Alice looped her arm through mine and pulled me towards the closest shop. I groaned inwardly.

""Bella, what's your favorite color?" she asked as she yanked me through the doors.

""Um, blue." I said as I stumbled along after her. She shifted through rows upon rows of gowns, occasionally picking up a dress to examine it more closely.

""Good. Edward loves you in that color anyway." She grabbed a dress and held it to her chest. "this is the one. This dress is perfect."" she held the dress up for me to see. It was dark blue. It had only one strap extending down from the left shoulder. The back of the dress would reach my ankles while the front "v-ed" off to the sides around my knees. The hem was ruffled slightly.

""Alice, it's amazing." I gushed. I glanced at the price tag. Gently I pried it from her hands and replaced it on the rack. "But I can't afford it."

She grabbed it right back. "Bella, you are not paying for it." she smiled at me and pranced over to the shoe rack with the dress draped over her right arm. She glanced at several pairs of heels before picking up a pair of stilettos that were the same shade of blue as the dress. "You wear a size eight, right?" she asked over her shoulder.

""Yeah." I said, walking over to examine the shoes. My mouth dropped open as I stared at the shoes. "Um, you don't expect me to walk in those do you?" I gulped.

""Of course silly." she picked up the shoes and dress and danced over to the cashier. I shook my head and followed her out of the store.

""Alice, you're sure this dance is formal?" I asked once we stopped for lunch. Well, for me anyway.

""Yup, said so on the invitation." she nodded. She picked up a napkin and started ripping it into teeny tiny pieces.

""Alice, you don't really expect me to go do you?" I whined.

""Yes I do. Bella please, I don't remember my human life, so let me have a little fun, please?" she pouted. "And besides, Edward is going." she pointed out.

""Really?" I perked up. Alice nodded vigorously. I popped a fry into my mouth and thought about it. If I went to the dance, I would get to see Edward in a suit. I would get to show off the dress and have him complement me. We would dance and he would hold me. I would probably stand on his feet so I didn't kill myself.

""Okay, okay I'll go." I surrendered. Alice cried out in glee and reached across the table to hug me.

""where is Edward anyway?" I asked. He hadn't shown up in my room last night, and I hadn't heard from him yet today.

""He went hunting." she explained.

""Oh." I took a big bite of my hamburger.

""I told him to." she continued. "His eyes were getting pretty dark." she picked up a French fry and examined it. "I don''t get why he just stops hunting sometimes. It's like he's testing himself." she dropped the fry back onto my plate. I suppressed a smile. Edward was always testing himself. He would slowly cross his boundaries, testing to see if he could control his thirst. Allowing himself to get physically closer and closer to me. He did it all to try and protect me, really.

""what are you smirking about?" Alice demanded. I lifted my eyes from my plate to look at her.

""Oh, nothing." I answered nonchalantly. She didn't look convinced, but she didn't press the matter. I figured she already knew the answer.

""Anyway," Alice continued. "we'll need to start in on your hair when we get you home. And your makeup, of course." she prattled to herself about how she planed on playing Barbie with me. I got up and threw away my trash.

""Let's go!" she grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of the mall. I groaned but she refused to waver. She drove us back to the small house I shared with Charlie, my dad. Alice continued to drag me up into our one small bathroom, where she proceeded to dump all of the contents on her makeup bag onto the counter. She grasped my hair and proceeded to twist it painfully up above my head.

""Alice don't hurt her." a velvety voice said from the bathroom door. I turned from my perch on the toilet to take in Edward. He was leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed contently over his chest. He smiled my favorite crooked smile. I grinned back like the idiot I am. He walked over oh so gracefully, at a noticeably non-human speed, and planted a firm kiss on my lips. My heartbeat went wild.

""Hello my love." He murmured into my mouth. I leaned into another kiss, but he stopped me. "Do we have to go to the dance tonight? I want you all to myself. I have something I want to tell you." he leaned in to give me the kiss I wanted so badly. He wrapped his arms around me and lifted me off the toilet.

""Well, we don't have to go." I said once we broke for air. I leaned me forehead against his. "But Alice did buy me a new outfit."

""Ah, really?" he lifted me up into his arms and carried me into my bedroom.

""Where is Alice, anyway?'' I asked as he set me down on the bed.

""She thought it best to give us some privacy." she answered coolly, setting himself beside me. He placed his cold lips on my collarbone. His body lay half on top of mine and I liked the feeling.

""Bella, what would you do for me to change you?" he asked.

""Anything." I promised, without thinking. Though his cold lips on my skin were rather mind-numbing.

""There's one thing and one thing only that you can do that will make me change you." he said. His eyes were serious.