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I do not own Twilight.
In all my long years, I've failed to meet Alice Cullen's equal in exuberance.
From the moment our car pulled out of the drive she's been a ball of rare energy. While Rose sits still as stone in the back seat, never looking my way nor acknowledging my presence beyond a poorly hidden sneer.
Still, nothing will rain on Alice's parade.
She chatters on easily about all mundane things, pretending to be the adopted children of the well to do Cullens, posing as high school or college students over and over when they relocate, getting married every few decades.
Tying the knot to the Major is on her to-do list. Again.
In the time it takes to make it to Seattle, considerably less time than it would take a human, I know more about her and the 'family' in general than I have ever come to know about anyone.
I could write a book, or several.
Thankfully however, all her conversing leads to revealing very little of myself. For now I'm convincing myself that this will not affect my plans here, it's a poor lie, and not a very good one but I find myself gladly accepting it if it means I can stay with Edward just a little longer.
She whips us into a parking space in a garage and happily shuts the car off before ushering us towards the elevator.
The mall is around the block. We though, are here for the line of shops along the street below, which according to the little sprite, are marvelous.
Fashion in my time was a far cry from today, and I am not any more interested now than I was then. It would seem however, that even young girls today are slave to looking pretty, and spending obscene amounts of money and time on all manner of things in order to do it.
Alice is ahead of us, buzzing from window to window in pure awe.
Apparently for Miss Rosalie this is the moment to strike.
She whips in front of me, effectively stopping our progression with Alice.
"Let's get something straight right now, before anything you think could be bonding happens. I don't like you. I don't trust you, and anything you think about my family better be nothing more than short term."
She's the picture of priss. Sneer, near growl in her words, perfectly done make up, hair and clothes, all with a holier than thou attitude.
The problem is, her words touch a nerve.
Her family.
Meaning Edward.
Perhaps it's as Jasper said, we're mates. Maybe it is because I've never done well with being told what to do. Likely it has a bit to do with her natural ability to piss me off.
I am effectively, provoked.
My hand closes around her arm and I feel her freeze beneath it, whether in disbelief or rage I don't know, and within seconds, I no longer care.
The fluid, calming cover of my shield expands, encasing the both of us, lifting a veil of perceived innocence and weakness that puts most at ease around me. Part of my mind is delighted when her eyes rake me over and widen, there's a pause of fear on her face when she meets my gaze again.
Perhaps the part of me that settles so comfortably into being vampire. I like being strong.
"As long as we are straightening things out Rosalie, know this. I do not expect you to trust me, I do not care if you do not like me and when I make my plans regarding your family be assured that your opinions are the furthest thing from my mind. As for who is yours, that list begins and ends with Emmett. I do not like being threatened. You would take care to remember that, because where you throw insults and growl, I prefer to dismember, and bite."
My words are harsh, and I snap my teeth shut on my last word, but it has the effect I'm looking for.
I pull my hand away and watch her blink at me. Good. Being confused and scared will keep her out of my way.
Without another glance at the amazon in front of me, I tuck my hands into my pockets and continue a leisurely pace towards Alice, who is looking worriedly at us both. She doesn't wait for Rose to catch up, she pulls me to her side and loops our arms together as we step into our first shop.
"I hope she wasn't too mean Bella. Rose really isn't all bad, she's just, well, Rose."
I've known Alice only two days, but I hate her frown. She's such a cheery little thing, I prefer her smile.
"Its fine Alice, I know well enough how to handle mean girls, how different can mean vampires really be?"
It works, she laughs.
Without further prodding, she launches us both into racks and racks of clothing. It makes me dizzy how quickly she finds armfuls of clothing for the both of us.
How she manages not only to get me into a fitting room but actually try on said clothes is a mystery. I was doing well fending off her first picks, and then suddenly, I'm in here, trying on everything she's found without doing anything more than grumble about it.
Adding insult to injury, I actually love some of the pieces she's picked out. Some. The silk floor length evening wear gets tossed right back out at her.
I'm a vampire, not a socialite.
Once she starts pushing boxes of shoes at me while we sit on the plush benches that rest along the wall of the dressing area I really try once more to fend her off.
But black leather riding boots bring back such memories.
Alice smirks while I purse my lips at them.
