Bella took the long way to the Cullen's home, for once not pushing the old truck to its limit. It was a cool evening and a silent wind combed through the trees. She usually had Rosalie drive her places now due to what had happened-had almost happened-in her own car. She tried vigorously to suppress the memory, but in the truck it seemed persistent to linger. She liked to think that the memories were only prominent in here because it was where it had happened, but really she had no control over where they hit her. They didn't do anything, not really, she told her self again and again. But there was no getting around the fact that they had. They'd broken into her car, beaten and violated her, were about to take advantage of her, and probably would have left her for dead when they'd finished. Their faces hovered above her in the darkening air. She would have clamped shut her eyes if she wasn't driving. She tried instead to focus on Rose and Alice, the fun they were about to have. Bella thought about bringing something so snack on, but remembered she'd be the only one eating it.
She pulled to a stop beside Rosalie's convertible, waving as Alice poked her head out of the window from upstairs, hearing her yell "she's here!" excitedly. She looked much better, a dazzling smile in place-a real one. Bella relaxed, happy that she'd come, but mostly glad to be out of her truck. Rosalie glided through the front door, running to her. They embraced and kissed before Rosalie informed her that Alice was already aware of the party.
"I guess it's sort of hard to throw a surprise for a psychic," she laughed.
"Yes, but I was surprised when I first got the vision!" Alice called through the window. "It was such a sweet idea, really." Bella hooked her arms around Rosalie's neck when she picked her up and began to leap up the side of the house. To Bella it was as smooth as taking an elevator, except ten times faster. Bella began to get off her back, feeling a little unstable at such a height. Alice seemed to sense this, and lifted her in through the window, gently setting her down on Rosalie's bed. Rosalie was already headed for the door.
"Where you going?" Bella asked, laying down on the bed and gazing at her girlfriend upside down. Rosalie, once again compelled by her charm, came back for a brief kiss.
"Drinks," she explained and continued downstairs. Bella sat up with a smile, which dropped when she found Alice leaning on the windowsill.
"Why so distant?" Bella asked harmlessly.
"I'm right here," Alice giggled.
"Yeah, like eight thousand feet away. Yesterday you were practically stealing me away from Rose," Bella joked.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, how's this?" Alice danced over to where Bella sat, looming over her before sitting down with exaggerated contentment.
"Better," Bella approved. They talked until Rosalie returned with several cases of beer, two large bottles of vodka, a bottle of Irish whiskey, and a few others Bella didn't identify. Rosalie was already sipping one of the beers and handed one over to Alice.
"I'll start with Ireland actually," Alice decided, grabbing the whiskey. Bella stared curiously as Alice expertly opened the drink. Alice caught her glance. "Has the human sampled Ireland's finest yet?" she asked mischievously.
"No," Bella told her. "Just America's cheapest." Rosalie laughed and joined them, pulling Bella snugly into her lap. Alice took a petite gulp before handing it to Bella, who sniffed it cautiously. It smelled spicy in its own way. The warm, butterscotch color swayed in the glass, looking pleasant enough. She swung the bottle back, accidently filling her entire mouth with the alcohol, unprepared. She gagged and coughed, though luckily managed to swallow before spraying anyone. Rosalie and Alice burst with laughter. Bella joined them once she'd recovered, face red with embarrassment. Alice took another pull and Rose opened up a second beer.
Suddenly there was music, bottles strewn over the floor, and who turned off the lights? They'd somehow migrated to the living room, and Alice was trying to get them to dance.
"You should know by now," Bella slurred, "that I can't dance." She felt Rosalie's arms wrap around her, leaning back into her unstably. Rosalie said something but she missed it, discovering something that, at the time, became excruciatingly hilarious to them all.
"Which is kinda funny... because my name's Belle Swan! Swans are really graceful and-" she sucked in a lung full of air to continue, voice amplified. "You guys, I'm really not that graceful." Alice, who somehow managed to keep her balance superbly even while inebriated, caught Bella as she proved her point for the umpteenth time that night.
"Like the Swan Princess...No wait! Bella... Bell-la...Bell... Belle!" Alice declared. " Belle from Beauty and the Beast."
"Hmm?" Bella inquired, sitting down on the piano bench and missing.
"You're Belle. That's what Disney princess I am-er-you are. Who am I?"
"You're Jasmine," Rosalie told her.
"Psh, she's Snow White" Bella insisted. "Or maybe the faery from Fern Gully..."
"And Rose is Briar Rose. Sleeping Beauty."
"Yes!"
Once the three had determined which Disney princess they were, they began to fashion tiaras out of various items: forks and spoons, the TV antenna, bending them to their head sizes. Alice added the stuffing from a pillow to hers, looking more like an ice queen of some sort, managing to balance it all on her head.
"Can you watch her for a sec?" Rose asked, setting her crown aside. "I need to hunt."
"What, now?" Alice swayed.
"I don't want to take any chances and I haven't gone for a while."
"Sure thing. I've got 'er." She saluted.
Bella fell into a pile of giggles on the floor, hair in her face. She began to hiccup violently.
"Right," Rosalie laughed. "Be back soon." And she was gone.
Alice chuckled at the disheveled human, who was attempting to get to her feet via her head.
"Wrong way, dear," she said, pulling Bella up by the waist. "Come on, up you go."
Bella slouched into her, eyes closed and lips slightly parted.
"You're not going to pass out now, are you?" Alice asked, trying to prop her up.
"Mmmwwff? No..."
"Good, because I still want to dance." Gingerly she began to lead Bella's half lank body into a complex dance that took up the whole room. Alice laughed with elation.
"Having fun?"
"I think I need to puke."
"What?"
"I'm going to-"
Alice produced the decorative bowl sitting on the coffee table, dumping the contents-a few pine cones-quickly, holding it in front of Bella just in time.
"Better?" She asked once Bella had finished. Bella took another swig of vodka.
"Tired."
"You humans don't last long do you?"
"We live forever."
Alice smiled at her the way she'd smile at a small child "Do you now?"
"Rosalie" hiccup "said I would."
This made Alice pause.
"Rose... is planning on changing you?" She asked hesitantly. She came to the realization that this conversation would be massively easier if the room would just settle down already and stop spinning.
"Mmmmaybe." Bella leaned into the sofa, arms flopping off of it.
Alice figured this information should startle her in some way but she couldn't quite understand why. She also couldn't wrap her head around the fact that it got her thinking about Jasper and love in general. She could almost feel him with her, the way they used to be around one another. She'd crawl into his lap the way Bella did with Rosalie, they'd kiss and flirt the same way too. She remembered how good it felt to be held, kissed that passionately. She could feel his lips against hers again, though they were softer and warmer than she remembered. He smelled different but pleasant. She pushed herself against him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Rosalie," he said in a drunken voice.
"She's out hunting," she deepened the kiss.
"Mmmm... Rose..." Jasper wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing himself against her petite frame. Jasper's hair sure did grow fast... and why was he saying Rosalie's name? The second Alice realized whom she was really kissing, so did Rosalie.
The lights flashed on. Rosalie stood petrified in the doorway, eyes wide.
Alice grew incredibly sober within seconds.
Bella slouched back into the couch, a small snore escaping her newly kissed lips.
A/N: Dun dun dunnn!
Review. You know you want to. Thanks for reading!