Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight

AN: Honestly wasn't expecting to get two chapters out today. I guess I was inspired. This was fun to write. The chapter is dialogue heavy but I think it works ~Hannah

Chapter Thirty-Four – Challenging Emmett

There was a woollen hat over my head, my hands were bound and Emmett was singing 'It's A Small World' off-key at the top of his voice. I knew I wasn't going insane or having a vivid dream. Dad had all but pushed me out of the door and into Emmett's waiting arms. I'd heard the words 'kidnap' and 'sleepover' from Emmett and Bella so I knew I wasn't in any danger, but I was stuck in the car with Emmett's driving so it could well be the end of the world.

I would never willingly avoid spending time with any of the Cullen's anyway but I had been a bit nervous to have been bundled in the car in such a way. Since my nap last week and the weird behaviour from Rose and Emmett, I'd been reluctant to spend any time with them and had devoted more time to the summer camp I'd been attending. Clearly everyone had picked up on that, which I assumed was why I was currently blindfolded in Emmett's car. I obviously wasn't as good at hiding my feelings as I thought.

It was perhaps, foolish of me to avoid Emmett and Rose when I had been so happy that they had returned to Forks. Something had happened when I'd had my nap at their house last week but I couldn't put a finger on what it was. They wouldn't tell me at any rate and avoided the topic when I bought it up in conversation. It only made me more curious as to what had happened but even I knew it was pointless to bring it up.

"You know you could have just asked me if I wanted to come for a sleepover," I said sarcastically once the woollen hat had been removed from my head and I was sitting comfortably in the Cullen's house.

"Yeah but that isn't nearly as fun," replied Emmett.

I sighed and dramatically rolled my eyes.

"Life can't be all fun and games all the time."

"Say's who?"

"Me Emmett."

"Well perhaps little Miss serious would like to take on a real challenge."

"What did you have in mind Emmett?"

"How about a dare battle?"

I pretended to think about it, "alright, you're on."

"No, absolutely not!"

"Why not Rose?" pouted Emmett.

"I know you Emmett, if you engage in this battle the house won't be standing by the end of the weekend and then Esme will be livid."

"What about if we restrict the dares? You could be the umpire," I said.

"Please Rose!" cried Emmett.

"Fine but keep it clean. Ella, you go first."

"Hmm, Emmett I dare you to lick the wall."

"Pfft that's easy, at least give me a challenge," said Emmett as he crossed the room and licked the wall.

"You always start off easy with dares, that's how it works."

"Not with me. I dare you to eat some soap."

"You don't have any—"

"Yes we do," replied Emmett who had used his vampire speed to run and get some soap in the time it had taken me to speak.

"Gross."

"It's rose scented."

"Urgh," I muttered as I nibbled on a corner of the soap, "that's disgusting, I need water now."

Rose handed me a glass, apparently anticipating I'd need some.

"Emmett I dare you to wear high heels for the next two rounds."

"Awh but they hurt my feet and aren't meant for men."

"Wait, they hurt your feet? Does this mean you've worn them before?"

"N-No…"

I laughed at Emmett's 'caught in the headlights' expression. There was clearly a story behind that.

Speeding away, Emmett came back down the stairs at a slower pace, grumbling as he did with a lovely pair of red heels on. He did look a little sorry for himself which only made me laugh harder.

"I dare you to email a school teacher and tell them you love them."

"I don't have any of their email addresses," I complained.

"I do," grinned Emmett like a loon.

"Fine, I'll email Mr. Mason, he at least will get it's a joke."

It took me a while to send the email because Emmett kept butting in with his own opinion of what he wanted me to say.

"Emmett I dare you to sit in a trash can."

"I won't fit in the trash can!"

"You'll fit in that delivery box that arrived the other day," said Rose.

"But you put rubbish in it."

In a blink of the eye, Rose had bought the box into the living room. It was indeed filled with rubbish and smelt a little unpleasant.

"Get in or you forfeit," I said.

Emmett mumbled something under his breath that had Rose slapping him and warning him of his language. I laughed at their behaviour. Emmett diligently sat in the box for fifteen minutes as Rose took pictures of him and made sure to include the heels. She said it would be good blackmail material for later.

"Ella I dare you to lick someone's foot," said Emmett triumphantly.

"Well I'm not going to lick your foot since it's been jammed into that high heel," I said sarcastically, "sorry Rose but I'm going to have to lick your foot."

"A small sacrifice to pay," she replied.

Once that was over and I'd successfully gulped down enough water to rid me of the experience, both Emmett and I locked eyes and smirked at each other as we thought of our next dares.

"Emmett…I dare you to eat a raw egg."

"What? No! That's disgusting. You know food tastes revolting to us."

"If you don't do it, you forfeit and I win."

