Disclaimer: I do own a copy of Twilight; however, I don't own the actual rights to said book … :(
So, I had a really hard deciding which way to go for this chapter, like an impossibly hard time, so my sister gave me the great idea of writing both out, and posting which version I liked better, so that's what I started doing... But while I was writing out the first version, I had an idea that turned out to be this chapter! It sort of incorporates all ideas – but it involves a lot of point of view switches – hopefully it won't be too confusing! … Enjoy! Oh, and you can all thank my roommate … it's because of her I'm updating so quickly!! :-) Love you Rachel!! Anyways, enjoy …
Chapter 30: Operation Glass Slipper?
EPOV
"This isn't the end, we could always switch out the shoes," Jasper suggested.
"Switch out the shoes?" I pondered this, "Yes, that could work."
"Operation Glass Slipper is underway." Jasper murmured as we began to plan out how we were going to get the shoe.
--
"Do you really think this is all necessary?" I asked Jasper, while walking through Walmart, grabbing items that were required for our operation.
"Of course," he said, throwing some rope into the cart.
"I think Alice has rubbed off too much on you," I muttered under my breath, "I don't see why we can't just sneak in sometime and swap out the shoes normally, instead of this whole James Bond-like plan you have concocted"
"Because, Edward," Jasper said, sounding exasperated, "This way is foolproof, there is no possible way it could fail."
"Unless the rope breaks when we are climbing up the side of the building, or if his window is locked, or if, oh I don't know, anyone sees." I said, listing out only a few of the many possible problems with his plan. "I don't know why I even agreed to this plan in the first place, it's absurd."
Jasper sighed, "It sounds so cool though"
I started to put the rope back onto the counter, "But not realistic, if we ever want to get Bella's shoe back, we're going to have to be sneaky about it, sneaky but reasonable."
"You're right," Jasper said.
"As always," I said, smiling.
He huffed, "Please, like you were oh so right about picking the wrong black shoe without the bow?"
I glared at him, "Well-"
"Why, hello there boys," Alice said, coming around the corner, shopping cart full.
I froze, what had she heard? Did she hear Jasper say that I picked the wrong shoe? Does she look mad? I looked up at her and saw her smiling broadly between Jasper and me. Nope, she doesn't look mad, surely she'd be upset if she heard, right? "Hi, Alice." I said uncertainly.
"Hey! What are you guys doing?" she asked before greeting Jasper with a kiss. Was it just me, or did she raise her eyebrow when she asked that.
"Just shopping," Jasper said casually, putting his arm around her.
"Cool," she said.
What does that mean, I wondered. She knows! She knows I'm sure of it.
"Edward, you ok?" Alice asked.
Jasper elbowed me, "Yea, I'm fine, sorry, kind of out of it," I said, mentally scolding myself. Snap out of it, I thought, she doesn't know, stop being so paranoid. "What are you shopping for, Alice?"
"Oh you know, just the normal stuff," she said, motioning down to her cart which was filled to the brim with things that seemed far from normal.
"Right," I said, "Well, we ought to be going, a lot to do before the dance tomorrow."
I could have sworn she looked at me curiously, but I shrugged it off as my paranoia, "Alright, see you back at the dorms."
"Bye, I'll call you later," Jasper told her, and kissed her goodbye.
I walked quickly away and as soon as we were out of earshot I asked Jasper if he thought that she'd heard what we were saying before.
"I doubt it," he responded, "She would have said something if she did."
I nodded in agreement, "That's what I figured too, alright, well let's stop by the house real quick and see if James is there with the shoe still." I said, looking down and seeing it was nearly eleven at night.
"Right behind you," Jasper said as we walked out of the store having bought nothing.
We arrived back at campus ten minutes later, and at the house two minutes after that.
"Hey," we were greeted by Emmett when we walked into the house, "What are you two doing here this late? It's Saturday night, aren't you usually with your girlfriends?"
