Chapter Four
Turning the music up to drown out the sounds of the outside world, I follow Alice into the kitchen to help as best I can with making lunch, noticing bits of furniture and random things the guys have brought up. She picks up the bag of chips I dropped as well as the chair I was standing on and starts grabbing different ingredients from the cupboards and fridge. I dodge her and grab two beers from the fridge, holding one up at a time for her to open for us. This cast is gonna be a pain in the arse.
"So . . . "
"So . . . ?"
"You and Jasper huh"
"What do you mean?" She looks up from chopping a carrot, taking the chance to sip her beer while waiting for an answer. I take my time, sitting at the table in the corner and taking off the sling so I can move my arm more freely. I grab the bottle of painkillers the doctor gave me and hold it up so she can open it for me. She sighs coming over beer in one hand, twists the top. It makes a satisfying crack. I take a couple with my beer, probsbly not the best idea but oh well, then look up at her.
"Well I mean I knew you two were serious, but I didn't realise you two were L-O-V-E serious" I annunciate each letter, watching her.
"I know" She gushes " I mean I always knew how I felt about him, and I realise we have only been together about 10 months, but it's just so right, I have never felt this way about anyone in my entire life." The smile on her face and the slight rosy tinge, says it all.
"You two certainly are perfect for each other, I really am happy for you Alice."
"I just wish you could feel this way Bell, it's amazing and love really does change you, for the better. Of course it makes everything slightly pale in comparison. " I smile at her, she's so confident and beautiful, she truly deserves someone who will take care of her. She had such a difficult start to life. She's not my sister by blood, our family adopted her when she was 3 and I was 2, we have been best friends since. I lift up my bottle, waiting for her to catch on.
"To you and Jasper" I smile and tap the neck of my bottle against hers. "your true love" Then empty my bottle.
"True love" She repeats with a dopey grin then does the same.
I grab her empty bottle while she keeps chatting about her and Jasper. He's 3 years older than her, but really they couldn't be a more perfect match. I hand over the bottles, again so she can uncap them and leave her with hers. There's a knock on the door, I walk to the door, putting my beer on one of the side tables and open with my good hand. Before me is standing the bronze haired, green eyed, Edward. My stomach flutters, weird.
"Hay"
"Hi, Uh Jasper and Emmett are just bringing up the stuff from the cars, they told me to come up and bring the beer." He holds up the two cases of beer, as if to prove he's not lying.
"Sure bring them into the kitchen, this way" I walk to the kitchen, making sure I grab my beer, leaving the door open for the other two to come in.
"Hey Edward" Alice smiles at him "Just put those beside the fridge, with the other one, help yourself to a cold one"
"Thanks Alice" he smiles back at her. He gets one out politely offering us both another, which we clearly don't need anyway.
"Have you been properly introduced to Bella?"
"No" He says turning to me with a grin on his face, "The clumsy one right?" He teases.
"Yeah guess so" I laugh.
"Edward, nice to be officially introduced to you" He lifts his hand slightly as if he were about to shake my hand, but drops it quick and look of embarrassment flashes across his face.
"Yeah, you too" I nod.
"Edwards a singer and guitarist in the guys band" Alice explains.
"Yeah not a very good one though, that's why I'm only the back up." He winks at me. All I can do is sit there with a stupid grin on my face looking at him. He must think I am such an idiot. I hear Emmett and Jasper coming down the hall, which I use as an excuse to escape. I grab them a beer each, tenderly holding mine in my right hand, well fingers really. It seems to be slightly numb with the mixture of pain killers and alcohol. As I get to the lounge Emmett and Jasper are coming through the door with their arms full of crap. Emmett walks to his door pushing it open and putting it on the floor jasper follows doing the same. I look in the room, there are guitars, amps, microphones, and speakers even a drum set they have brought up today.
"I love drums." I hand them each their beers.
"You know how to play?" I turn around Edward is standing behind me.
"Nope" this gets a laugh from the three of them and a "Neither do we" from Edward which Emmett and Jasper agree with.
"So where you guys gonna set this up ?"
"Probably just in here" Emmett said.
"Be a bit cramped won't it? Nevermind how annoying it'll be when you guys want to practice or whatever?"
"Well yeah but there's no other option really" This from Jasper "and we don't wanna impose"
"Actually you know there's heaps of room in the lounge we can push the couch and stuff to the side. Everything is spread out coz we didn't have anything else to go in there"
"Are you sure Bella? I mean we won't get in the way or anything."
"Can we just get one thing straight, this is now our apartment, don't feel like you have to ask me or Alice about everything you want to do. Go set up your stuff, I am going to have another beer. Then you guys can play later tonight and maybe one of you can teach me how to play drums" I smile, turn, and suck down the rest of my beer, feeling a little light headed and happy. I walk into the kitchen where Alice's cooking smells delicious.