"Yeah, well, I dare you to take two shots of alcohol and do a cartwheel!"

"Emmett! You can't do that, Ella's underage."

"But Rose, she dared me to eat a raw egg, I had to fight back dirty."

"That's it, dare challenge is over. It's a draw, let's do something else."

"Awh," moaned Emmett.

"Go away Emmett. I want to talk to Ella."

"What about?"

"Girly things…"

"Right, I'm gone."

Both Rose and I laughed about Emmett's behaviour. He could be so childlike at times and then go all hulk and serious in the next moment.

"So did you really want to talk about girly things or was that just an excuse to get rid of Emmett?"

"I actually wanted to ask you about how your summer camps been going."

"I thought I already told you everything."

"Retell me then."

"Alright, well last week I did my own rendition of Rosemary Clooney's 'Sway' and my teacher really liked it and said I'd captured the spirit of the assignment she'd set. One of my art teachers seems to think I walk on water, seriously I can do nothing wrong in her class."

"What about your big project?"

"Well I get on really well with Sophie, she plays the drums and she's a really down to earth quiet girl. The other person in our group is Marco, he's well…Marco. He plays the bass."

"Marco? I haven't heard you mention him before."

"Marco…he's interesting, like a whisper on the wind, I never know what I'm going to get with him. Hmm Marco."

"Ella, are you alright?"

I blinked, "of course, why?"

"You just went a little weird talking about Marco there…"

"Urgh, Marco. I hate him. He's so arrogant and rude. I wish I didn't have to work with him but unfortunately I do. Sophie keeps us from bickering too much. Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Uh, sorry Ella. I must have zoned out for a moment there. So, you don't like Marco?"

"Gross, no. He's rude to me, my friends and you. He thinks I'm lying about Edward. Guy can't take no for an answer."

Rose gave me a look like she wanted to say more. It was like the look she'd shared with Emmett last week when I'd had that nap.

"What are you doing?" I asked as I saw her pull out her phone to text someone.

"Texting Adrian. I just remembered I wanted to ask him something."

"Oh…ok."

I looked away awkwardly, not knowing what to do by the sudden tension I could feel between the two of us.

"Hey Ella, I made you something," Emmett shouted from the kitchen.

With one glance to Rose, it was clear that she wasn't going to move any time soon, so I got up and walked towards the kitchen.

"What did you make Emmett?" I asked.

"Candy apples," he replied.

I turned towards the inviting caramel smell and sure enough six candy apples sat on the kitchen table top.

"You didn't have to make me anything Emmett."

"I wanted to, I got used to cooking for you. Besides it's not a sleepover if there isn't junk food. Go on, try one, tell me what you think."

Influenced by Emmett's infectious excitement, I reached for an apple and bought it close to my face. I inhaled the delicious caramel smell before biting into the sweet treat. My first two bites were delicious before the sweet caramel gave way to something altogether nasty. I swallowed.

"Emmett, what did you make these with?"

I looked up and noticed Emmett was in fits of laughter. I imagined that if he could cry with laughter then he would be doing so right now.

"What did you do?" I said as I took another bite and then remembered the revolting taste. I spat out what was in my mouth and glared at Emmett before I gazed down at the candy apple in my hand.

I stared empty headed at what was peeking out from the caramel coating a good few minutes before I felt my anger was under control.

"Emmett…"

"Yes Ella?"

"Did you swap out the apples for onions?"

"Maybe…"

"You're so dead!"

"You'll have to catch me first," he said as he sprinted away.

Growling under my breath and thanking God that I had gum in my pocket. I walked slowly back to the living room intent on telling Rose what Emmett had done.

I paused when I heard her talking to someone on the phone. Thinking that it was one of the Cullen's I hid behind the door to eavesdrop. I knew it was wrong but they weren't telling me anything about what was happening with the hunt and I wanted to know.

"Something is happening here and I don't know how to explain it," said Rose.

"No, I haven't contacted the others, do you think I should?"

It was hard to listen to a one-sided conversation.

"Adrian, something fishy is going on here. Something is messing with Ella. Do you have any idea what it could be?"

They were talking about me? Why?

"It's like a trance like state, if it happens let me know. In the meantime, I'll ask Alice if she knows anything."

The phone call ended and I took that as my queue to enter the room once again.

"Rose," I called.

She turned momentarily startled, probably thinking that I'd overheard the conversation…little did she know.

"Yes?"

"Emmett pranked me!"

"Oh?"

"He made me caramel apples made with onions instead of apples."

Rose raised her eyebrows and I could see she was trying not to laugh.

"It's not funny!"

"Urgh, you're no help."

I walked off.

"Where are you going?" asked Rose.

"To get revenge."

I walked into the garage and searched for what I wanted. My phone beeped, it was a message from Alice.

'It's in the cupboard, third shelf.'

