You guys are awesome! This is my first fanfic, and I can't believe that I got twelve reviews for it in two chapters! Wow. Thank you guys so much.

Sorry this took so long to get out; high school (and the homework it ensues) is a bugger.

Disclaimer: I am not Stephenie Meyer, nor do I own the YMCA. But I wish I was and that I did. ;) Oh, also, I have no idea if there is a YMCA in Forks (I doubt there is), but let's just pretend that said YMCA exists.

Lastly, I have never been in a beauty contest, nor have I ever attended one. I'm making this one up as I go along. Please be flexible. Thanks!

Chapter Three – She's a Brick House (haha, don't ask... when I thought of the summary of this story, I thought of the line, "letting it all hang out"... and then I thought of the chorus, "she's a brick... house" - thus, the title of my chapter was born)

Bella's POV

I woke up to find myself wrapped in Edward's cool arms. I smiled in spite of myself, silently thanking God for bringing a man as wonderful as Edward. Slowly, I twisted my head to look at him and saw that he was staring at me, smiling my favorite smile.

"Good morning," I said, yawning involuntarily.

"Good morning," he repeated back. One of his fingers traced my lips. "How is Bella this morning?"

"Bella is good," I replied and smiled, playing along in third person. "Bella thinks she is pretty excited for the beauty pageant sign-up today."

I felt Edward stiffen against me. "Edward is… excited for the sign-up as well," he lied.

"Bella wonders why Edward is so tense, then. Did Edward see what Alice saw is going to happen today?" I inquired, curious as to what Alice saw.

Edward paused. "Maybe." His voice sounded reluctant but also excited.

I sat up straight, suddenly very curious as to what would happen today. His tone didn't exactly imply that he was looking forward to signing up. I felt my pulse quicken, and I'm sure he heard it, because he began chuckling.

"Edward, what's going to happen? Is something bad going to happen? I mean, we're just going to sign up, it's not like we have to parade around in our swimsuits like we will in the pageant, right? We just go and sign up, right? I'm pretty sure that we just give them our name and –" I felt Edward's cool finger against my lips, shushing me. The bed underneath me was shaking, so I assumed he was silently laughing.

"No… you will not be… flaunting your body in a… swimsuit." He said the sentence very slowly, as if he was trying to tell the truth as best as he could without getting caught in a lie. I felt as though I was missing out on an inside joke. "You'll find out soon enough, love. I'm… pretty sure that it is not as bad as you think. The time within which we sign up is in a few short hours." I lied back down.

Edward unleashed his scorching golden eyes onto my unprepared gaze. He always knew how to distract me. I should've been upset that he was trying to change the subject on me, but I decided that being dazzled was good enough for me. "Right now," he said huskily, "let's rest a little before I run you back home to change." For a few seconds, I forgot to breathe. When I remembered to, my breaths were short and staggered.

"I don't know about resting, maybe we should get our hearts pumping instead," I managed to gasp out. He smiled my crooked smile and then pressed his cool lips to my trembling ones. He rolled me over gently, so that his body was hovering over mine. I locked my arms around his neck and pulled myself upward, our chests less than an inch apart. I felt the ends of his lips curve upward, and his kissed me back, eager but amused by my actions. Knowing I had only a couple seconds left before he would separate himself from me, I slightly parted my lips and gave the kiss as much passion as I could muster.

"Bella," I heard him whisper, his lips grazing mine as he talked, "your confidence in my self-control is boosting my ego a little more than I would appreciate."

"Maybe a little confidence boost is just what you need," I answered back, pushing my lips to his again. I felt him smile as he gave me one last kiss before he rolled back over, so that we were now both on our sides, lying on the bed, facing one another.

A loud boom at the door behind me made me jump. "Edward! Bella!" Jasper yelled. "Can I come in?"

I sighed. "Yes, Jasper, come in," I replied, letting annoyance color my tone. I heard the door open and rolled over so I could face him. "And I'd like to thank you, Jasper, for having the worst timing in the world."

Jasper looked as annoyed as I felt. "Well, excuse me," he gasped, "for wanting to break up the action in here. You two lovebirds were radiating such a huge amount of passion that I went up to Alice and began kissing her like you two just were!"