"Hi!" I laugh at myself
"Hello"
"I'm grabbing a beer want one?"
"Yeap" Once I've opened the fridge and gotten the two beers, I walk over to the table and put them down. I try to remember where our shot glasses are. I go to my room remembering I brought a new pack of eight last month, and bring them back to the kitchen. Alice sees what I am doing and laughs at me.
"Hay guy's come here" She shouts to the three boys. She walks to the fridge and grabs the bottle of vodka, while I am struggling to even open the damn box, one handed.
"Alice" I whinge and she takes the box from me laughing.
"Bella, you suck."
"Shut up and open it" I give her the finger and poke my tongue out at her. She just laughs at me more, stupid cast.
"What do you two want?" Emmett looks at Alice who has not only opened the box but poured six shots of vodka. "Six?" Emmett questions. Just then there is a knock on the door.
"Rosalie" She smiles at Emmett. I'm used to her uncanny ability to "guess" things that will happen, but Edward looks slightly taken aback. Emmett walks out of the room and within minutes returns with Rosalie attached to his arm.
"Rosalie Bella, Bella Rosalie"
"Nice to meet you," I haven't meet Rosalie before but she's beautiful, the kind of girl that walks in the room and you can guarantee that every other girl in the room takes a hit on their self esteem.
"Vodka" I reply handing her a glass.
"Thanks"
"Ok everyone, to Bella's amazing ability to hurt herself, to our new flatmates, alcohol a good night and" here she pauses looking at me "... to Dad" I take my shot put my glass down on the table, take the bottle of vodka fill my glass again say "Dad" and knock back the shot. I Slam the glass back on the table. I pick up my beer and walk back to the lounge, while I'm guessing the rest of them stand and watch me go. It's in an interesting array off mess with guitars cords and crap everywhere. It's warm enough to open the sliding door onto the balcony so I decide to go out and turn on the hot tub so I can use it soon. It is one of the reasons I love our apartment so much, it came with the place. I put my beer on the table take my sunnies off my head and leave them with it while I go to my room and put my bikini on. I walk to the cupboard in the hall grabbing a few towels in case anyone else needs one and go back through the lounge which is now inhabited by the three guys and Rosalie.
"Hay Rosalie, want to come join me in the spa?"
"I didn't bring a swimsuit or anything"
"No problem I have a spare one if you want it?"
"Really? That'd be great."
"Sure no problem, follow me." I take her into my room grab my red one piece, which is kind of revealing for a one piece, but I have no doubt she can pull it off, and hand it to her with a towel.
"Here you go you can just leave your stuff in here if you want, on the bed or whatever, I'll meet ya out there."
"Thanks Bella." I leave her to get changed and walk into the kitchen to tell Alice to come meet us in the spa when she is done. She's not in the kitchen. I knock on her bedroom door at the same time she is walking out in her bikini.
"Of course" I laugh at her. "Come on then"
"Yeah I'll meet you there ... Bella you ok? Before I mean I didn't mean to upset you or anything."
"I'm fine Alice honestly." I walk to the lounge as Alice goes back into the Kitchen to grab something. As I walk in the lounge I feel three pairs of eyes on me. Just as I walk out the door, I hear a wolf whistle. I turn around to see Emmett's mouth still in the shape of an O. Give him the finger and walk outside laughing at him. I slip into the spa, it's just the right warmth. I grab my sunglasses putting them on and taking my beer off the table. Strategically balancing it on the edge with it partially in my bad hand, it has to stay out of the water. A few minutes later Rosalie walks out with Alice behind. Rosalie is carrying some beers and the shot glasses with the vodka and Alice has a plateful of food.
The three of us sat in the spa for a good half our chatting, drinking and eating. I found out that Emmett and Rosalie meet at one of the gigs the guys played at a local pub and have been dating for a few weeks now. She's smitten with him and the way he looked at her today in the kitchen it's clear the feelings are mutual. We soon heard a few chords from someone's guitar and then the guys started full on into a song. We looked at each other trying to work out what the song was.
"You are my Sunshine?"
"No, isn't it My Girl?"
"Nah it's Uptown Girl . . . " I remember the lyrics easily "You know I can't afford to buy her pearls
But maybe someday when my ship comes in, She'll understand what kind of guy I've been, And then I'll win, And when she's walking, She's looking so fine, And when she's talking, She'll say that she's mine, She'll say I'm not so tough, Just because, I'm in love, With an uptown girl. . ." I sang to Rosalie and Alice who were laughing at me. Then from inside Edward picked up where I had lost the words. He had a sweet voice.