She was right of course; the air horn I was looking for was in the cupboard on the third shelf. I took it and some heavy-duty tape as well. I took Emmett's phone that he'd carelessly left lying around, took it upstairs and placed it in the middle of the room he shared with Rose. I taped the air horn to the wall behind the door so that it lined up perfectly with the door handle. Then I closed the door, walked downstairs to the kitchen and used my phone to call Emmett's.

I knew it had worked when a loud horn reverberated around the house and Emmett cursed loudly. Ending the call, I chuckled to myself. I was feeling rather proud by my choice of prank. I knew I was getting myself into hot water for pranking Emmett was a dangerous game but I was having too much fun to care.

I walked back into the sitting room at the same time as Rose.

"Not even going to ask," she said.

"You don't want to know anyway," I replied.

We sat down on the same sofa, facing each other. It was a relaxed atmosphere.

"I never asked, how are you doing without Edward?"

"I miss him like crazy."

"Do you ever think about what he said? About not coming back?"

"All the time."

"How do you feel about it?"

"Honestly?"

She nodded.

"Terrible. I know people would argue that I'm too young to be in love but I know that Edward means everything to me. The thought of having to forget him and move on with my life fills me with such grief I sometimes think I cannot walk from emotion."

"Edward is melodramatic."

"Yes but he's also determined and driven by love. I might not like it or agree with what he's doing but if he doesn't come back and if I am to never see him again then I will move on with my life any way I can."

"Why?"

"Because that is what he would have wanted and I don't think I could deny him a thing even if it means I break my heart."

"Ella—"

"I think I need a human minute, please excuse me."

It was undignified to make a dramatic exit and run to the bathroom, so I settled for a hurried walk instead. I allowed myself a few moments to cry alone in the bathroom before I returned to the sitting room and Rose.

"I'm sorry if I made you think too much," said Rose.

"It's ok. I ask myself those questions every day and the answers never change."

I sat opposite Rose this time, in one of the armchairs instead of the sofa. I was only sat down for a couple of minutes before I was tumbling to the floor, clutching my chest in my hand and screaming at the top of my voice.

"What the hell!"

"Emmett! How long have you been hidden like that?" cried Rose.

I turned around to see Emmett camouflaged as the chair I'd been sitting on. Or rather I'd been sitting on Emmett who had been masquerading as a chair.

"What is wrong with you Emmett?"

"What? It was funny."

"That's it, get out," said Rose.

"But, but."

"No buts, you're banished. Go hunting or something," said Rose.

Emmett sulked out of the house. If he'd been an animal, then his tail would have been between his legs. Rose frowned at his retreating figure till he was out of sight.

"You want to help me prank him back?" I asked.

"Don't you think we should stop the pranks for now?"

"Please, just one more then we'll stop for good. Besides I think I'll win with this one."

"Fine, what is it."

I whispered my idea to her, smiling in delight as her face lit up. It wasn't necessary for me to whisper but I didn't want Emmett to overhear in case he hadn't gone as far as Rose had asked him to do.

We didn't know how long Emmett would be out hunting so it was a good thing that Rose had agreed to help me because her vampire speed came in handy. We even managed to spell out the words 'Ella's the best' as we committed the prank. We took pictures as well of the prank alone and then one of each of us standing next to the prank. Then we waited like predators for our prey to come back.

Emmett was gone for ages, in fact Rose was cooking me dinner when he returned but there was still enough light out for the prank to be seen.

"Hey Em, good hunt?" I asked.

"Fantastic."

"Emmett, I think I left my magazine in your car, can you get it for me?"

"Why can't you get it?"

"I'm cooking for Ella. She comes first you know."

More grumbling could be heard from Emmett though I couldn't make out what he was saying.

"What was that?" asked Rose.

"Nothing, I'll go get it now."

As Emmett walked out, Rose appeared and we both sneaked out behind him so we could catch his reaction and photograph it as well.

"Oh my god my baby. What did you do to her?"

His face was almost too good to be true. Rose and I were laughing hysterically as Rose snapped pictures of Emmett's wounded face.

"I think I win this prank war," I said.

"Yeah, I suppose you do," replied a sullen Emmett.

While Emmett had been out hunting, Rose and I had covered his car in neon pink, yellow and green post-it notes. We'd even stuck several layers to the car and Rose had gone as far as to use extra strength clear Sellotape in some areas so that it would make it harder for Emmett to remove it all without causing damage to his car.

"I have to say I never thought you'd be a worthy prankster," said Emmett.

"Never judge a book by its cover," I sang.

AN2: When I was at uni we pranked a housemate but covering her entire room and everything in it with post-it notes. It took 4 of us about 3 hours to do it all. The victim of the prank wasn't impressed and ignored us for three days. The silence was amazing! ~Hannah