I was confused. Was kissing Alice a bad thing now? I looked at Edward, but he was shaking his head and smiling, silently chuckling. I looked back at Jasper, who was clutching the doorframe for support. "Jasper, what's wrong with kissing Alice? Shouldn't you like to kiss her? What's the problem in that?"

"Bella, she just got back from shopping," he said, as if that explained everything. I felt my brow furrow, and, sensing my confusion, Jasper went into further detail. "So, she had to put her clothes away. You know how she hates it when people interrupt her when she is busy organizing her new purchases…" He raised a hand to the left side of his face and whapped his cheek lightly with the palm of his hand.

My hand flew to my mouth to stifle a giggle. "You're kidding, right? She didn't actually… slap you, did she?"

Jasper nodded sadly, but I saw a flicker of amusement in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Jasper," I apologized, a smile playing on my lips. "You just let us know when she's finished putting away her clothes and we'll, um, turn up the passion for you, okay?" I gave him a wink. He grinned back, all the anger out of his system – now that it was out of mine – and said, "Thanks." Jasper shut the door and I heard him whistle as he walked down the hall.

I rolled back over to look at my beautiful Edward. "That is kind of you to do that favor for Jasper, Bella," he said to me. "But I don't suppose that 'turning up the passion' will include me, will it?" He smiled.

"Why, of course it will, silly," I smiled in return and leaned over to give him a kiss on the lips. His lips chose to touch my forehead, instead.

I rolled onto my back and looked up at the ceiling. I can't wait until I have the control in this relationship…

(later)

I was back in my house, in my room, staring into my closet, attempting to coordinate a good-looking outfit. While I didn't really care what others thought of how I dressed, I did want to win this bet. I wanted to control Edward – and his actions – for one whole week. And for that to happen, I needed to look clean and sharp to impress the sign-up judges. Alice was sitting on my bed, smiling and watching me with amusement. I rolled my eyes and sighed in annoyance.

"Alice, could you please ransack my closet and find me a good outfit to wear?"

Alice grinned like she was expecting me to say that. Actually, she probably was expecting me to say it. "I'd love to, Bella!" she said joyfully. She stepped toward my closet like a predator hunting its prey; clothing was as important to her as staying alive – as alive as vampires could be, anyway. She speedily ran her fingers through my hanging shirts and pants and, within a few seconds, she pulled out a pair of dark-wash skinny jeans, a white lace tank top, and navy blue v-cut sweater to wear over the cami. I didn't remember ever buying any of those items. Alice probably brought those with her and snuck them into my closet when I wasn't looking… that sneak. I took the outfit from her and laid it on the bed, then proceeded to strip of my current clothing.

Alice began to scrutinize my look when I was just wearing my bra and panties. My bra was white lace and see-through, leaving nothing to the imagination; my panties, on the other hand, were green and had a frog decorating the front. I rarely ever coordinated my underwear, and Alice knew that, so I wondered why she was looking at me this way.

"What, Alice?" I asked her.

"Just hang on a minute," she replied. She turned back toward my closet, raided through my bra and panties drawer, and turned around with a navy blue bra and navy blue panties. She stretched out her arm, holding the matching set in her hand.

"Put these on." I was about to refuse her demand, but she looked into my eyes and said, "Just trust me. Please put these on." Her lips turned up into her irrefutable grin.

I sighed. "Okay," I agreed glumly.

Realizing that Alice would be in charge of me and my appearance for the rest of the day, I let myself transform into her Barbie and allowed her to do as she wished with my appearance. I was soon dressed to perfection. My normally albino face was tanned and blushed thanks to Alice's magic makeup kit; my usually ratty and tangled hair was smooth and sleek, up in a high ponytail. As much as I hated to admit it – and I would never admit it to Alice – I sometimes enjoyed looking at myself all dolled up in the mirror.

At five till noon, Alice and I went downstairs. I grabbed the keys and locked up the house while Alice rushed – or skipped, I should say – outside to meet the rest of her family in the Volvo. I left a note for Charlie, explaining where I was going, what time I would be back, and where to find leftovers for lunch. After making sure all the lights were turned off, I grabbed my purse and jacket and fled out the door, eager to meet with the rest of the Cullens, but curious as to what was going to happen. I was sure Edward had seen something that made him so tense, and he must have seen it in Alice's mind…

My thoughts were racing by the time I opened the passenger door of the Volvo. Hitting my head on the roof of the car as I slipped in, I looked at Edward, who was driving. He smiled at me and leaned over, giving me a quick kiss on the lips. I shut my door and looked back at the rest of the gang, who were all crammed into the back seat. Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper were all sitting side by side, with Alice lying across their laps. It was a funny sight, I had to admit, and I giggled as Edward started driving to the YMCA.

