A/N: I am so incredibly sorry for how long it has taken me to update this story.

Seriously. You guys are totally Made of Win and rock hard for sticking with me. Real life has been super lame, but I'm back! And it shouldn't take me a million years to get the next chapter out. As always, my undying love and gratitude belongs to AHelm, who is my beta-ing goddess and a much better author than I. Anyone who hasn't read her story Chasing Daylight should be ashamed of themselves and rectify it immediately.

Not my characters.

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Throwdown, Not Up

The longer I stared into those baby blues, the clearer it became to me that I would have to act quickly before this became a tabloid notable interaction. Plastering on a big fake smile, I hugged him tightly, whispering between clenched teeth "We need to talk later." And then, louder, so that my voice was audible to those around me, "Emmett! So nice you could join us! And look, you even managed to cajole my wicked twin to come along for the ride," I stated as I noticed my slightly drunk twin brother Jasper leaning slightly on Edward Cullen, Emmetts' younger brother and one of my least favorite people.

Fantastic.

I was completely unsurprised though. The three of them could usually be found together. Although I'm older than Jasper by only seven minutes, at times like those, it felt like years.

"What? No hug for me, Bitch Barbie?" Edward asked as I stepped around Emmett and threw an arm around my brother.

"No thanks, I know where you've been and I don't have any Penicillin on me," I shot back with a grimace and leaned in closely to tell Jasper, "Jazz, you're swaying a bit. I saw at least seven photographers and fucking everyone has a camera on their cell phone anyway. Slow down a bit, kay?"

He smiled and agreed. "Sure thing, Rosie."

I smiled back at him. It was nice to have him out even if he was already half in the bag. We weren't typical siblings; we actually liked each other and appreciated each others' company. Novel concept, I know.

Speaking to all three, I offered, "Why don't you join us over here? We have plenty of room." Everyone seemed to agree and I steered them toward our private booth. Both Bella and Alice looked up from their discussion and took note of my new entourage with expressions of surprise. Jazz, ever the smooth operator, slid right in next to Alice and, with a small smile, leaned in close and asked her, "Alice Brandon, would you do me the humiliation of dancing circles around me out there on the dance floor?"

Alice cocked her head to the side, tapping her chin as she pretended to contemplate it before replying, "Jasper Hale, you've kept me waiting a long time."

"I'm sorry, ma'am," he said as he took her hand, and they slipped away to dance. That left me with Emmett, Bella and Edward. I sighed internally. This should be fun.

Everyone at Forks Academy was talented in some way. It's a private school for the exceptionally gifted and exceptionally fortunate. Bella may not have known her Cavalli from her Versace, but she was a musical genius. The girl could play any instrument you put in front of her and had a voice that could, quite honestly, bring you to tears. She and Edward were so alike in their talents that it was sickening. That was the only thing that they had in common. Musical idiot savants. He was cocky as hell; she was shy. They seemed to get along like oil and water.

Thanks, Alice, I thought to myself as I surveyed our table.

Edward and Bella were already engaged in a tense conversation. His jaw was clenched as tightly as his fingers were around his glass of scotch and she looked about ready to junk-punch him. And honestly, usually I'd have been all for it, but I had received a phone call from Mama Hale the last time one of my friends –ahem, Bella, ahem - made a scene in public and that was simply a conversation I never wanted to have again.

My mother is a formidable woman, to say the least. When people think I'm a bitch, they clearly have not had the pleasure of meeting my mama.

I leaned back in the booth and after swallowing the rest of my drink, motioned to a passing waitress that I needed another… no, two more, because Bella needed a refill as well. I was going to rescue her, and hopefully our evening, before Edward shat all over it and Bella beat him up. I didn't mind being on page six for being well-dressed and gorgeous, but I very much minded being on the cover of every grocery-store tabloid for being in a drunken nightclub brawl. More importantly, my mother would mind.

I looked over at him, raised an eyebrow and pointedly asked, "What kind of fucked up shit did we do that Karma is repaying us with your horrific presence this evening?"

He leaned back, throwing an arm casually around Bella and running the other through that coppery mess he called hair. Honestly, it was a pity that he was such a dick, because the boy was good looking. He knew it, too.

"Aw, Barbie, you know as well as I do that you do at least six fucked–up things before breakfast every day, so it's hard to pinpoint exactly which one is being paid forward to you now."

He said it with a wink and a grin.

"Besides, I hear that condolences are in order. You finally convinced the devil to buy your very black soul in exchange for a modeling job. How very plebian of you, Rose. I'd say I'm surprised, but you selling yourself isn't a shock."

He punctuated his insult by draining his drink and snapping at a waiter for another. I felt Emmett tensing next to me; he never understood Edward's and my mutual hatred of each other. We thrived on it though: I loved to hate him, and vice versa. At least he wasn't hitting on Bella anymore. I mentally patted myself on the back for that.

"Oh, Eddie, I know you're just jealous that Emmett waltzed in with no modeling experience whatsoever and snagged that job out from under your pretentious ass. Looks like somebody's not the prettiest boy in the family anymore."

