Here we go, the next chapter! Thanks to everyone for adding this story to your story alerts/favorites lists. It's really important to me and it shows that there's people out there that enjoy this story enough to want to be alerted about updates. Thanks so much!
~MissSingItAll
Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything Twilight.
BPOV:
Saturday morning was spent scrubbing the kitchen squeaky clean. I had discovered that the last time Charlie had really cleaned was before the last Super Bowl; I had wordlessly pulled out the rubber gloves and the Pine-sol when he told me this. I disinfected the counters and the sink area, and then brought out the mop to get the floors. Charlie only gave me a sheepish look as he left the house for his usual fishing trip.
I was in the process of putting everything away when the phone started ringing. Pulling off the rubber gloves and tossing them in the space under the sink, I ran to the wall the phone rested on and picked up the receiver.
"Hello?"
"Hey Bella! It's Alice."
"Oh, hi Alice. What can I do for you?" I asked.
"Well first, I wanted to apologize for my total weirdness yesterday," she said. "I promise, I don't drink every weekend."
"It's fine," I replied, smiling and leaning against the wall.
"And I got to thinking about ways we could hang out. Here's my idea: we could have a movie night! I could bring over a couple DVDs and we could bust out the popcorn and candy! Would that work?" Alice asked excitedly.
I chewed the inside of my cheek as I thought this through. Alice would come, we would stay inside, and I would get to know her better. A moderately simple social situation, right? I could handle this.
"Yeah, I think it would," I stated slowly. Alice squealed in my ear.
"Great! Would tonight be okay?"
"Sure, Alice."
"Okay, I'll see you after dinnertime, alright? Oh, we'll have so much fun, Bella!"
After setting up a few more details, I hung up the phone and slumped back against the wall again. It's been two years since I have had to entertain company, and I wasn't sure how I was going to fare. I could feel my trepidation for the whole ordeal mix with my excitement for the chance to socialize.
Charlie called sometime after noon, letting me know that he would be spending dinner on the reservation. I made sure it was okay to have people over, and he seemed cheered by the prospect. After talking to him, I cleaned up the living room and hallway and made sure the DVD player was set up. Seeing that this was all finished, I finally made my way upstairs to get ready. I got to my room and sent a quick, seemingly happy email to Renee about my stay in Forks so far, saying things that I think she wanted to hear.
I decided to take a shower to help pass the remaining time. I massaged my strawberry shampoo through my long hair and rinsed, taking the time to make sure every trace of shampoo was gone. I soon emerged from the hot water, wrapping a fluffy towel around my body. I stepped in my room and changed quickly, throwing on a pair of jeans and a black tank top with a fleece blue sweater over it. I padded back into the bathroom and blow dried my hair, not really caring about my appearance and only looking for something to do. I ran my fingers through the strands a couple of times after it was dry, and, with a sigh, headed downstairs to wait for Alice.
The sun was starting to set outside; golden rays of light filtered in through the front windows. I sat down on the couch and tried to relax. I didn't know when exactly Alice would come, but it would be soon. I flipped on the tv so I could have background noise and tried to use it to distract me from my nerves.
Twenty minutes later the low chime of the doorbell resounded throughout the house. I jumped up from my seat and nearly ran to the door, tripping once on the way. I rested my shaking hand on the doorknob and took a deep breath. Then, moving quickly before I could really freak out, I threw open the door.
Alice stood on the porch with a stack of DVDs piled in her tiny arms and a leather bag on her shoulder. She had a huge grin on her face, and she made a move to step inside the house, but then hesitated.
"Um, Bella? I know this is last minute and everything, but do you mind if my brother joins us?" she asked, unsure. "His plans for tonight fell through."
I hadn't even noticed the tall figure standing just behind Alice. Edward stood there awkwardly, meeting my gaze with an apologetic look.
"If you aren't comfortable with that, it's cool. Edward can just go home or something," Alice continued, looking back and forth between me and Edward.
"Um..." I wasn't sure how I was going to handle this. I had definitely planned on Alice and only Alice. But there was something about Edward that soothed me rather than stressed me out. I wanted to figure out why that was; I wanted to know more about him, too.