"Yea, actually they're busy tonight." Jasper said coolly, "We were talking to James earlier about having a pick up basketball game later on this week, is he still here?"
Emmett taped his head, "I do believe he is, right through those doors, boys." He pointed to the double doors leading to the living room.
"Thanks," I said, going into the room and noticing him sitting in front of the TV still, playing Fantasy Football.
"The plan?" Jasper said, quietly.
I nodded quickly and moved silently towards the corner where I wouldn't be easily spotted.
"James," Jasper said, walking up to him and sitting down next to him.
"What do you want?" James asked suspiciously, keeping his eyes on the game.
"Just want to talk," Jasper replied.
James paused the game and looked over at him, "Like I believe that, how stupid do you think I am? I know you are after my shoe for your friend, but let me tell you, you're not going to get it."
"I'm not after any shoe," he said.
"Well, even if you were, you wouldn't find it," James said.
"Oh?" Jasper asked.
"Yea, I hid it somewhere none of you would ever think to look, so tell your little buddy sorry, but he's gonna have to live with the fact that he wont be Bella's date tomorrow night," he said, grinning and unpausing the game.
"I'll make sure to pass on the message," Jasper said, standing up.
I frowned, I had hoped that Jasper would be able to get more out of him then just that he had hid it somewhere, we already knew that.
"Hey, I'm gonna go get a beer, anyone want one?" Adam, one of the brothers, asked while Jasper walked back towards me and the door.
"Wait! I'll get it," James said, putting down the game control without bothering to pause it this time while simultaneously standing up.
Jasper gave me a curious look, and I nodded and motioned my eyes towards Adam and James, trying to tell Jasper to stall them for a couple minutes.
Jasper, seeming to understand my attentions, turned back towards Adam and James, "Isn't it a little late to be drinking, guys?" he shook his head, "what would your mothers say."
I bit back a laugh at Jasper's attempt to stall them as I silently slipped out of the room. I walked quietly until I was a safe distance away and then I took off to the kitchen. Surely it couldn't be that simple, James wouldn't have hid the shoe in the refrigerator, would he? Knowing him though, it really wouldn't have surprised me.
When I reached the kitchen I passed a couple guys, barely acknowledging them and walked straight to the fridge.
I opened it quickly and moved around the contents; a ketchup bottle, a couple leftover containers, and some kind of liquid that didn't look like anything in particular. No shoe.
Where is it? I thought to myself, as I started to desperately move aside all the items again. Maybe it is in the freezer, I thought while opening the freezer, still not seeing the black shoe I was looking for.
"It has to be here," I muttered to myself.
"What are you looking for?" I heard Emmett ask from behind me.
I froze, "Um, a beer," I said meekly.
"Eddie," I cringed at the nickname, "How many times do I have to tell you, our beer fridge is in the basement, you aren't likely to find anything from this century in this fridge."
Of course I thought, I knew that the beer was stored in the refrigerator downstairs, why hadn't I remembered that? I wondered. I mumbled a quick thanks to Emmett and took off down the stairs, hoping that Jasper was still stalling James in the living room above.
My prayers were answered when I saw that no one was downstairs, I quickly ran to the fridge, threw open the door, no longer bothering with trying to be quiet and moved aside the various beer bottles until I spotted it, Bella's shoe.
Thanking God, I took out the shoe and replaced it with the bow-less black shoe. Then, to be positive, I checked to make sure that the shoe I now held had a black bow on the toe, which it did.
Smiling in accomplishment, I tucked the shoe away into my coat pocket and headed back to the stairs when I heard James's voice come from above.
"Just, let me get the damn beer," he said as he opened the door.
"But, don't you want to hear about all the, um, calories there are in one bottle?" Jasper asked, trying to shut the door.
"Honestly, I don't care, move," James said, pushing Jasper out of the way and walking down the stairs.
I looked quickly around the room and saw a couple big boxes I could hide behind. Quietly and quickly as possible I jumped behind the biggest box and waited for James to leave.
