Disclaimer: My name is not Stephenie Meyer and I don't own Twilight. I don't own Edward either *sigh*
Edward and Jasper walked us to our apartment. Edward made sure that I was comfortable on my bed before he left my room to get an actual ice bag. I didn't notice earlier what he used to hold the ice together back in Starbucks. I lifted it from my head and noticed it was a hanky. I didn't know guys in the East Coast used hankies too.
I remembered when Jacob started bringing a hanky and first aid kit in his bag. I was born clumsy and I thought was going to grow out of it, but I didn't. Jacob had taken the task of being my personal nurse. He always had a hanky with him so that if we hang out and none of us had any bag, he would always have something to dub my wounds with. It was a simple friendly gesture before, but now that I thought about, it was the sweetest thing someone has ever done for me.
Jacob had always been my protector and I couldn't ask for more. Lois never complained when a drop dead gorgeous Superman came to her rescue every time she was in danger. Jacob was like that, my personal Superman, drop dead gorgeous description included. I couldn't help but smile at the memories of Jacob. I missed him already and I was just with him the day before yesterday.
I heard a light knock on the door. The door was wide open, but Edward still knocked. How cute was that? "Here," he said and placed the ice pack on the spot where the door hit my head earlier.
"Thanks," I said, both for the new ice pack and for what he did in the café.
"You sure you're going to be okay?" he asked with sincerity. I nodded. "You want me to close the door?" I nodded again and he left. I heard voices from the living room but I slowly drifted to sleep.
--
I stretched my arms and felt something cold on my bed. The ice pack must have fallen from my head when I drifted off to sleep. I smelled coffee, bacon and toast. Breakfast was calling. I looked at the time and noticed it was only six in the morning. Why in the world was somebody up already? I got up and grabbed my toiletries from the night stand. After I pulled my hair in a pony tail, I headed out of the room. I saw a blond girl standing with her back on me. "Rosalie?" I asked.
The goddess in a jogging suit turned to me. "Good morning, Bella," she smiled. She looked wide awake. A morning person, I groaned. I showed her my toiletries and headed to the bathroom to wash up. After brushing my teeth, I joined Rosalie in the kitchen/dining area.
"You're up early," I stated the obvious. I put some creamer and sugar to my mug before putting the coffee. I didn't like it when I had to put the coffee first because sometimes not all the sugar dissolves.
"I went for a run," she said. "You should come with me some time," she invited and I almost shoot out the coffee through my noise. She had a lot to know about me.
"Running and I don't mix too well. I'm uncoordinated," I said.
"That sucks. Alice won't go with me either. She said she only runs in the mall," Rosalie said and I laughed.
"Just you wait until Black Friday," I said to Rose and she shook her head. Alice, in New York, on Black Friday. One could only imagine the chaos.
A few years back, Alice's family spent the Thanksgiving holiday in Forks. It was nice and festive and even though there were just ten of us, including the Blacks and Paul, mom and Aunt Cynthia prepared a feast that could feed more than twenty people. During dinner, Alice said that we would go to Seattle for Black Friday shopping. We used to go to Port Angeles but when she discovered the joy in shopping in Seattle, she said that we would drive all the way there. She invited Jacob to come along and he agreed.
"Great. We're leaving at two thirty to have enough driving time," Alice said. At first, I thought she was kidding, until at two in the morning the next day, she pulled my blanket and dragged me to the bathroom to get ready. I was still half asleep when I heard the front door opened and Jacob walked in.
"What did I get myself into?" he muttered.
"Welcome to hell," I said.
Alice handed both of us disposable cups of coffee, "Stop complaining, you two. You," he pointed to Jacob, "agreed to this. And you," she then pointed to me, "are pretty much obligated to come since you're the closest thing I have for a sister." She then pushed both me and Jacob towards the chilly air outside to get in the car. "I'll drive while you two warm up your bodies."
After driving for about two hours, Alice parked the car and hurried off the nearest store entrance while she tugged both me and Jacob along as if we were kids trying to run away from our mother. Well, it did feel that way. I was glad that I didn't comply with her 'wear nice shoes when you're going out' rule. She was wearing boots, I was wearing tennis shoes. There was no way I would go around the stores for hours with heels. That would just send me straight to the ER. I felt worse for Jacob because I only had to try on dozens of clothes. Jacob not only was forced to try on clothes, he was forced to carry the shopping bags. If he only knew what he was getting into, he would have kept his mouth shut.
When Alice decided that she already got everything she wanted to buy, Jacob and I were pretty much drained to the last drop of our energy. Since Alice had the most energy, she drove back to Forks, while Jacob and I tried to sleep while ignoring Alice's babbling about what great stuff we got that day. My whole body was sore after that trip and I made my parents promise not to let Alice do that do me ever again.