Supernatural or not, a girl has to enjoy a good pair of boots.
I pretend not to notice when she adds them to my pile.
"So Bella, tell me about yourself." She waves her blackberry at me. "Don't worry, Rose has gone to one of her favorite stores so it's just us."
I was hoping to avoid this topic.
When I don't answer right away, a strange look crosses Alice's face. Her whole demeanor changes as she sighs and stops with all things related to shopping.
"It's ok if you would rather not share. To be honest, I like hearing where people are from and all that because, I don't know much about myself, or my life before."
I watch her hunched shoulders still as she stares off, looking beyond the walls that surround us.
"I just woke up like this. I don't remember growing up, I don't know if I had a family, or a husband. All I can ever recall is the dark. I know it was dark, wherever I was. When I woke up, it wasn't like that anymore, I could see so clearly, but I was still alone."
The idea that Alice, cheery little Alice, woke alone with nothing or no one to guide her strikes a chord in me. I close my hand around hers.
"I'm sorry Alice."
She shrugs her shoulders at me, but a tiny smile returns with it. Hope.
"It's ok, I had a vision of my family here, and Jasper. I knew I wouldn't have to be alone anymore, so I'm kind of happy that I don't remember everyone I might have left behind. It would make loving my family now so much harder."
I know all too well the guilt of living long past those you love.
I carry it around with me, quietly tucked away.
"Your sire was not there with you?"
She shakes her head and looks through more shoes while she speaks.
"No, I don't know what happened. They could have been killed, or just left me for dead thinking they'd taken too much blood for me to survive. You'd be surprised how many of us don't really know the finer points of turning someone. I think that was for the best though, because in my vision, I never saw the person who made me, so I know they wouldn't have been here either way."
She holds up a pair of velvet pumps, wiggling them with a devious smirk.
"I bet they have these in your size."
Ah yes, shopping.
0o0o0o
I didn't know it was possible to shop this much.
I don't sleep, I don't need to eat, well food that is, I do not physically tire, but when we reach the end of Alice's idea of a short trip, I am exhausted.
Rose has been silently glaring and huffing for the short periods of time that she met up with us, before storming off to another store.
Like right now.
She turns on her five inch heels and is across the street before Alice can say a word.
I however, have finally found a store I would like to venture into.
A small bookshop.
Alice wanders towards the magazines they have while I find myself weaving through fiction until I reach my favorites, the classics.
When I was a girl I treasured our books. I could spend countless hours lost in story, and when I emerged from my fantasy adventure I always found my home to seem more homely. It was a beloved hobby, one my mother wasn't always thrilled with but my father encouraged it over the idea of chasing boys like so many girls my age.
He would bring me a new book whenever he traveled, it was always wrapped in cloth, and he always waited until the end of the evening, when the fire was going and house was quiet. Then he would present it to me with a small smile. It was a special smile, all my own.
No matter the title, I was excited. New fabrics, dresses, all manner of things could keep my mother and sister happy, but the way to my heart was always a leather bound story.
I run my finger along the spine of a special edition Pride and Prejudice in memory of my first copy.
That's how Alice finds me.
"Do you like that story?"
I nod.
But part of me is still lost.
I never bothered to look around in the dirt and weeds for it when I awoke.
"Bella?" Her hand softly touches my shoulder.
"I was carrying it the night I died. No matter how many times I read it, I never grew tired of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy."
Strange how such a small piece of my life could still affect me so.
Alice stands quietly with me for a moment more before I finally pull myself away, and when I do, she doesn't do anything but smile kindly at me.
"I've always liked that story too."
Funny. I think Alice and I are friends.
As we walk out together it dawns on me that while I have made friends through my travels, none of them know much about me, and not one knows about such a small detail of that night.
It shocks me more that I feel, lighter after telling her. Not even Rose and her cold stare break the happiness seeping through me.
Stopping at Port Angeles to check the P.O. box I have set up under a false name however, freezes me.
There's a single letter.
While I only know of two people who have this address, neither of them have sent this.
If they could, my hands would be shaking as I open the sealed parchment, breaking the wax seal with a single letter M stamped on it.
Tread carefully Isabella.
It would seem that I am not nearly as clever as I thought.
Another letter. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, from here on out things start to get messy (of course). I love hearing your thoughts, until next time.