LAUGH LOVE DREAM LIVE ALEISHA FISHER
Chapter Six
After Edward, much to my dismay, left with Emmett to go pick up Jasper from work around one. I couldn't help relay our earlier conversation to Alice in regard to our significant others.
"You actually thought a good response to him telling you that he had a girlfriend was to go ahead and falsify information and tell him you had a boyfriend ..." She didn't say it as a question more of a statement she had to mull over, which took her all of five seconds because the next words out of her mouth were. " That was really reeeeeaaalllllyyy ..." she dragged out the second really. " ... stupid ! "
" Alice, after how many years of knowing me- "
"Eighteen" she interrupts and pokes out her tongue at me.
"-you should know I have a skilled way of being able to stick my foot in my mouth whenever talking to a guy I might potentially have the hots for."
"This is true, guess I will have to be on damage control huh?" she looked away over the balcony then seemed to remember something and snapped her head back in my direction causing me to start. " By the way Friday I have off work so we can go out shopping for the rest of our outfits and get our nails done, I was thinking mani-pedi's. Also I have Jessica booked to be here a few hours before the party to do our hair and make-up" Jessica was a friend from Forks, Valedictorian of our year and so incredibly smart. She moved around the same time we did and is working with a family friend who's a make-up artist come hairdresser, to earn extra cash while doing her law degree.
"What's she charging us ?" Last time I got my make-up done by her it was a pretty good price and looked amazing.
"Well actually she not charging, Jess told me to look at it as a favour, or rather present."
"That was nice of her"
"Yeah well, she knows what kind of a rough time we've been having I guess, especially after her mum and everything." Jess's mum died in high school, got in a freak accident driving home from work late one night. She was pretty distraught obviously, I think that's one of the reasons she wants to become a lawyer, follow in her footsteps and all that.
We were interrupted by the front door being opened and the sound of a few voices floating out to us. Alice stood up and ever so gracefully waltzed inside to investigate. A few minutes later a familiar face popped her head out the door glancing at me with a mock terrified look.
"Is it safe to come over and show you something" Rosalie smiled
"If you value your life it will have nothing to do with what you did with that god awful video"
She walked over and sat where Alice had been, with her laptop on her knee, tapping away for a few seconds then she glanced up with a sly smile crossing her face. "Ok I really do value my life but I have to show you this." She patted the space next to her on the huge seat and I begrudgingly moved. Unsurprisingly she was on her youtube account, and the video in question, but it wasn't playing. I was confused.
"Uhm, what am I meant to be looking at?" Rosalie scrolled down the page and using one perfectly shaped, manicured nail pointed to the views her video had had. It said 10,013. I gave Rose the most Incredulous look I could muster in my shocked state. She jumped on my speechless condition, by scrolling down even further to the comments, staying quiet so I could read them myself.
One of the most voted up ones read:
OMG Rosalie! This band is so fuckawesome! What's their name ?
That chick can sing soooo well! She's really pretty too, and three hot guys, seriously we need more videos lol
ohMEohmyA
The next one down had 243 people vote it up, it said:
My friend and I totally agree with LukasNizzal, that chick is totally bangin'. She has a pretty cool voice too.
pomTOM
We were interrupted from our easy reading by a bellowing voice inside.
"Band Meeting! Like now!" I ignored Emmett, he was obviously calling the guys to order. I attempted to go back and read the interesting video comments when Rosalie shut the laptop.
"Uh Bella, that means you" as she said that the bellowing voice from inside rang out again. "Bella, Get your arse in here"
"Oh shit" I muttered standing up and walking inside. I found all three of the "three hot guys" situated on the couch, all looking pretty relaxed, but Edward, all with a beer in hand. Alice was sitting on the arm of the couch near Jasper, also with a beer and Rosalie was nudging me so she could get past to claim her drink and Emmett's lap. Edward who was sitting in the middle of the two sets of love birds was furiously texting with a look of agitation on his face. I sighed and shrank into the armchair I had slept in claiming the last beer on the coffee table at least this wouldn't be a regular thing.
"Good now that we are all here, there are a few things we need to address – "
"– inside voice Emmett" Rosalie chastised. He rolled his eyes but was otherwise unfazed and continued.