"When's your first day?" Rosalie asked, pulling me from my memories.
"On Monday, but I'm going to the NYU Main Bookstore later today to get my schedule," I answered. Although I was in full scholarship, my allowance was limited and living with Alice would be a challenge because she would drag me around and shop. I wanted to have some money saved up for myself and for the unnecessary shopping trips so I decided to accept a job in the campus bookstore.
"I'm not doing anything later, can I tag along?" she asked.
"Sure. I'm not sure if Alice is coming. What time did she get up yesterday?" I asked. Alice was not a morning person, except for shopping trips.
"Ten," Rosalie answered. "She was still up talking on the phone when I got home last night."
"What time did you get in?" I asked.
"Eleven thirty," she answered. "I was supposed to be home by nine, but that jackass wanted to stay longer in the party that we crashed. I had to make up and excuse and stayed in Borders until almost closing."
We both laughed at what she just said. "I can't believe you did that," I said and she just shrugged. "Alice said you met him at the bus stop."
"She warned me about it, but Royce looked decent. Stupid prick lied to his teeth that he knew the guy who was having the party. Everyone was staring at us when we got inside the house," Rosalie said.
"Alice said he went to NYU?"
"He did go to NYU, but dropped out after a semester. Lying bastard wasted my time."
"Did Alice tell you about Jasper?" I changed the subject. Rosalie looked at me with arched eyebrow. "Guess she didn't. When we got here yesterday from the airport, she called dibs on the guy from across the street. The timing was perfect because Mr. Blond went out to the balcony. Alice called out his attention and we all met at Starbucks with his roommate."
"Dang, she's fast," Rosalie chuckled.
"Oh yeah, she doesn't waste time. It's probably Jasper she's talking to last night," I said.
"Could be. She was smiling from ear to ear." She looked at the time on the microwave, "What time are you going to the bookstore?"
"Let's leave at eleven then probably walk around then grab lunch or something," I suggested.
"Sounds like a plan. That gives us four more hours. I had to cut my jogging short earlier; the air's a bit musky. Maybe I'll do some yoga later," Rosalie said. "Do you yoga?"
"That I can do," I said. "It's the only exercise I can do without inflicting too much physical damage to myself or others," I laughed. "It's seven right now. Say an hour and a half?" I asked and she nodded. I went to my room and rearranged my stuff from yesterday. I was a bit obsessive compulsive when it comes to my stuff so I had to place them according to my liking.
About two hours later, Alice woke up and drank coffee while Rosalie and I were in the middle of our yoga poses. "You're still into that?" Alice asked sleepily.
"Yeah," I huffed. "You should try it. It's a bit relaxing."
"No, thanks. You two don't look relaxed to me," she mumbled and poured a second cup.
"You're just not flexible," Rosalie chuckled.
"Alice, are you going to the bookstore with us? We're leaving at eleven then we'll grab lunch somewhere," I said while stretching.
"No can do. Jasper's taking me to lunch," Alice answered. Rosalie reached for the remote to put the DVD on pause while both of us stared at Alice with mouths hung open. "What?" she asked.
"You're not kidding, Bella. Your cousin's faster than Speedy Gonzales," Rosalie laughed.
"Who asked who?" I said and looked at Alice intently.
"He did, Bella. I don't ask guys out, remember?" Alice sneered.
"Just making sure. You don't usually go out with guys that fast either. What happened to at least a day to think it over? I asked.
Alice had the funniest dating tips I had ever heard, but I never really got to use any of them since I didn't date while I was in high school. Jacob, Angela, Alice and I were at the porch while watching cars pass on the summer after sophomore year in high school. "Alice, I've known Ben for years," Angela protested because Alice said that Angela should have not agreed to go out on a date with Ben since they just talked over the phone the night before. It would sound desperate.
"I know that, Angela, but this is a different playing field now," Alice tried to explain. "You should have said that you'll think about it."
"I know I'm going to say yes anyway," Angela protested.
"What do you think, Jacob?" Alice asked the only guy in the group.
"I would rather have the girl say yes right away if she's interested because I wouldn't ask if I wasn't interested in the first place. I don't like it when girls talk in codes," Jacob answered.
"You are so out of the norm," Alice rolled her eyes but I couldn't help but smile. If Jacob's interested in me, at least I would know right away.
"Remember what Jacob said before," Alice answered my question, "if a guy is interested, he'll let you know right away. That's just exactly what Jasper did." She took a sip from the cup, "Edward's tugging along if you want to join us."
I was thankful that I was not in yoga position at the time that she mentioned Edward or I probably would have fallen down and broke a bone or pulled a muscle. "No, thanks," I answered sheepishly.
"Who's Jacob and who's Edward?" Rosalie asked.