I caught the end of Rosalie's sentence "... singing sounds really good."
"He does huh" I Said
"I meant you" She laughed along with Alice.
"Really I mean love singing but I don't well. Really?" Well that did it they were going again laughing at my expense. Oh well. The tripping over my words thing happens after I have had a few.
"You really have a nice voice, just take the compliment."
"Ok well thanks then" I smiled at them
The next hour or so passed as the three of us relaxed in the spa, with the boys inside jamming. A few people showed up, though we realised later we had forgotten to let more people know to come over. We had more than enough alcohol for the 6 of us. So by the time the three of us got out of the spa we were definitely feeling the effects and the heat had definitely helped. We stumbled our way inside to Alice's room to dry and change. I ended up in one of her shortest dresses, her heels which I had to stumble back to my room to get, and my jewellery. Alice curled my hair so it was in ringlets and decided she wanted to do my makeup as well. The end result was me looking more or less like some punk rock-I'm with the band kind of chick. While Rosalie looked elegant and Alice was, well as usual graceful and chic. We sat in Alice's room while Rosalie touched up her make-up and Alice drew on my cast in a purple Sharpie. Rosalie pulled her handbag up and started rummaging in it. Two seconds later she turns around a camera in hand. I smile at her while she snaps a couple of candid shots. I walk to my bedroom grab my camera and when I come back to Alice's room they are sitting on the bed talking animatedly a fresh beer in their hands and a spare one on the table.
"Smile!" they both turn around caught unaware and I snap a picture. Payback.
"What the hell is that?"
"A camera"
"No, this is a camera" Rosalie holds up the one in her hand "That's, well that's like a bloody I don't know just not a camera"
"I'm a photographer Rosalie, it's in the job description to have a good camera."
"You're a photographer?"
"Yup" I take another couple of pictures, some with all three of us. I let Rose play with my camera then we end up walking into the lounge where the boys are still strumming away drinking, a little more drunk and very happy with our handy work.
"So" I announce "Who else wants to write on my arm?"
Emmett pulls me over to the couch a vivid in his hand while Jasper and Edward continue playing a song I know. Without thinking I start singing along. Rosalie is still snapping away with my camera, while Alice is sitting on the seat drinking. When I realise that everyone has stopped what they are doing, with the exception of Edward and Jasper, who are still playing. I stop singing feeling self conscious and look up, to find them watching me.
"What?" I can feel myself blushing. The looks on their faces say it all. "My bad, I won't sing"
"Bella you have an amazing voice" Emmett comments smiling at me, but concentrating on his masterpiece.
"Sure I do, you finished? I want another drink" I shake my empty bottle in his face, willing him to go grab another
"Yup, anyone else want one?" He got a resounding yes. I looked down at my cast and see that next to Alice's ballerina, and Rosalie's little note, Emmett had drawn a big E with a smiley face next to it and a note saying "smile sunshine." And I did, he always cheered me up. During the rest of the night we drank more alcohol and sang well I sang. At one point I remember Rosalie taking a video of me and the three guys in their new lounge set-up singing some random song I can't even remember what it was. I'm sitting on the couch about 12 when Alice and Jasper decide to go to bed. Five minutes later Emmet and Rosalie go off to his new room.
"So" I say to Edward, I might be a little drunk and the words might be tumbling out of my mouth before I can decide they shouldn't "You leaving me too?"
"I was thinking I might just crash here" he looks up at me from the couch I slept on last night. "That's cool right"
"Don't see why not"
"Feel like this is a bit of a set-up?"
"You mean couple one and couple two ditching us?"
"Yup"
"Just a bit maybe, I think I'm a bit drunk though."
"You look it too."
"Awesome" Edward laughed at me. He is really good looking, even his laugh was handsome. "You know you really are quite handsome. . . Shit I just said that out loud didn't I?"
"Yup you really did, I hope you haven't got the wrong idea, I mean I kind of have a girlfriend." I officially feel like a stupid bitch. How could I not realise a guy like him could be attached. Ok now I need to fix this, by retracting my foot from my mouth.
"I knew that already, Alice had told me. It's cool, you know, I have a boyfriend" That won't help what the hell am I thinking. Change the subject. "Hay you haven't written on my cast yet!"
"No I haven't got a vivid? I'll do it while I'm still conscious." He smiled at me a crooked smile, it was the most heartbreaking thing I have ever seen. Damn why did he have to be so gorgeous. I sat there watching him draw on my cast, careful gentle lines. From the angle I'm sitting I can't really see what he's drawing. I decide to sit back resting my eyes, and feel myself drifting off.