I could hear Jasper's footsteps following James's down the stairs.
"Why are you following me, man?" James asked, stopping just in the line of my vision.
"Maybe I want a beer too," Jasper replied.
"Well, I can get you one, you can just go back up," James said, plastering a fake smile on his face.
"It's alright, I'm already down here," Jasper said, returning the fake smile.
James groaned, "You're impossible, you know that Whitlock?" he said while throwing open the fridge door, "Fine, you caught me, the shoe is down here" he said pulling out the shoe that I had just placed in there, "But now I'm going to hold onto it personally until tomorrow night, so you've just lost any chance you had of getting it. Good job, real smart, have fun telling your buddy that you just screwed up." He said, throwing Jasper a beer and walking up the stairs with the shoe without letting Jasper say a word.
I maneuvered my way around the boxes and ended up next to Jasper, "Thanks, man"
Jasper looked at me with hurt in his eyes, "Edward, I'm so-"
Realization hit, he thought that I hadn't gotten the shoe, "No, really, I mean it, thanks. I switched out the shoes before he got down here," I said, pulling out Bella's shoe and showing him it as proof.
Jasper let out a deep breath, "Good going, I thought we were going to have to go tackle him for it, or something," he paused, "or even worse, we'd have to tell Alice and Bella that we didn't get the shoe to begin with."
"Well, now they'll never have to know," I said, playing with the bow at the end of the shoe.
"Yea, let's head back, long day ahead of us tomorrow," Jasper said.
APOV
"I can't believe I'm here at Wal-Mart of all places," I said into the phone.
"Alice, this was part of our deal, you took me shopping, as long as-" Bella's voice said.
"I know, I know, as long as I went to Wal-Mart to get the stuff off our shopping list afterwards." I finished.
"Right," Bella said, "Come on, admit it Alice, it's not nearly as bad as you thought it was.
I refused to admit that, "Nope, but in lines of torture, it's not too bad, I mean, it is still shopping."
Bella's laugh echoed in the speaker, "Alice, you are too much sometimes,"
From around the corner I heard a familiar voice, "Hold on a minute, Bella," I said and walked towards the voice.
"… Want to get Bella's shoe back, we're going to have to be sneaky about it, sneaky but reasonable."
Bella? I thought, wait a minute, that is Edward's voice. I moved closer after whispering into the phone that I had to go.
"Alice, what's up?" a confused Bella asked.
"I'll tell you later," I said quietly, "Bye"
"You're right," I heard Jasper say.
"As always," Edward replied.
"Please, like you were oh so right about picking the wrong black shoe without the bow?"
'The wrong black shoe without the bow?' I repeated in my head. They got the wrong shoe?! I gasped and walked around the corner.
"Well-" Edward began before I cut in.
"Why, hello there boys," I said, smiling innocently.
Poor Edward looked like a dear stuck in headlights, but managed to get out a "Hi, Alice"
"Hey! What are you guys doing?" I asked, kissing Jasper and whispering a private hi.
"Just shopping," Jasper said casually, embracing me in a hug
"Cool," I replied, replaying the conversation I had heard before I made my presence known.
"Edward, you ok?" I asked after a moment of silence. He looked petrified, and as if he was having an internal battle about something of great import. Jasper elbowed him in his side which knocked him out of his daydream, "Yea, I'm fine, sorry, kind of out of it. What are you shopping for, Alice?"
"Oh you know, just the normal stuff," I said.
"Right, well, we ought to be going, a lot to do before the dance tomorrow." Edward said, already walking away.
I gave him a suspicious once-over; did he really think he was fooling anyone? "Alright, see you back at the dorms," I said.
Jasper kissed me goodbye after promising to call later and followed Edward who was already out of eyesight.
"I can't believe them" I said to myself, while pulling out my cell phone, "They think they can just hide something like that from me?" I shook my head and hit redial.
Bella answered on the third ring, "What's up Alice?" she asked, sounding worried.
"Bella, our boys are idiots," I said simply.
