This is a bit of a Cullen Ghost bonding chapter. I have writers block so I hope this isn't really, really bad.
Disclaimer: SM owns the characters *sigh*.
Chapter 6
When we got back to the house an hour later we were holding hands. She was smiling and laughing and so was I. If I had a soul it would be flying.
Alice jumped up and down excitedly. "I can't wait till tomorrow morning!" she sang out happily.
My eyes narrowed. "Why? Why can't you wait?" I was suddenly very nervous.
"Oh nothing unexciting," Alice said happily.
Bella sat on the couch next to a boy who was playing chess against ghost Edward.
"Who's winning?" she asked.
"Edward. At the moment," the boy answered swiftly.
"I beat you every time Mathew. I don't know why you still bother," ghost Edward said happily but slightly lazily.
"You won't this time," Mathew replied confidently.
"Checkmate," ghost Edward said in a bored tone.
"No!" Mathew roared and started turning the board around every which way to see how he had lost.
I sat down next to Bella and sighed happily. I hadn't felt this happy in over 77 years.
"So what's going on tomorrow?" I asked hoping Alice would tell me.
"Not a chance am I telling you!"
"So everyone else knows?" I demanded.
"No, Emmett wouldn't be able to keep his mouth shut same with Jasper, so they don't know," Alice said happily.
She decided to change the subject so she said, "Bella do you hunt?"
"Yes, once every two weeks," Bella said.
"Even when you're a ghost?" Carlisle asked as he entered the room.
"Yes but I am also half vampire," Bella answered.
"How is your control?" Jasper asked curiously.
"I haven't killed anyone if that's what you're asking," she replied.
Alice chose that moment change the subject again. "Can I dress Alice?" she asked excitedly.
"Um… I'm not sure that's the best idea," Bella said nervously. She was looking cautiously at the door. She looked really stressed.
"What is it?" Alice asked curiously.
"The thing is we don't talk about clothing here," Bella said still looking at the doorway nervously.
"You look like you expect something bad to happen," Alice said confused. "I was thinking that red would look nice on her because --"
"No!" roared a voice on the other side of the house. It sounded like ghost Alice.
"Now you've done it," Mathew the ghost moaned.
Bella quickly explained. "Alice, she has your will and my hatred of playing dress up," she said in a rush.
I found myself smiling and I called out, "Alice, how about you and I play piano?"
Ghost Alice was suddenly sitting there looking at me expectantly. I got up and walked over to her and the piano.
"You're quite fast," I commented.
"Thanks," ghost Alice said dryly.
I could hear Carlisle had walked upstairs and was now on the staircase talking with some of the ghosts. Esme was fixing the rest of the furniture around the house. I could hear Emmett discussing pranks he had pulled with Henri Thomas who was also a troublemaker it seemed.
Ghost Edward walked over and said, "How much trouble can Emmett get up to?"
"Tons," Jasper answered for me. "Why do you ask?"
"Well Henri Thomas is always stirring something up," ghost Alice said and stopped playing the piano.
"It sounds like they're in my study," Jasper said. Then he bolted for the door.
I got up and followed. In Jasper's study was a picket sign in the middle of the floor saying, "Thank God the Union won!"
"Emmett!" Jasper roared.
"How'd they make it so fast?" ghost Alice asked.
"I have no idea," I answered but I was curious about that myself.
We could hear cackles down stairs in the living room. Jasper stomped down stairs holding the picket sign.
John Lawrence was on the staircase talking to Carlisle. "Oh are you a Union man too?" he asked.
"What do you mean?" Jasper asked.
"Were you with the Union? Like me?" John Lawrence asked.
"No Confederate," Jasper said. "Excuse me."
I could hear Emmett and Henri Thomas laughing louder.
"Was that your plan?" Jasper demanded. "Make one of that ghosts hate me?"
"Yep," Emmett said between laughs.
"Nothing like a practical joke war," ghost Edward said in a bored tone. He walked over to the piano.
"Well it'll pass the time till morning," Alice said excitedly.
"What is happening tomorrow morning?" Bella asked as she leaned into my shoulders.
"No!" Alice nearly shrieked. "I won't tell you!"
I sighed, "I guess I'll just have to wait until tomorrow morning then."
"Yes you will," Alice said.