Chapter 10 - Shaking Things Up

BELLA

Armed with a plan to earn money to buy myself a dress, I was ready to face the crowd at school again. I was sure I could find something nice once I was paid. It just so happened that I would be paid eighty-five dollars a weekend for working ten hours. Just five hours on Saturday and Sunday, and they were going to pay me in cash. I would be able to go shopping on Monday.

I, however, was not prepared for being attacked by Alice Cullen. I was walking out of the parking lot, when Edward pulled up next to me. Alice jumped out of the car and started pulling me into the backseat.

EDWARD

"I called your dad, he knows we have you," Alice said, and the look on Bella's face was priceless. It was like we were kidnapping her or something. I had to admit, the way Alice worded it, it did kind of sound like we were kidnapping her for ransom. It just so happened that this ransom was her acceptance of eyewear.

I pulled up to a Port Angeles optical clinic and held the door open for the girls. Bella actually glared at me. Alice was obsessively patting Bella's frizzy hair to no avail, grumbling about her lack of using proper hair products. Bella kept swatting at Alice's hands, trying to get her to leave her alone.

"We're here for Bella Swan's contact lens appointment," Alice announced. It was easy for her to find where Bella had her records, because there was only one eye place between Forks and Port Angeles. Alice took it upon herself to call in and make an appointment in Bella's name, pretending to be her.

"Alice," Bella hissed, but Alice ignored her objection like she did when anyone disagreed with her.

"They're already paid for," Alice said. "Don't waste my money now by refusing them."

At that, Bella pouted and glared at Alice when the lady called her back.

Alice found the display of contact lenses cases and solution and bought a pink sparkly case and eight bottles of solution. I looked at her confused. "She has no reason to not wear them now."

"Alice, I don't want you overstepping your bounds and making her feel uncomfortable."

She rolled her eyes at me. "I didn't. I just bought her contacts and some solution and replacement contacts if she loses one or whatever. Oh, don't give me that look, you know you like the idea of her losing those awful glasses."

I didn't say anything, because she was right. Did that make me a shallow jerk, because I liked the way she looked without those horrible glasses? I didn't get a chance to answer, because she stepped out of the "fitting" room and completely distracted me with her gorgeous eyes. The contacts made them look even bigger, and the deep chocolate color of her eyes was even richer.

She bit her lip, nervously looking down at the ground and Alice bumped me. "Told you so," she sang.

"Ready to go?" I asked, and she nodded yes. It didn't escape my notice that Bella had her old glasses hanging from that button on her shirt. You know the one. Her breasts were on display, and between her eyes and her chest, I was finding myself very distracted. Alice knocked me again and told me to look at her face, which was now blushing a deep red. Her pink cheeks were cute.

"Come on, Charlie wanted us to feed her and bring her down to the hospital," Alice said leading the way. That girl was going to be the death of me.

BELLA

I had to admit; once I got used to wearing contacts, I really liked them. I figured if I saved some of my money from my weekend job, I would be able to afford to maintain them. Of course, I wouldn't have to buy anything for a while, since Alice had gone nuts and bought eight bottles of solution, and what the heck did she think I was going to do with a pink sparkly contact case? Didn't she know they came with a plan white one?

Of course, no one noticed the change. Not even Dr. Banner, who I thought if anyone would have noticed, it would have been him. But I would suppose if he did notice me that closely, it would have been creepy. My mom said I looked beautiful, but that was her job. My job, on the other hand, was to dress up like a giant shake and hand out one dollar off coupons for them, coaxing people into the dinner.

I thought I would be more embarrassed, but my costume had thin pink tights over which I wore black fish net stockings, with heeled buckled black shoes from the fifties. I had pink gloves that went up to my elbows. The pink all matched the top of the strawberry flavored shake I was wearing.

This job was harder than I thought it would be, as the first time I stepped outside, a little kid started screaming and crying, and his mother hit me with her purse. I moved away from the entrance of the diner in hopes that I didn't frighten any more customers away. I was worried if this giant costume had the opposite effect whether I wouldn't get paid. I stood on the side of the diner facing the highway and waved to people. I had to move back quickly, as some water from a puddle was splashed up, but luckily it missed me.

By the end of the day, I had only passed out six flyers. The problem with Harry Clearwater's plan was that Forks was not a booming metropolis with streets filled with pedestrians. There just wasn't a lot of foot traffic walking past that wasn't already going into the diner. His wife pointed this out, as he took my handful of flyers. This led me to worry for my job, though. I didn't want to lose it the first weekend I had it.

"What if I walk down Main Street? I mean, do I have to stay right here?" I asked.

Sue rolled her eyes, and Harry clapped his hands. "I knew you were a smart girl. Okay, tomorrow's shift I want you up and down Main Street passing out flyers."

I nodded yes in agreement. I had saved my job for one more day. I hoped I would at least earn enough before Sue talked some sense into Harry.

Once I was changed out of the milkshake costume, Sue called me over to come eat. I guess my dad called and told her he would be at the hospital again this evening. The Clearwater's were among the few who knew about my mother's illness. Sue brought me some dinner and told me I was welcome to hang out this evening if I wanted. I finished my dinner and then helped Sue with the dishes. I knew she wasn't going to charge me for the meal, and I wanted to make it up to her somehow.

I turned to Sue and hugged her, before I stepped out into the evening air. It was only five o'clock, and I looked around, wondering if I should just go straight home, or if I should wander around a bit and plot my course for work tomorrow.

I wandered to the far end of Main Street and then started back down again. Sue called me back into the diner, looking worried.

"Bella, your dad called looking for you. He left your mother's number for you to call."

I took the number and walked back into Harry's office. He gave me a sad smile and walked out.

"Hello?" my dad answered stiffly.

"Hey, Dad, did you need something?"

"I was just checking on you. You didn't go home after work."

"I was just plotting out my course for work tomorrow."

"Oh," he grumbled.

"So, I think I'll have enough money to buy a dress on Monday. When will mom be coming home to take me?" I asked hopeful.

"Bella, I think it's time you think about getting a driver's license. Your mom can't take you shopping every time you want something," he snapped. I knew he was just stressed over mom's health, but it hurt.

"Okay," was my answer.

"Go home and get some rest. I won't be home again tonight, so be sure to lock up."

"Okay, night, Dad," I said and hung up before he figured out that I was upset.

"Is everything okay?" Sue asked.

"Yeah, he was just checking up on me. I guess he was worried when he couldn't get me at home."

"Oh, okay then, do you need a ride home?" she asked.

I shook my head no. I knew I was supposed to be going home, but it was the last place I wanted to be right now.

The problem was I had nowhere to go. I had no friends to visit or anyone to talk to who knew about my situation with my mother.

Just as that thought came to mind, I remembered Edward. I looked down the road and looked up at the sky. It wasn't too late yet. I could probably get there before it got really dark. It wasn't like there would be anyone waiting for me at home. It was then, before I had even mentally decided, when I realized my feet had already started moving me in the direction of his house. I guess my body was in agreement.

We were going to see Edward.