I could have sworn I heard Bella chuckle, "Why do you say that?"
"I'll explain to you in person in twenty, be outside. And bring your black shoe- we're going shoe hunting." I told her and hung up the phone.
In ten minutes I was through the check out, and in twenty, as predicted, I was outside our dorm, unlocking the doors for a confused Bella.
BPOV
"Alright Alice, what's going on?" I asked as I buckled my seat belt.
"Edward got the wrong shoe," Alice told me.
"He what?" I asked, "Why wouldn't he have told me that?"
Alice sighed, "Because he's a guy, and he didn't want to admit that he made a mistake, so he and Jasper are planning this impossible mission to get your shoe from whoever has it." She shook her head, "But clearly that isn't going to work. So I have an idea."
"Go on," I said, anxious to hear her plan.
"I heard the description of the shoe that Edward does have, it sounds like it's the same shoe you have, only no bow. So," she said loudly, "my idea is we find whoever the owner of the shoe is, and swap shoes without the boys knowing- so you'll have the shoe that matches Edwards. They get to freak out over the next day about not having the wrong shoe, and Edward will be flipping out thinking that you are going on a date with someone else. Then, when the time comes, we'll tell him that we switched the shoes, and that you are his date anyways. We both win, he learns his lesson about not being honest with us but you still get to be his date."
I smiled, "That plan sounds brilliant, Alice. But how are we going to find out whose shoe it is?"
Alice frowned, "That's the hard part, but I think I know whose shoe it is. I have a pretty good memory about that kind of stuff, and if I am remembering correctly, the girl whose shoe it is … is Jessica."
"Jessica," I repeated, "As in make-out with my ex-boyfriend Jessica?"
Alice nodded gravely as I groaned, "Of course it would be her, wouldn't it?" I said sarcastically.
"We won't even have to talk to her most likely; we can just swap the shoes and leave. I doubt she'd notice the difference." Alice said, "And if we do have to talk to her, I'll make sure I handle it. You just have to stand there, and look pretty" Alice flashed a smile at me.
"Fine," I said, "The things I do for Edward," I muttered and crossed my arms as Alice pulled into the parking lot that was outside Jessica's dorm.
"Alright, let's go, you have your shoe, right?" Alice asked, getting out of the car.
"Yes ma'am." I said holding up the shoe and following her towards the dorm.
Luckily someone was coming out just as we were about to go in, so we didn't have to worry about getting someone to open the door for us. And, as luck would have it, Jessica's room was on the first floor and the door was unlocked.
"Fate is on our side," Alice smiled at me, "Let's go in."
I lingered around the door, "This feels wrong, Alice." I said, "I mean, breaking and entering then stealing aren't those federal offenses?"
"First of all, we aren't 'breaking and entering'" she used air quotes, "because someone let us in here and the door is open. Secondly, we aren't stealing, we are just swapping out, and your shoe is a better brand then hers anyway, so if you want to get all technical about it, we are doing her a favor." Alice said and walked into the closet behind the door, grabbed my shoe from my hand and replaced it with an almost identical one that lacked a bow.
"That was easy enough," she said, clapping her hands together and walking out of the room. "To think, they could have saved all this energy and worry if only they would have told us that they'd made a mistake." Alice shook her head.
"Yea," I said, wanting to get out of the hall before we were caught.
Alice picked up on my anxiousness and quickly left the hall and got back into the car.
"Alright, so now that we have the right shoe, let's mess with their heads a little," Alice smiled cunningly.
"What's your plan?" I asked, adrenaline pumping from our mission.
"Edward thinks that someone else is taking you to the dance tomorrow, right?" Alice said, "Well, how do you think he'd react if we brought over the dress we bought today and showed it to him?"
"He'd go crazy," I said, picturing the tight, black, contraption of a dress Alice practically forced me to buy. "Let's do it!"
After making a quick pit-stop at our room to pick up our dresses, I called Edward and told him we'd be coming over soon and that we had a surprise.