" Firstly the video that is now not only all over YouTube but also five of our six Facebook pages, Rose can you please link it on Bella's or something" He didn't stop for either of us to comment, guess he realised I was about to protest." The comments on YouTube alone a pretty fucking cool if I may say so myself. We have never had this much attention as a band like ever! So we officially need a Band Name. A few people have asked about one but now we really do need to make a decision any thoughts?" He stops talking and looks to each one of us for a few seconds waiting for anyone to speak up. When he looks at Edward he has a curious look on his face. Edwards still furiously texting only now he's half off the couch and is bottle of beer is between his feet so he can text with both hands. "Edward, you all good?"
He doesn't answer right away so Emmett digs him in the ribs "Not now Emmett!" He growls, ok not like actually but he raised his voice, he gets up and storms off down the hall slamming a door behind him... someone's bedroom door. Make that my bedroom door. Aw Crap.
"Um what's up with him?" I quietly ask scared he might overhear, though I know it's pretty much impossible to do so from my room.
"You're room you deal with it" Emmett says looking at me with a smirk on his face.
"Smartass" I say standing up and grabbing both my beer and Edwards on my way to "deal with it".
As I stand outside my own bedroom door internally debating whether or not I should knock and how weird it is to be debating on whether or not to knock on my own damned door that he was too stupid to mistake for the bathroom or wherever the hell he was heading for, I feel my phone vibrate. Balancing the two beers, extremely well for me I check the text.
I can hear you,
You don't have to ask to come into your own room you know.
Hope you brought my beer ;)
If you don't hurry up I'm gonna start with your Vodka or whatever it is sitting on the shelf.
I find myself smiling by the second word, slowly I open the door, managing not to spill any precious liquid. He's lounging on my bed, phone in one hand and my bottle of Vodka in the other.
"Sorry I slammed you're door" A morbid tone in his voice."Why do you have an expensive unopened bottle of vodka, sitting on your shelf?"
"Charlie brought it for me last time I saw him to congratulate me on a big job I got, photographing for some important company, haven't really bothered opening it."
"Oh" He puts it on the floor slowly, watching me as he does, and takes his beer that I'm offering him. I pick up the Vodka and jump onto my bed next to him, hitting my cast arm on the footboard sending a stabbing pain through my arm.
"Ahh shit fnk djfsweffsawrthban" was as "coherent" as I could manage through the pain.
"You ok Bella ?"
"hmphn" after the pain subsides I twist the cap of the vodka bottle which makes a satisfying crack. "No time like the present right? Vodka?" He takes the bottle after I have had a couple of mouthfuls. "So uh, are you okay Edward?"
"What makes you think I'm not?" He has a slightly playful twinkle in his eye.
"Well you know the whole texting thing and the slamming of my door and you know your general attitude" I flip my hand and smile at him.
"Ah yes well I'm not so great with hiding how I feel I guess, but it's nothing serious just girl trouble really" I stop myself from smiling before he looks back up from his cellphone which is now furiously buzzing on the bed between us. "It's my ex-girlfriend" He cringes as he says ex.
"So ex before your current girlfriend or recent girlfriend now ex?" It sounded like it made sense in my head, but I am now internally slapping myself for how screwed up it actually sounds.
"My recent girlfriend, I broke up with her today after I found out she cheated on me with some bartender that she met."
"That sucks, I'm sorry" I wasn't, not for her anyway, but I was sorry that it seemed to hurt him.
"Yeah well we weren't that great together, I mean it's not like I loved her or anything. I was thinking about breaking up with her anyway." Ok so maybe he wasn't that hurt after all.
"Oh well, still though what a bitch" He's laughing at my statement but I am transfixed by his eyes and how they are lighting up. "Here's an idea" I grab his phone which is now conveniently ringing again and answer it. A female voice starts blathering.
"Edward ... Oh, I am soo sorry really, I wish I could change how I acted really. We can work through this, I can change. I didn't want to do it, honestly, I don't know why it happened. We were so good together weren't we? Please Edward give me another chance, we can work through this right?" There's a pause as she waits for Edward to answer, so I use this as my opportunity to set her straight.
"Edwards not here right now actually, who's this?" All I can hear on the other end is breathing.
"Wh- who the hell are you and what are you doing answering my boyfriends phone?"