"He can join us," I said quietly. Alice's eyes lit up, but she still didn't make a move to come in.
"Are you sure?" she pressed. I nodded my head and stepped back to allow them inside. Alice smiled and walked in, making her way to the living room. Edward followed her lead, and when he brushed past me I could smell just a hint of his scent: vanilla, honey, and a rich musk that was all his own. I shut the door and exhaled in a gust of air.
Alice set down the DVDs on the coffee table and reached into the bag, pulling out its contents and setting each item on the table. She brought out box after box of candy and two whole boxes of microwavable popcorn. She took a box and put the bag on the ground.
"I'm going to get this popcorn started," Alice said, and she walked farther into the kitchen. This left me and Edward alone, both of us standing on opposite sides of the coffee table.
"Um, I'm going to help Alice," I mumbled, and turned quickly to head into the kitchen.
Alice was searching through the cupboards for a bowl. I helped her out and found a large bowl for the popcorn. She thanked me and put a bag into the microwave, watching it carefully as it heated up. I grabbed glasses for us and the liter of soda I had found in the refrigerator.
"Thanks for doing this, Bella. I know my brother coming was not what we planned. I really am sorry about that," Alice said, her eyes not leaving the rotating bag of popcorn.
"It's alright, Alice. Really." I decided that I meant it, too. I had to learn how to deal with people again, especially now that I had a fresh start in a new town.
Alice looked back at me and grinned so hard, it looked like her face was going to split in two. I just shook my head and grabbed the glasses and the soda and headed back into the living room.
Edward was sitting on the couch, looking around the entire space. I placed everything on the table and stepped back. I didn't meet his gaze; instead, I sat down on Charlie's recliner and brought my knees up to my chest.
"Thanks again, Bella," he said, and my eyes darted to his. He had a gentle smile on his gorgeous face. My breath hitched.
"Sure," I replied, my voice shaky and weak.
What was up with me? I hadn't been this nervous for a reason not related to my agoraphobia for a really long time. It's just a guy, I told myself over and over. But maybe that was the problem.
"Alright, what are we watching?" Alice bounded back into room, the bowl full of popcorn resting in her arms. She set the bowl on the table and spread out the stack of DVDs.
We ended up picking a comedy to start off the night and lighten the mood. Alice laughed her dainty laugh throughout the whole movie, and I let out a few chuckles as well. But it was Edward's laugh that really got my attention. It was strong and golden, carefree and lighthearted. I wanted to hear that sound over and over again.
The next movie was a bit of a chick flick, but Edward seemed not to mind as Alice sighed and fawned over the lead characters. For the majority of the time, I could feel Edward's stare coming at me from the couch. When I turned to look at him, I would be met with a gaze so intense, I had to look away. My face would flush, and I was glad that we were mostly in the dark so he wouldn't see my bright red cheeks.
The popcorn and candy supply dwindled as the night went on. Halfway through a blockbuster action movie, Alice had fallen asleep. I was tired, too. My eyes were closing and staying closed at frequent intervals. I decided that movie night was over, so I got up and turned off the tv and popped the DVD out of the player. Edward stood and stretched, his long and lean body moving silently. I could see his muscles move under the fabric of his brown shirt. He looked over at me and gave a small, crooked smile. I blushed for the umpteenth time, looking away. He moved over to Alice's sleeping form.
"Alice," he nudged, "come on. It's time to go."
Alice groaned and sat up. She rubbed her eyes tiredly and made to grab her bag.
"Thanks for letting us come over, Bella," she said sleepily. She slung her bag over her shoulder. Edward grabbed the stack of DVDs.
"It was fun, Alice." I really did enjoy myself. Watching movies with people who I might consider friends was the closest to normal I had been in a long time.
"See? We can definitely hang out, no worries," Alice said as she started to walk to the front door. Edward followed quietly behind her. I opened the door for them, letting the gust of night air wake me up a little. They walked out onto the porch.
"See ya, Bella!" Alice called, continuing her way down the stairs. Edward had stopped on the porch. He turned to face me.
"This was nice, Bella." His voice was muted and low. I nodded at him, unable to really say anything clever. He opened his mouth to say something, and then closed it again. After a moment, he spoke.