Knocking on their door, I had to bit my lip to suppress the laughter that was bubbling up inside me.
Almost immediately Jasper opened the door and let us in, "So what's this surprise?" he asked while I looked around for Edward. "He'll be right back, he's in the bathroom." Jasper told me.
Just as he finished, Edward walked in the room and kissed me, "Mhhm, hi to you too." I said.
He smiled his dazzling smile at me, "So, you have a surprise?"
Alice and I looked at each other "We wanted to show you our dressed for tomorrow night," Alice said and pulled hers out.
"It's beautiful," Jasper said, "Just like you."
I rolled my eyes at his cheesiness, but Alice didn't seem to notice and was quickly in lip-lock with him.
"What's yours look like, Bella?" Edward asked me, diverting his eyes from the couple to his left.
Alice broke away from the kiss and focused her attention on me and Edward, "Show him, he'll love it." She said, practically jumping up and down in excitement.
"Alright," I said, and slowly pulled the dress out of the bag and held it up for Edward to see.
When I looked up and saw his reaction, I couldn't help but blush. He was starring at it wide-eyed, and I could imagine him imagining me in it, "That's what you are going to be wearing?" he asked, incredulously.
I nodded and glanced over at Alice who was smirking at me, "Like it?" I asked innocently.
He tugged on his collar, "It's beautiful, you'll look beautiful in it," he said, and exchanged a meaningful glance with Jasper.
Was I mistaken, or did I see relief in his eyes, I frowned. "Do you not like it?" Why would he be relieved if he thought I was going to the dance with someone else wearing this dress if he did like it? If he honestly thought I'd look pretty in it?
"No, I just said I did like it," he asked, confusion playing across his face.
"Oh, well, we have to get going," I said, looking at Alice who narrowed her eyes at Edward and shrugged at me.
"Goodnight, see you tomorrow at the dance," she said, standing on her tippy toes and giving Jasper a quick kiss on the lips.
"Goodnight, love, I can't wait until tomorrow night," Edward told me, confusing me even more before covering my mouth with his in a slow kiss.
"Ahem?" Alice said, causing me to break away from Edward and his intoxicating kisses.
"Goodnight," I said blushing and followed Alice out of the room quickly.
"That was weird, he's a better actor then I give him credit for," Alice said once we were in the car driving back to our hall.
"Maybe the dress isn't as pretty as you thought," I said, sadly.
"No, no, that can NOT be it," she shook her head, "I'm not sure what is up with those boys, but we know that by now Edward is probably having a heart attack."
I smiled, "I feel so evil"
"Welcome to the dark side, Bella" Alice told me.
(I was going to leave it off here … but then I realized that would be ending it in practically the same situation the last chapter was left off at, so I'm adding a little bit more, this is one long chapter! Wow!)
"Alright, Bella, we have to go in five minutes, five minutes!" Alice emphasized while spraying a little perfume into the air and walking through it.
"I know, I'm almost ready," I told her, holding my –cough-Jessica's-cough- shoe. "We have to go over there barefoot?"
Alice nodded grimly, "Yea, gross, right? But here, but these socks on, it'll keep you from getting some kind of foot disease," Alice scrunched up her nose in disgust.
"Thanks," I said, slipping on the tan colored socks. "Well, I'm ready," I said, tugging on the dress once again.
"One last touch," Alice said, going into one of the multiple bags on the ground and coming out with two tiaras, "It's called the Cinderella Ball, we need tiaras" she explained as she carefully placed one on my head and then hers. "Perfect"
An application of lip-gloss later, we were on our way to meet up with the guys, shoes in hand.
At 6:25 on the dot we pulled into the Alpha Sigma Phi house's parking lot and by 6:28 we were situated inside in line with the other girls, our shoes lying in front of us, waiting for the guys to come complete the matching pair.
"This is so nerve wracking," the girl next to me said, nibbling on her nails.
I nodded, glad that I already knew who my date was, even if I did somewhat break the rules.