I smile at this, she's giving me something to fight about, I can feel the calculating going on in my head showing on my face, so I wink at Edward and respond to his weird ex-girlfriend.
"Actually I was led to believe you were his ex-girlfriend after your rendezvous with some man whore bartender you only just meet. Might I say that move is really classy" I lay on the sarcasm so thick I find myself smiling more. "If you weren't so fucking stupid you wouldn't need to be calling Edward every five minutes begging for him to take you back and to forgive you. He deserves so much better than a slutty brainless insensitive bitchlike you. If you ever bother him again I will personally pay you a visit you will never forget. Now if you'll excuse me I was quite enjoying my evening, I'd like to return to my bed where Edward is waiting. "
As I pull the phone away from my ear all I hear is someone yelling, I push the end button. Chucking the phone on the bed I grab the vodka from Edwards hand and take a couple of swigs. Avoiding his gaze till I can bear the brunt of it.
"Guess I should have asked before really doing that since I don't really know you or the situation or even her really. So I would say that I am really sorry but tha-" I was cut off by soft sweet lips meeting mine. Kissing Edward was not like I imagined, it was intense but soft, sweet and innocent. One of the BEST kisses I have ever had in my entire life. "-t felt amazing" I felt my cheeks heat as I blushed realising the double meaning behind my sentence. He cupped my chin pulling my face up so my eyes would meet his.
"You are amazing Bella" I felt my face flush again at his compliment "and that is so incredibly cute, like you would not believe." I smile giddily at him, the boy I just kissed, the boy who kissed me. Sometimes things just have an amazing way of working out. "I guess that can't happen again seeing as you have a boyfriend huh?" he gives me a look of mock sadness and its then I realise he knew about my "boyfriend", I laugh at him and shrug my shoulders.
"So I might have lied, but it was just because I tend to have foot in mouth disease ... especially around people I like."
"Well you know if you might have filled me in sooner I might told you about that" he points to his phone which is now sitting silent on the bed " a lot sooner so I could do this" he punctuates his point with a light kiss. "but no more of that until we have been on a proper date how's tomorrow night sound ?"
"Sounds good" I can't help the grin that's now on my face. Looking at Edward it feels as if I have known him for years, not merely days. "But as much as I am loving hanging with you here the others are probably suspicious and also I have to pee" he laughs at me with his crooked grin on his face.
"Well then we best get back before rumours start to spread" he winks at me "and you are free to leave and use the rest room" he stands and bows gallantly, before exciting the room in a mood ten times better than what he entered it. I hear him in the lounge bellowing at Emmett to pass him another beer, in an extremely jolly tone. I use this time I have on my own to wrap my head around what just happened. I can't seem to get past the first kiss. I sit on my bed for a few minutes. To hell with it, thinking, right now is not possible. I walk back to the lounge to find Emmett, Rosalie, Alice and Jasper taking up the couch leaving the one seater to Edward and nowhere for me to sit unless it's on Edward.
"Anyone else want a beer from the kitchen?" I decide to be nice and offer though they have put me in an awkward situation I don't know what Edwards like with public displays of affection or rather lust might be a better suited word.
We were running out of beer fast, two boxes of twenty four didn't seem to be lasting long between six people. I figure one of them would have to get off their arse and go down to the store and get some and it wouldn't be me considering the 7 almost eight beers I had hade and the quarter-ish bottle of vodka Edward and I had just enjoyed. I sat down at the kitchen table with the last two beers from the last box and pulled out my phone. I pulled up the number most recently put into my phone, and entered it into a new message. I wrote:
Ok so I hope it's as obvious to you as it is to me that they are trying to play matchmaker. Don't be too shocked by my next move, I'm gonna give them something to talk about. Haha I hope this makes sense I really feel that vodka heading to my brain ... see you in a sec ;)
I stand and pause for a second to make sure I had my balance, taking the two beers in one hand I returned to the lounge to find them all in the same place I left them, chatting about, of all things, the band.. I glanced at Edward in time to see him wink at me and put his phone on the table beside him. I walk over to him on a mission and sit myself in his lap. I turn to him and present the last two alcoholic drinks in the house ... aside from the bottle of vodka in my room. He takes one at a time and uncaps them. He passes me back the first one and I take a huge gulp for courage as I turn round to the other four.