"Sleep well," he murmured, his piercing green eyes boring into mine. Then he turned swiftly and walked down the stairs, unlocking his car, a shiny silver Volvo, sitting on the curb.
I shut the door then, and turned to rest my back against it. A feeling of giddiness started to wash itself over me. I had done it! No freak outs, not too many awkward moments, and no feeling like I was different! I began smiling widely, probably looking like a total freak. But I didn't care. I felt like this could work, that moving to Forks wasn't going to be such a bad thing after all.
That night, I went to sleep with that stupid grin still stuck on my face. If Charlie had come in, I wouldn't have noticed due to the dreams that I was having: friends, sunshine, and a certain green-eyed boy.
EPOV:
I had half-dragged Alice into the house after getting home from Bella's. She trudged up the stairs, yawning the whole way. I followed and entered my room, shutting the door with my foot and jumping into my bed. Originally I had planned on going to Jasper's place, but his parents took him and his sister out to dinner; I instead was spending the evening at Bella's house for movie night.
Bella was so timid, so meek every time I saw her before. But tonight, I was able to see a different side of her. She was slightly more relaxed, and every time she chuckled I swore I could see a spark in her eyes. Her pale skin was illuminated by the blue sweater she wore, and anytime light cast over her face, a light rosy pink dusted her cheeks. I couldn't stop looking at her the entire night.
I didn't understand the rush of emotion I felt every time I thought about her. I barely knew her, and yet, she was already weaving her way into my life, first with the broken window, and now through my sister. Bella had created a presence in Forks; she just never saw it outside of her home.
I realized that Bella's presence was not only noticed by me when we were back in school on Monday. I was sitting in Biology, listening to my classmates chatter around me. I had already finished the assignment Mr. Banner had given us, and now I had an extra fifteen minutes to spare. Jessica Stanley and Mike Newton sat talking in the seats in front of me, leaning back as they half-heartedly completed their assignments.
"But yeah, she's a real weird one," Jessica said, marking something down on her paper.
"Who? Chief Swan's daughter?" Mike asked. I leaned forward a little in my seat so I could catch what they were saying.
"Yeah. I totally saw her when I was running yesterday. She was just standing on her front porch, staring at something," Jessica recalled, her voice going into top-secret-gossip mode. "She took a step down, and then she starting freaking out!"
"Really?" Mike questioned, sounding completely engrossed in her little story.
"Yup. She was like, screaming and crying. She ran back into the house after that." Jessica stopped talking to blow a bubble with the gum she was chewing obnoxiously.
"Wow. I still haven't seen her or anything, but I heard she has this weird disease where she can't go out into the sunlight," Mike said. I rolled my eyes. Like a vampire? Wow, Mike. How'd you make it to junior year?
"Whatever she has, she's totally a freak. I saw what she looked like and, well, let's just say it's good that she stays indoors," chuckled Jessica. Mike started laughing with her. I gripped the edge of my desk angrily, trying to resist the urge to put both of them in their place.
They didn't know Bella; how could they even judge her like that? But then again, I only knew Bella from a few encounters myself. Still, it was completely cruel to make fun of a girl who probably deals with more than any one of us would ever know. Plus, I thought Bella was actually very pretty, beautiful in her own natural way.
As the rest of the day passed, I realized that the majority of the other students had the same misconceptions about the Chief's daughter. The stories about why she moved here and why she doesn't come to school ranged from horrific to just downright stupid. Some said that Bella moved here after being abused and refused to come out to talk to anyone; others claimed that she had murdered her mother and her father was trying to cover it up by bringing her here and locking her up in the house. It was all so ridiculous, but there was no point in trying to change anyone's mind about her. All agreed, however, that Bella was some kind of troublemaker.
After school, I waited for Alice by the car, as usual. Jasper came up and leaned against the trunk. He heaved a great sigh.
"God, I hate Mondays," he said, slipping his hands into his pockets. "But Alice really does want to go to that bakery tonight, so I guess today can't be too bad."
"Well, that's all fine and dandy," I remarked, "but when are you actually gonna grow a pair and ask her to be your girlfriend?"
"Hey, I will! When the time is right," he half-mumbled. I raised an eyebrow at him. Before I could speak, though, Emmett came bounding up.
