A/N- woo! Edward and Alice POVs!

Chapter 4

Alice POV

I skipped along next to my new friend, happily chattering to her about how much fun we'd have tomorrow and the rest of the week. We'd just finished watching a movie in the ship's theater and were going to grab some ice cream before Bella needed to get back to work. While I talked though, my mind was at work, planning out exactly how to get my antisocial brother together with Bella. They were perfect together; I could see that quite plainly. I wasn't sure how Edward would take it if I meddled to get them together, but it's be great in the long run!

"And when I was reading this travel guide for the island we're porting at tomorrow it was talking about this super cute little boutique that I just have to go to- wait, where do you live off of he ship?" I interrupted my prattling to ask, realizing I never had before now.

"Uh," she said a moment, a bit caught off guard. "Washington state, the US." She said after a moment. I squealed happily. That was our state too!

"Be more specific." I commanded, pausing in our walk to look up at her.

"Forks Washington." She said.

"Ooh! I've heard of that town! We live in right in the heart of Seattle!" I said, bouncing exuberantly on the spot.

"You're kidding!" she cried, seeming very pleased. "We only live a few hours apart! Small world!" she laughed.

We got to our destination and ordered our ice cream and sat outside under an umbrella eating our ice cream. She asked a few questions about me and Edward and our family before she reluctantly left to get back to work. I watched her go, still plotting.

After a minute I got up too and stretched, wondering where I could find Edward. I figured I'd check around the pool first so I set off, humming to myself as I walked. I strolled along the perimeter of the pool, looking at the sunners and pool goers as I walked but there was no sign of Edward. I ambled along up a few flights of stairs to the gym I'd seen Edward eyeing before and, sure enough, there he was, sitting on the end of a weight bench and lifting a few pounds of weight in each hand and talking to Emmett. I loped over to join them.

"Hi boys!" I said jovially. Edward looked over at me and smiled, putting the weights behind him on the bench.

"Hey Allie." He said. I smiled back at him and turned so I could see both of them.

"You two are coming with me to the island tomorrow. I'm going to ask Jasper to come too and, Emmett, Bella said you might want to ask along that one girl you mentioned to her. Okay?" I asked sweetly. Emmett looked a bit caught a little caught off guard but then laughed, a deep resonating chuckle.

"Sure. I think I'll do that." He said, eyeing a blonde girl that was on a treadmill a little ways away. A familiar looking blonde.

"Hey! Rosalie Hale is the girl you like?" I asked. He nodded. Edward looked confused.

"How do you know her?" he asked.

"She's Jasper's sister!" I said excitedly. "Can I ask her for you Emmett? Please please please? Then I can ask Jasper too at the same time!" he thought a minute.

"Okay I guess. Just so long as she says yes." He said, glancing at Rose once again. I giggled at the hopeful expression on his face and bounced off to Rosalie.

"Hi!" I said excitedly. She lanced at me and pulled out her ear buds, turning off the treadmill.

"Weren't you the girl my brother was with last night?" she asked as the machine slowed to a halt. I nodded happily, remembering the night of dancing.

"That was me. I'm Alice." I said, delighted she had remembered me as well. "Anyway, see that guy over there?" I asked, pointing over to Emmett, who was watching us closely but when attention was brought to him he immediately pretended to be looking elsewhere. Rosalie smiled ever so slightly and nodded. "Well, a group of us are doing shopping and to the beach tomorrow at the island and he was wondering if you wanted to come with us." She looked back at Emmett (who had became very interested in his shoelaces suddenly) and gave him a long appraising look before nodding slowly.

"Alright. What time and where are we meeting?" she asked, still eyeing Emmett inconspicuously.

"9:00 AM in the front entrance hall." I said. "Oh! One other thing, can you ask your brother to come too?" I asked hopefully. She nodded.

"Sure." She smiled at me, which I returned, and put her ear buds back in and started the machine once again. I skipped back to my brother and Emmett and gave them a smile each.

"So she said yes?" Emmett asked, looking like a kid on Christmas morning. I nodded.

"Of course she did!" I said. His answering grin was huge.

"You realize I never agreed to this?" Edward asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Of course I know you didn't! But you will." I said with dead serious confidence. I knew he'd come.

"What makes you think that?" he asked as he rested his chin on his fist. I smiled sweetly at him.

"I just know these things." I told him as I skipped off again to go explore the ship. "So tomorrow, nine in the morning, front entrance hall. You'll be there." I called over my shoulder to where the two guys were watching.

