A/N: Originally, I wrote this story for English Class, but I'm going to post it anyway, changing the names and all that, of course. In this story, Rene and Charlie are still married - and happy. Alice BRANDON is still best friends with Bella Swan...and the rest is history...Just to clear things up - characters are Emmett McCarty, Alice Brandon, Bella Swan, Carlisle and Esme Cullen, Edward Cullen, Rosalie and Jasper Hale...who are twins.

Bella's POV

"School's out!"

The kids in the classroom shouted as they grabbed their stuff and aimed for the beeline: the door. A bevy of excited students bursted through the rusty old doors of their ancient school.

I, however, was the last one out of the classroom. I ambled at a leisurely pace, oblivious to my impatient friend ahead of me tapping her foot. When I caught up with my best friend, Alice Brandon, she immediately began to lecture me.

"What in the world is wrong with you? It's summer! This is what we've been waiting for since September!" Alice shook my shoulders nonstop and looked at me as if I had four heads and three eyes.

I only shrugged apathetically and responded pathetically.

"I guess. I mean we have been waiting for this for like forever. I guess I'm just not excited because my family never goes anywhere fun during the summer. Never."

"Oh come on! It can't be that bad," Alice urged eagerly.

"Oh really? The only thing I've ever done during the summer is rot away on the couch, sweating from the heat. I was so lackadaisical that I was even too lazy to turn on the fan." Alice was slack-jawed.

"No way! You wasted every summer melting in a sofa?" She confirmed dubiously.

"Trust me. Don't ever visit me during the summer. My house smells like a mélange of sweat with decay and my dad's stinky feet." We giggled and headed off to my house.

As we sauntered into the house, my parents were already there, waiting for us.

"Girls, hurry up and sit down," my mom ordered trying to keep a straight face.

I knew something was up. I sat down slowly and gingerly trying to scrutinize my mother's expression.

Alice whispered into my ear, "Are we in trouble?"

My dad overheard.

"Relax, you guys aren't in any kind of trouble."

We both sighed with relief as my parents chuckled humorously.

"We have an announcement. We, are all going to Hawaii this summer!" Alice's and my jaws both dropped.

Between the two of us, Alice was the first to speak.

"Oh. My. Gosh. Hawaii. Summer. Wow," she squealed with élan.

My mouth still hung agape. "Close your mouth, sweetie," my mom scolded me, "you'll catch flies."

I closed my mouth and chose my words carefully.

"When you say 'we', you mean..."

My dad laughed at my caution. "We mean you, your mother, and I," he answered.

My smile immediately dropped. I mean sure, Hawaii, my first trip. But without Alice?

"As well as Alice," my mom tacked on.

"No. Way. My parents would never agree. I'll never be able to talk them into this. I'm my dad's little girl. He'll never allow me to go on a trip this big, especially without them," Alice whimpered saturninely.

Hmph, never thought I'd see the day that perky little pixie was actually SAD. I mean Alice and Sad just don't go together. Alice is like a big exploding ball of sunshine. She's a hyper little one full of energy. Never calm or depressed, or even down!

"Don't worry Alice. We got this covered. We talked to your parents and everything's okay," my parents reassured her. Alice's spirits were immediately lifted.

Well it was fun while it lasted...

"AHH! THIS IS GONNA BE SO MUCH FUN! Thanks, Rene, Charlie!"

Alice squealed as I covered my ears to prevent hearing loss from her high-pitched voice.

"Well, that's all we have to say," and with that my parents left the room, after Alice had hugged them both.

"Wow. Can you believe we're going to Hawaii?" Alice asked with awe.

"Yeah, I guess," I said unsurely. Boy, was I wishy-washy today.

"Why aren't you just as excited as I am?" Alice questioned.

"Hawaii is beautiful and all, I guess. But it's also dangerous. There are active volcanoes there. And volcanoes can lead to all sorts of disasters, like tsunamis and earthquakes..."

"Oh, don't be such a paranoid nebbish, Bella. You need to step out of your comfort bubble, and take some risks. Have some fun!"

Alice continued with her pep talk, and eventually convinced me into going, not that I had a choice in the first place. I decided to give in.

"You know what? I'm not going to be a worry-wart anymore. From now on I'm Miss Daredevil."

My mom stuck her head into the room.

"By the way, girls, we're leaving tomorrow around noon. Better start packing!" She reminded, and left.

Then I started to panic.

"Tomorrow at noon? Is she insane? How am I going to have enough time to pack all the necessities of a trip like this? My clothes? My scrapbook? My camera? What about my helmet and emergency first aid kit that I haven't gotten yet?"

I rambled on pacing around the room. Good thing the room was spacious, and didn't have many pieces of furniture.

Alice just stood there, glaring at me, hands on her hips, giving me a doubtful look.

"Well, well, well Miss Daredevil..."

I quickly cleared my throat. "I mean sure, about a day to pack, no problem. I mean, who needs to bring a scrapbook and a first aid kit? Who cares?" Alice just smiled and shook her head unbelievingly, then headed home to pack for what was supposed to be 'the best summer ever'. It all just starting to sink in.

A/N: There is a reason Bella is so paranoid - it'll show up later on in the story. Because this was an assignment, there are so really weird long and complicated words :S - Sorry about that. Let's just say Alice likes to learn new words to use against Emmett...