"What, no ride home with Rosalie?" I asked him when he tried to pull open the car door.
"Nope. Rose wants to get ready with Alice for tonight, so I'm not allowed to come over until they're ready," Emmett said. Emmett had been getting rides from either me or Rosalie, ever since he smashed his gigantic Jeep into a brick wall the other week (it's a long story). We were still waiting for the repairs to be finished. I couldn't wait; I didn't know how much longer I could handle Emmett putting his dirty feet up on the dashboard just to piss me off.
I grabbed the car remote from my pocket and unlocked the car. Emmett pulled open the door and sat down, letting his large legs hang out of the car.
"I guess Rosalie is gonna take Alice to the Chief's place," Jasper said, his eyes following the two girls in question as they exited from the school and made their way to Rosalie's car parked a few spaces away. I sighed and got into the car, Jasper following suit. As soon as all our doors were shut and seatbelts were on, I pulled out of the parking lot and drove us home.
I spent most of the afternoon composing, sitting at my piano with a pencil and some staff paper. I really had nothing to do, what with everyone heading up to Port Angeles tonight. Jasper just stayed with me until Rosalie came to pick him and Emmett up, and then it was silence for the rest of the night. My parents were in and out, my mother just starting up a new design job and my father rushing in to get a quick meal before going back to the hospital. I finally made my way to the kitchen around eight-thirty, looking for a snack. I heard the front door unlocking, and then soon after the fast footsteps of my siblings. Emmett's loud, clunking steps continued up the stairs, while Alice's light taps danced into the kitchen.
"Oh good, you're already down here," Alice said excitedly. She tossed her navy blue pea coat over one of the chairs sitting at the counter. In her other hand was a small green box covered in pink polka dots.
"What's that? Something for me?" I asked, seeing the words Sugar Plum Bakery written on the top of the box in curly cursive.
"No, it's for Bella, silly! I figured she'd like a cupcake, they are absolutely amazing," Alice sighed, plopping herself into a chair. Her usual smile seemed brighter than usual, and her eyes unfocused as her thoughts drifted.
"Are you okay?" I leaned on the counter.
"Wonderful!" Alice replied. I grew suspicious.
"Did something happen tonight?"
"Oh, well, now that you ask..." Alice trailed off, looking down at the marble countertop. I waited for her to speak, and when she didn't I sighed impatiently. Alice giggled loudly.
"Jasper asked me out! We're dating!"
"Finally!" I exclaimed. Alice rolled her eyes at me. "What? You two have been pining for each for I don't know how long, so forgive me for being happy that you guys are done doing your stupid mating dances around each other!"
"Whatever, Edward," she said, standing up. She shoved the cupcake box farther across the counter. "Don't eat this, it's Bella's." Then, with a slight huff, she left the kitchen and stomped her way up the stairs.
The next morning, when I was waiting for Alice to pick up Bella's homework, I sat with the car running, the heat blasting on high. Alice had darted in quickly to get out of the pouring rain, and she returned only a moment later with Bella at her heels. I was surprised to see Bella come out onto the porch, where she waved at me with the cupcake box in one of her hands. I smiled and waved back, warmed by the happy look I saw on Bella's face. She said a few more words to Alice, and then, after throwing a glance back at me, she ran back inside. Alice dashed back over to the car and slid in quickly.
"Whew, it's freezing!" Alice organized Bella's papers on her lap. I pulled off the curb and started on the way to school.
"Bella sure looked happy," I commented.
"Yeah, she really is a sweet girl. And actually, I was just going to ask you," she straightened out her outfit, "Halloween is next week. We should visit her while we're out."
Okay, so trick-or-treating is for little kids; we know that. But for teenagers like ourselves, Halloween is an excuse for the girls to dress in slutty costumes and for guys to run bigger scale pranks. Every year, Alice got us all to dress up in costumes and walk around, hitting up whatever Halloween parties were going down and occasionally getting candy from the few houses that were willing to give us any.
"Okay," I said, thrilled at another chance to interact with Bella. She was rapidly becoming a permanent fixture in my thoughts, and I didn't mind it one bit.
A/N: I'll be updating soon! Reviews would be awesome!