Emmett saw me laughing and started chuckling himself. "Go ahead and laugh for now, Bella, but if you crack any jokes about our seating position, this –" he pointed to Alice "– may just be you on the ride back!" He started laughing his booming laugh.

My thoughts quickly switched back to today's future events as I looked at Alice's face, which was deep in concentration – reading all of our futures, no doubt. Jasper sensed my mixture of fear and curiosity, and kindly sent a wave of calm my way. My eyes met with his. "Thanks," I said quietly. He nodded in response.

And lastly, there was Rosalie, who was currently giving herself a quick makeup check-up before we need to sign up. Even though her skin was flawless already, she began powdering her cheeks with blush. I looked back out the front windshield of the car, only to find that Edward was already pulling into the YMCA parking lot.

It was packed, to say the least. There were all kinds of cars parked everywhere. Edward looked annoyed as we traveled out to the backside parking lot and pulled into a space on the end row, right next to a big, black monster truck. As we got out of the car, I thought I heard Edward mumble, "He better just watch his doors when he opens them… one dent on my Volvo and there will be hell to pay…"

I silently giggled at Edward's unhealthy obsession for his car's beauty as he grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the front of the YMCA. He smiled at me and leaned over, his lip grazing my earlobe slightly – enough to make me shiver.

"What is so funny?"

I pushed back my urge to kiss him and let out another giggle. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think your car was your girlfriend, not me."

He smiled his crooked smile and chuckled. "But that's impossible," he said, whispering again. "My car isn't nearly as beautiful…" he paused to kiss my cheek. "Or as intelligent…" he kissed the slide of my neck. "Or as magnificent as you are, love." He kissed me on the lips and then parted to smile at Jasper, who looked like he was about to explode.

"Too… much… passion… too… much… passion…" Jasper kept repeating to himself under his breath. I turned to Emmett, and he seemed to be treating Rosalie the same way that Edward was just treating me. I smiled in spite of myself.

Edward opened the front door of the YMCA for me and I was greeted by a bright white and red room. About fifty feet away from the door was a table at which three people sat: one man in the middle and two women on either side of him. Those must be the judges, I thought to myself. In front of each of the judges was a line of women, making three lines in total. The queues spiraled all the way around the room, trying to fit as many ladies as possible.

Against the walls, on either side of the spiral, were men, apparently waiting until 3:00 when their judging began. Edward, as tense as ever, gave me a kiss on the forehead and said, "I'll be over there in line. If you need anything –" I cut him off by putting my finger to his lips.

"I'm waiting in line at a beauty contest, Edward. I don't think anyone's going to hurt me." I gave him a small smile to reassure him my confidence. He smiled back, but it didn't reach his eyes, and he glanced warily at the men standing on either side as though they were going to hurt me. I took his tense concern for over-protectiveness and gave him a small shove on his shoulders. "Go," I whispered. "I'll be fine. Rosalie and Alice will be in the lines on either side of me. Don't stress it."

He glanced back to me and kissed me again on the forehead. "Love you," he mumbled as he walked to the wall of men.

I smiled. "Yeah, yeah… I guess I love you, too," I mumbled back. He turned around and smiled his crooked grin, leaving me breathless, as he leaned against the "Wall of Men".

I got into the middle line of women. Alice stood in the line to my right and Rosalie stood in the line to my left. Edward, Emmett, and Jasper stood off to our right. Edward was pinching the bridge of his nose, his eyes squeezed shut, and Jasper kept mumbling under his breath. Emmett, on the other hand, was enjoying the view of women in front of him – a little too much. Rosalie gave him the glare of death when his eyes finished traveling over all the bodies and landed on her face. Emmett quickly clamped his hand over his eyes. I giggled and looked toward the front of the extremely long line. This was going to be a lengthy wait.

