens won't visit part. But anyways after I'd guessed and we were ok the way home from Port Angeles, he took me hiking. Said he wanted to show me why you all won't come out when it's sunny. He showed me and when I wasn't afraid he ran around to show your speed and strength."
Alice's jaw twitched. "That boy was far too reckless. What if he'd lost control there?"
"Well then I wouldn't be here. But my point Alice is that there is a lot of reasons to end this with Edward more than just Phoenix."
Alice nodded. "I understand Bella. I'm proud of you for making this decision if you feel like it's the right one." She squeezed Bella's hand before declaring her nails done and dry.
"Have you seen how Edward will react to this?"
Alice shook her head. "I can see possibilities. Since we're sharing now, did I ever tell you about the first vision I saw of you?"
Bella shook her head, yawning. She could feel how tired she was. Alice giggled at her. She watched as the other girl stood, turning off the light in her room before returning to the bed, lifting Bella into her arms and tucking the both of them into bed.
"Right. Well Edward was arguing with the family over what to do about your blood calling to him, I saw that in every future you had you were a vampire. Not only that but I saw us sitting on the porch of the house here in Forks, arms wrapped around each other."
"Huh." Bella smiled at that image, surprised at how right it would feel to have Alice with her for all eternity, feeling herself fall asleep. "Stay under the covers unless the penguins attack."
Alice giggled, before kissing Bella on the top of the head. Bella felt her own heart rate increase as Alice's lips touched the top of her head, and the pixie vampire's laughter was the last thing she heard before succumbing to sleep.