"If any of you freaks want anything else to drink you are gonna have to go get it from the shop" I smile and turn back to Edward "and you are not allowed to volunteer for that."
"wasn't planning on it" he countered mirroring my grin as he leaned in and kissed me full on the lips. I felt myself flush before he even began the kiss, but I couldn't care less, his lips tasted like beer, but I supposed I did too. Then all at once the kiss was over. I turnt back around to our audience, who were still talking but clearly interested on what we were up too. I couldn't help laughing at the range of expressions on their faces.
"How about Alice and Rosalie go and get some more alcohol while we start band practice?" This from Emmett who was grinning.
"Sounds good to me" I agreed "seeing as I have no choice in the matter and not that my opinion really matters but can I choose the song?"
"Don't see why not, unless we don't know the song that is"
"ok so what about some country ... you guys up for that?"
"could be"
While the guys got set up, meaning I had to stand up so Edward could go, I thought about a song that was fitting for how I was feeling that I could recall all the words for, or at least a majority of them. If I stuck with a country song at least I would be partly safe, probably Lady Antebellum. Alice and Rosalie were still sat on the couch both now furiously texting away, probably to each other.
"Ok Bella what'll it be?" Jasper asked as he picked up his guitar.
I stood and walked to the front of our "stage"..."You guys uh know Lady Antebellum?"
"Well yeah we don't live under a rock Bells" Emmett laughed
"Ok then smartass what about Perfect Day?"
"You know the words to that?"
"Well yeah Emmett, I don't live under a rock" I threw back at him causing a laugh from Edward.
They started the first bars of the song, which was mostly guitars and then the drums come in, picking up my cue I started to sing, feeling in my element, better than what I had felt in a while. Singing did make me feel pretty good.
Walking through town just the other day, with nothing much to do as the sun came breaking down through clouds I never seen a sky so blue, I saw a pager man with a red guitar singing on the side of the street. I threw a handful of change in his beat up case and said play me a country beat and it sounded like ...
Alice was watching me as I paused for a build up in the music and to catch my breath, she pokes her tongue out at me then picks up her keys and drags Rosalie's arm. I swear I saw a tear on her cheek.
Then I met some friends outside of town they were heading towards the lake I hoped into the back of a jacked up jeep had the wind upon my face, we got to the spot and the sun was hot everybody was feeling fine, so we jumped on in for a midday swim and we lost all track of time. It was a Perfect Day ...
We spent the rest of the night singing and though Alice and Rosalie had gotten more beer I didn't have another, I was drunk on all the adrenaline from singing. Edward slept on the couch with Jake again. I would have let him sleep in my bed but I couldn't be sure of my self control or his for that matter. I also decided I didn't want to be woken anytime before the afternoon. Late nights have been making me feel old.
All I can think, as I hear the sound of my door handle quietly being turned, is whoever it is better have a damned good excuse for interrupting my nightmare free sleep. I roll over slowly so I can peek through my eyes at the intruder without giving away the fact that I am actually awake. Through my lashes I see that my room is still quite dark, even though by now it's probably mid-morning, for this reason I love my black out curtains. A sliver of light from the hall reveals a head full of bronze hair and an impish grin on one devastatingly handsome face. He creeps slowly towards my bedside table, the one closest to me, skilfully avoiding the creaky floorboards. He's holding a few things in his hands which he sets out. A glass of orange juice, my painkillers and a note I can't quite read from this angle. He turns as if to leave and obviously second thinks it because he turns around leaning down a placing a kiss on my forehead. He pauses, then leans to my ear and whispers "I know you're awake, I gotta go, but I will be back for you this evening"
I smile at him as e brings his face in front of mine leaning towards me for a kiss, I place a finger to his lips so he stops "until tonight then" I say and roll back over intent on going back to sleep, though I can barely contain myself as the excitement of the prospect of a date with Edward sinks in. I hear him chuckle as he retreats from my bedroom, shutting the door as he goes. I only just hear him leave the apartment as I get up and run to Alice's room, hoping like hell I don't run in on her and Jasper, I barge through her bedroom door.
"Wiss" I squeal, which I have not done since I was five and pretending to be a pig. "I have a date with Edward Tonight!"
"Oh my god ..."