"Is she always like that?" I heard Emmett ask as I exited. In my mind's eye I could see Edward's tired nod and I laughed jubilantly.

Edward's POV

I heard Alice's tinkling little laugh as she disappeared around the corner and rolled my eyes but smiled despite myself. I stood up and stretched.

"I think I'm going to go grab a bite to eat. I'll see you tomorrow?" I asked Emmett. He nodded.

"I take it you're coming then?" he asked as I rubbed my face in the towel. I shrugged.

"I guess so. If Alice says I am, I suppose I am." I said with a small chuckle. He laughed too, a great booming laugh.

"See you tomorrow then dude." He said as I left.

I walked at ease back to my room, adjoining with Alice's, and took a quick shower putting on a clean pair of shorts and a t-shirt before taking the long way to the eating area, along the perimeter of the deck so I could watch the waves crash against the sides of the boat and the endless blue of sea and sky surrounding the vessel. By the time I got to my destination I was dizzy from breathing so deeply of the fresh sea air and from low blood sugar.

I grabbed an apple from the pile at the edge of the nearly deserted buffet and strolled over to the dining room. I glanced through the large doors to see some of the workers wiping off tables before people began coming early for dinner. I scanned the room quickly and almost immediately saw Bella leaning across a table, chatting to a man. I couldn't help but stare as she smiled and laughed, throwing her head back and shaking her hair off of her shoulders as she did, about something the man had said. I also couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy that the man was the one to make her laugh and not me.

I almost rolled my eyes at myself. Bella was beautiful, I had to admit, but I knew barely anything about her. I had only really talked with her once, but from that I could already tell she was very down to earth, not flighty or vain and she had an easy smile. She also had a scary huge big brother.

I shook my head and turned away from the door, trying to keep my mind away from Bella so it would remain clear. It was much easier said than done. I found myself going over her answers to my questions from last night, thinking about the light playing on her hair and her perfect smile. I also wondered what the initial draw of her was to me. Her looks? No, I didn't think that. I wasn't shallow like most other men my age. Her mind? I wasn't sure. She seemed kind, smart, and funny but I couldn't be sure about that. It could be an act for all I knew. I barely had any insight to the way her mind worked.

I meandered down halls at random, passing the dormant casino that, at night, was a draw for smokers, the kid's area, a bit like a daycare for younger children or a clubhouse for slightly older ones, and a small spa. I wondered vaguely what Alice was doing right then and what show she'd be dragging me off to see tonight. I ended up getting my MP3 and dozing on the balcony of my room.

A while later I was awoken by a loud pounding on the other side of my cabin. Feeling slightly groggy and disoriented, I shuffled over to my door and opened it to find, predictably, my sister. She skipped past me and made a beeline for my closet. She rummaged through the suits and nicer outfits she'd told me to pack and pulled out a dress shirt and slacks. She scrutinized the outfit before throwing them to me and pushing me into my bathroom and closing the door.

To an outsider this exchange might have been strange but it was perfectly normal between the two of us. I put the clothes on without question and came back out to find her right outside the door, tapping her foot impatiently.

"So what's on the agenda for tonight?" I asked as I did up the last few buttons. She grabbed my hand and lad me from the room.

"We're going to eat and then to the lounge to watch a friend." She said as she pushed the down button and hopped from one foot to the other.

"Feel like being any vaguer?" I asked in annoyance as she seized my hand once again and dragged me into the elevator.

"Nope." She said as she bounced slightly.

We got to the eating area and she rushed me through a quick meal. When I paused long enough to complain about her and her schedules she gave me a withering look and told me that I would've had more time if I hadn't fallen asleep. I could see there was no point arguing that she hadn't even told me I had a schedule to maintain so I dropped it and shoveled down the rest of dinner.

Once done she promptly dragged me off again to the lounge, an open area with a few pool tables, fireplaces and plenty of cushy chairs and couches. A stage of sorts was set up against one wall for singers or comedians and such with a single microphone, a stool and a baby grand piano that my hands were itching to play on.

Alice pushed me into a chair facing the stage, close to a burning fireplace, and leapt into the chair right next to it. She wiggled a bit, getting comfortable, and I looked on in exasperation as she bounced in anticipation for whatever was to come.

"So, I'm guessing it will be a wasted attempt to find out why we're here?" I asked. She nodded, grinning widely.

"Completely and totally useless." She confirmed. As the minutes leading up to whatever show was coming her bounces increased in enthusiasm until it almost seemed she was vibrating.

I looked up in surprise as a loud voice called our names to see Emmett jogging over to us. He hopped into a seat on the other side of Alice and grinned at us. I looked at him in surprise, feeling like I was missing something.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, bewildered.