I sang out, feeling the alcohol start to really hit my system and buzz through my veins. Next to me, Emmett laughed, putting his arm around me and hugging me to him.

"She's right E, you do seem a tad bitter, I can't help it that I look good. Shit."

When he laughed again, it was so infectious, that the whole table was laughing. People at other tables were laughing.

I looked up at him and smiled, my thoughts focused on him. He was just so good. He was always funny, and trying to make things better. He was nice - a genuinely nice guy. And his arm felt so good around me, I felt so safe, wrapped up against all those muscles. He made me feel tiny, with his ripped 6'7 frame. And he was so mouthwatering, those blue eyes that were full of mischief and that dark curly hair that I wanted to run my fingers through, and those full lips… and then I realized I was staring.

At Emmett.

In public.

Shit, I was drunk. I quickly tore my gaze away and looked over at Edward and Bella, who were luckily distracted by an argument with each other. I breathed a sigh of relief and leaned away from Em, tuning back in to hear Bella say, "You are such an arrogant motherfucker! I can school your ass any day of the week."

I looked back and forth in confusion. Shit, I thought, she's not really suggesting that they fight, is she?

"Oh, you are on, cupcake. And when I win, which, I'm sorry, but I will, you will go on a date with me," Edward said, smugly. I was still lost as to what they were talking about but Bella's face was red and her eyes held the glassy sheen of the truly inebriated. And even though I knew I wasn't much better, I saw the warning signs and intervened.

"Excuse us, guys, but Bella and I need to go to the ladies room. Caio, c'mon, B." I grabbed her arm and pulled her along, but she turned around before we could get too far.

"Friday, acoustic, Beatles, at the Banner Stage. Oh, and Eddie? When I win, which, sorry, but I will, not only am I not going to go out with you, but you are going to give me your Ducati."

I snorted in laughter. Not only was a date not at all the same thing as a motorcycle, but the look of horror on E's face as he imagined her owning and possibly operating his pride and joy made my week. Fuck, it made my month.

"Deal. That's how confident I am," Edward said, taking another drink and lighting a cigarette.

Emmett let out a loud laugh and as I dragged Bella in the direction of the bathroom I heard him say, "E, you are so fucking dumb, man. if you lose the Ducati in a bet, Dad will kick your ass."

I was still giggling to myself as we entered the bathroom and I sat Bella down on one of the overstuffed red velvet chairs in front of a mirrored wall. She still seemed upset, but the red in her cheeks was starting to fade a bit.

"Ok, so clearly I missed something. What exactly are you, Eddie-boy and the Beatles doing in the Banner auditorium on Friday?" I asked, while touching up my lip gloss and eyeliner.

She laughed. "You know that he hates it when you call him Eddie, don't you?"

"Of course," I answered. "Why do you think I do it? But you still haven't answered my question." She sighed,

"We're battling. He kept saying he was a better musician because he's been classically trained since he was in utero and it was really pissing me off, because I mean, shit, yeah, he might be better, but he was being such a dick. But now I really want to win," she said in a rush, biting her lip when she finally finished.

I couldn't help but comment. "Uh, Bella? You realize that you on a motorcycle is a god-awful idea, right?"

She smiled, "Oh, I know. And more to the point, he knows that too."

I laughed out loud, my smile just a little bit evil, "Grasshopper, you have learned well."

As she got up, she adjusted a few stray curls and took a look at her cell. "Rose, it's 1:45. We should head back to the hotel. And find Alice."

Rolling my eyes at the last item on her list, I nodded in agreement, and we turned to leave just as Alice came into the ladies room, looking slightly worse for the wear. "Alice! We were just about to go look for you! We're ready to head back. Are you?" I asked.

"Oh, yeah. I invited Jazz and the guys to come back to the hotel. I think we're all ready to go," she announced. She quickly reapplied her makeup and turned to face us, looking restored to her former state of perfection.

In the mirror I saw that Bella and I wore twin masks of shock at that news.

"You invited them back to the hotel? Are you mental?" I asked her.

She just grinned. "No, silly, I don't think any one of us should drive after tonight. Plus, the more, the merrier! Drinking games are more fun with more people." She smiled sweetly and hugged us both, leaving no room for argument and warring senses of elation and dread developed in my stomach.

I was over the moon that I got to spend the night with Emmett, but could I keep my hands off of him as my blood alcohol went up? I doubted it. I doubted it very much, but I couldn't quite bring myself to feel guilty for it.

I took a deep breath and put my arms around my partners in crime. "Well, girls, let's head back. I have a feeling things are about to get interesting."

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A/N Pt.2: Music is my favorite drug and like a heroin addict, I have my preferred brand(s). I wrote this chapter to a playlist including: 3oh!3, Brand New, Kings of Leon, Taking Back Sunday, Chairlift and Lily Allen. I am assembling a playlist for this story as I write it, and if there is interest in it, I would be more than happy to post it when complete.

If you are still reading this story and like it, love it, hate it, think it's the worst piece of fic ever written.. whatever.. REVIEW. Please.

Kthanks,

Noela