"Alright ladies," Rose said, coming into the room, "After your date finds you, you may put back on your shoes and head out to the restaurant, the reservation is under McCarty, have fun!" she squealed and then the guys came pouring into the room in search for their shoe's other half.
Jasper immediately walked over to Alice and held out her shoe, "Thanks!" she said, bending down to put her shoe on, and lacing her fingers with his.
"Bella," Edward said coming up to me, "I do believe this is your shoe," he said, producing my shoe.
I smiled at him and took it, "It is indeed," I said, throwing a knowing look at Alice as I slipped in on.
No sooner then when I had put it on did James come over, "Bella, I believe I have your shoe." He said.
I looked at him questioningly, "What? No you don't," I said, "Edward did, see." I motioned down to the shoes on my feet.
The left, the one I had switched out, bowless, and the right, the one Edward had given me, with a bow. My head snapped up to look at a confused Edward, Jasper and Alice and a grinning James.
"Those don't match up, sorry," James said, as he bent down and took off Edward's shoe and place on his own, which did match.
"What?" I asked, "I don't get it"
"Your boyfriend here got the wrong shoe," James said, as he grabbed my hand with his clammy one, "Meaning that you're my date for the night."
"But, but," I stuttered, "What? We switched the shoes though" I said, looking over at Alice who was equally as confused.
"You switched the shoes?" Edward repeated, "We switched the shoes last night, we didn't want you getting upset over nothing so we just swapped the shoe with James last night without him knowing."
"You what?" James shouted.
"But, Alice heard you guys talking about that yesterday and thought that you wouldn't be able to, so we switched with Jessica without her knowing so I'd have the matching shoe that you had… that you then, switched." I said, slowly beginning to realize what just happened. "Oh no" I said.
"Come on, Bella," James said, "we're carpooling with a buddy of mine and his date over there," he said pointing to a red head and her date.
I looked over hopelessly at Edward, who was beginning to look panicked.
"Who's my date then?" he asked, looking around the room.
"Jessica," I said, anger building up inside of me.
"Jessica? As in –" Edward began.
"Yes," I finished before he had the chance.
"James, can you wait just a minute, Bella and I want to freshen up before we leave," Alice said, grabbing my hand and leading me away without waiting for permission. She took one look at my face and then started to comfort me, "Bella, you'll be fine, it's only a car ride there, then we can situate it to make sure Edward sits next to you and then at the dance you two can hang out"
"It's not me I'm worried about, Alice. Jessica, she stole my boyfriend before, what is different about this time? I don't want her around him or by themselves for any period of time." I said.
"They won't be alone, they are riding over with us, and I'll keep my eyes on her. But, Bella, you should trust Edward, he wont do anything to hurt you," Alice promised me.
I sighed and accepted my current situation and walked back towards the boys. It seemed that Jasper had just gotten back as well from reassuring Edward, because he looked a little more put together. Alice, regretfully, went and got Jessica and brought her over to our little group.
"Jessica, this is Edward," Alice introduced, "And Edward, this is Jessica, your date for the evening."
I felt a surge of jealously when Alice introduced Jessica as Edward's date, but calmed a second later- slightly.
"Why, hello there," Jessica said, beating her fake eyelashes at Edward.
"Hello," Edward said stiffly, but politely nevertheless.
"Bella, we really should get going," James said, once again taking my hand.
Edward's eyes shot down to our linked hands, and balled his into a fist.
I looked at him apologetically if not hopelessly, "Fine, let's go." I said to James.
"Excellent," he said and pulled me away towards his group.
I looked back over my shoulder at Jessica, who was practically drooling over Edward and then back at James, my date.
Why, oh why, did my life suck so much?
A/N: I know, I know, I'm evil! :-P But I thought that was a decent stopping point without making this chapter TOO ridiculously long! I think it might be the longest I've written yet! So much drama to write, ah! Anyways, please review and hopefully I'll be updating again soon!! :-)