"I always come to her shows. They're the best." He said as he threw his arms behind his head and crossed his ankles, the picture of ease. I was definitely not getting something and I felt like the answer was staring me in the face. I figured they wouldn't tell me if I hadn't figured it out by now so I settled back and wondered.

Soon enough a man came out and sat on the piano bench and did a quick warm-up. The lights came on as a woman followed out soon after and made her way across the stage. I strained my eyes to see her face, to confirm my thoughts, but her slightly curled hair hung right in front of her face. Finally, with a slight brush of her fingers, she pushed her hair out of her face and I knew for certain I was an idiot. How had I not figured this out?

She smiled at the pianist and he nodded before putting his fingers to the keys. And she started to sing. My mind was immediately wiped blank as Bella's sweet voice washed over me. Her voice was lilting and seemed to caress the notes. I was too focused on her face, her voice, to notice much of anything else, like what she was wearing, for instance, or what song she was singing.

She sang one song after the next, each one complimenting her voice perfectly, for around forty-five minutes. It was like pure bliss when she sang and when she finished it was like coming down from some strong high. I knew I had to get to know Bella more and tomorrow was the perfect time to do so.

"C'mon." Emmett said, standing up. "Let's go see the star." He said, leading us down a side hall to what served as the backstage.

Bella's POV

I tugged on the red cocktail dress that had been chosen for me, much to my dismay because I found it too low cut for my taste, and peered out into the lounge. I was grateful that the lights had already come on and I couldn't see anything past the glare of the harsh lights.

"Bella!" I heard Marcy, the make-up artist and costume designer of the ship call me. I turned and was immediately attacked by a powder puff and a tube of lipstick, touching up miniscule details of my make-up that I couldn't see. She studied me a moment, tugging the material of the silky dress, and smiled. "You look great now go break a leg! You're on!" she said as she pushed me to the edge of the curtain. I smiled briefly at her and stepped up onstage.

My eyes were momentarily blinded by the lights but I was so used to it I didn't give it a second thought. The audience was completely invisible to me but I knew they could see me. Feeling a bit self conscious, I let my hair fall forward to hide my face as I took a small, but deep nonetheless, breath.

I made the rest of the way across stage (without tripping thankfully) and sit gingerly on the edge of the stool set out for me. I tugged on the edge of my dress to make sure nothing was showing under my short skirt.

I pushed my hair back finally and smiled at my pianist. He nodded to me and began playing. I began to sing and immediately felt better. I loosened up and couldn't think of anything but what was coming out of my mouth. I sang the songs that had been prepared for me that I had come in to practice earlier that day effortlessly. Singing was perhaps the one thing that came easily to me.

I finished the songs and was almost surprised to remember I had an audience when I heard the applause start. I gave a small sheepish smile, a quick curtsy and darted offstage the way I had come on. I came into the small dressing room and I immediately set to wiping off the make-up that was caking my face. A moment later I heard a knock behind me.

"Come in Emmett!" I called, knowing it was him already by the pounding knock and the fact he did this after every show. The door burst open and standing there was not only Emmett, but also Alice and Edward. I jumped and immediately felt my face flush a brilliant red. Emmett laughed at my reaction in typical Emmett behavior and I smacked his arm.

"Bella! You were so great!" Alice squealed as she squeezed me in a death grip hug worthy of Emmett.

"Thanks." I said weakly. I hadn't known they were coming tonight!

"Why didn't you tell me they were coming?" I asked with a big smile although the fire in my eyes was only for Emmett to see. He cringed slightly at my look and held up his hands, palms forward.

"I swear, I didn't know." He promised. I could see the truth in his eyes, begging me not to be mad. I gave him a weak smile before remembering the low-cut, short-skirted dress I was wearing. I tugged at the hem self-consciously and caught Edward's eyes. He smiled at me.

"You really were wonderful." He said in a low voice. I smiled at him and felt my cheeks burn red once more.

"We should probably go so you can change. I love that dress by the way." Alice chirped as she pushed the guys back out. "See you tomorrow Bella!" she called behind her. Edward glanced over his shoulder and gave me one last heart stoppingly gorgeous smile before they were all gone. I sat back against the table and blew out a big breath, feeling as if I had run a long way.

Tomorrow sure would be interesting.

A/N- soo sorry that took so long! I'll try to get the next chapter out ASAP! Unfortunately I start 8th grade Tuesday. Woo. My heart goes out to all of you who have already started back to school!

--Cullens4everandever