As the line moved forward, and I with it, I watched the first girl in my line step toward the table and lean onto it. The male judge, the judge of our queue, looked like he was asking her a few questions. He recorded her answers on a piece of paper, and then flipped it over. He looked back up at the girl and asked her a question. I assumed he had asked her to smile and pose, because the girl straightened up, placed her hands on her hips, and gave a nice, toothy grin. The man wrote something on the paper, and then asked her something else. At first, I saw her body tense, but she quickly shook it off and began to take off her shirt.

I felt my eyes grow wide.

I looked at the two girls in the other lines, and they too were stripping off their tops and bottoms. I felt the blood rush to my cheeks as the three girls stood there in nothing but their bras and panties. Then each judge came forward with a roll of measuring tape and began recording the sizes of their contestant. First they took thigh measurements, then hip, then waist, and then… their breasts. I felt my palms get sweaty. I allowed myself a glance at the men standing at the walls. Their eyes grew wide at the almost-nude sight before them, and several looked at the scantily-clad ladies as though they were something to eat.

I watched the girls put their clothing back on as the judges walked to the back of the table and recorded their measurements. Each judge gave their woman a wave and the three exited the lines, allowing the next girl in line to proceed forward.

I looked to Alice, knowing my eyes were still wide with fear and surprise. "Alice," I started quietly, my voice trembling with fear, "why are they taking their clothes off?"

"Don't worry, Bella," Alice assured me, "they're just taking measurements for the evening gowns and swimsuits. It's no big deal."

I watched vacantly as the next three girls in line began to unclothe themselves. I wasn't a prude or anything, I just didn't like people who I didn't know to see me in just my underwear… okay, so maybe I was a prude. It's not that I didn't mind Edward seeing me like this, but a bunch of men I didn't know? My jaw dropped. Edward.

I looked over at Edward as I took a step forward in line, surprised to see he was looking back at me. His eyes were narrowed and tight; he was obviously trying to conceal whatever emotion he was feeling. He attempted to give me a smile, but it ended up looking more like a grimace. I thought back to the males standing against the wall… I didn't even want to know what they were thinking… and all of them would have a clear view of me in just my bra and panties…

My forehead began to dew with sweat as I realized how obvious it had been. The line moved forward again as I was lost in thought. My mind wavered back Edward's comment earlier this morning… "No… you will not be… flaunting your body in a… swimsuit…" He'd been so careful not to spill the truth. I would be flaunting my body, but in my bra and panties – much worse than a swimsuit.

And then my mind flickered back Alice dressing me… I felt the intuition splash across my face. This is the reason that Alice made me change my underwear into something more appropriate. Because I'd be showing it to everyone at the YMCA!

I felt someone nudge me from behind, and my attention snapped back to the present. I took a few steps forward in line until I was a few inches behind the girl in front of me.

Anger filled me. Why didn't Alice and Edward tell me that this would happen? Why didn't they warn me that I'd have to strip down just for the judging? I pondered that thought. Probably because I would become angrier than this… and then I would drop out of the competition…

I took a step forward in line but continued to think. Why was I making such a big deal out of this? I let my mind find the answers. Because not even Edward has seen me in my bra and panties alone, and now the entirety of Forks would see me showing much more than I'd ever shown before…

The line moved forward and I took another step. My eyes wandered back to Edward. Poor Edward. He would hear everything that the males were thinking… whether it be good or bad, he would still hear it, regardless…

My eyes looked behind me to search through all the men standing against the wall. There were several faces I'd seen around town, but most of them I'd never seen before. I kept searching for Edward until my eyes found spiky blond hair. My jaw dropped. Mike Newton? Mike Newton?! He saw me and smiled. Part of me thought he was just entering the contest so he could see me in a swimsuit… I shuddered at the though and didn't respond to his smile. I kept searching through the sea of men until I found my main man. My sad eyes met his tight ones, and he gave a little wave. I waved back as I moved forward in line once more. This time, though, my thigh met with the edge of something. I looked down to see that my leg had made contact with the judging table.

Wait, that meant…

Crap. It was my turn to be judged. This should be a lovely experience.

What do you think? Sorry about the cliffy. ( Next chapter will be both Bella's POV and Edward's POV (half and half) so you should get to see what the men are thinking and all that jazz. (: Review, please!