"Where are we going anyway, Alice?" I asked her.
"We're headed toward Olympia," Rosalie responded.
"What brought this on, anyway?" I asked.
"Alice had a vision that you were going to start having to wear your outfits twice in about a week," Renesmee told me.
I didn't argue beyond that point. I knew that Alice was against doing so and she'd made me promise to stop complaining. I waited patiently as the needle on the car's speedometer inched closer to 140 every second. It didn't take more than fifteen minutes to reach what Alice said was our destination.
"Oh!" Alice exclaimed as she pointed toward a large department store. "That's where it is!"
I had a feeling everyone knew what 'it' was. Everyone except for me, of course.
Renesmee grabbed my hand and towed me after the rest of the Cullen girls. The inside of the store was huge and there were racks of clothes everywhere. This must be Alice's haven.
"It should be right…around…here!" Alice grabbed something off of a rack quickly—too quickly—and threw it into my hands. I didn't have a chance to even look at the garment before Renesmee shut me up in a dressing room.
"Try it on," she ordered from the outside. "Tell me if you need help with the zipper."
I turned away from the mirror and stepped into the dress. Somehow, I managed to get the zipper all the way up and—oh and behold—it was a perfect fit. I turned to face my reflection and gasped as I took in the beautiful, flowing dress.
The color was what shocked me the most. It was somehow the exact color of my eyes. The dress was strapless silk, knee length, with a ruffled bust and an intricate, thickly, sparkly embroidered gold waistband. And, of course, it was beautiful.
"Jasmine, I know it's on you so come out here and show it to me!" Alice called. I giggled and stepped outside the dressing room. Everyone but Alice—who, I assumed, already knew how I looked in the dress—gasped. Rosalie and Bella stepped back to get a better look at me while Alice and Nessie clapped.
"Isn't that a sight to see," Rosalie said. "You look amazing, Jazzy!"
"You think?" I asked her. "I really like it. I just have absolutely no clue where I'll wear it!"
Alice and Bella exchanged a significant glance but I didn't care. I was too caught up in my question. I shouldn't have Alice but me something I'd never wear!
"Oh, you can figure that out later!" Alice said.
"Yeah, Jazzy, you just have to get it!" Renesmee said. "Who cares if there isn't anywhere you can wear it now, you will wear it one day! Right, Alice?"
Alice saw the future for a moment and turned to look at me. "Yeah, one day. No clue who you're with, though. Seems like you're talking to someone, but it might just be that you'll be talking to yourself."
"Where am I wearing it?" I asked. Surely Alice could tell me that.
"Hm…looks like…like you're on a beach? I can only wonder at this point. My visions don't give me specifics." I heard a lie in her voice but I really didn't want to know what she was up to. I'd find out eventually, anyway.
"Now," Rosalie said. "Go take that off so we can keep shopping." She pushed me gently into the dressing room.
I took off the dress and started to change into my jeans and shirt.
"Hey, Rose," I heard Bella say. "Is there a reason why you were so hostile with me when I found out the secret? Jasmine's doing the same thing I did!"
"I've gotten better with the hostility thing, Bella," Rosalie teased.
"Better," Bella scoffed. "Yes, Rosalie, you've been doing a lot better with it." I imagined her rolling her eyes and, as if on cue, Rosalie laughed at Bella.
"Shut up!" Rosalie laughed.
I put the dress back on the hanger as I listened in on Bella and Rosalie's bickering. I almost laughed, too. The second I stepped out of the dressing room, Alice took the dress out of my hands, swung it over her shoulder, and grabbed my wrist towing me to the shoe section.
Alice sat me down on a chair and put her purse beside me.
"Stay here," she instructed. Before I could protest, she, Bella, Rosalie, and Nessie were off to find shoes. Every once in a while, one of them would come and order me to try on a pair. They'd stay until both the shoes were on my feet then decide whether or not they were worth the buy.
"Here, Jazzy," Renesmee said handing me a box with the lid on it. "Try these."
Nessie settled into a chair next to me to watch me try on the shoes. I lifted the lid and saw a beautiful pair of ballet flats that were the same exact color of the embroidery on my dress. There was a small bow on it of the same color. I looked up at Renesmee with a smile on my face and she returned the smile.
"They're perfect," I declared.
"Aren't they?" Renesmee said.
"I knew you were going to get to them before I did, Nessie!" Alice said coming up to Renesmee. "You're a fast little thing, aren't you?"
"The fastest," Nessie said sarcastically.
"Ma'am, here is your size 5," a woman who worked at the store said to Alice. Her nametag identified her as Elisa Gonzala.
"Thanks!" Alice said taking the box from Elisa's hands. Elisa walked away and Alice put the box into my hands.
"Another pair?" I asked her.
Alice giggled and nodded. I sighed and took the top off of the box.
"You realize I'm going to kill myself in these, right?" I asked her.
"Alice!" Bella groaned. "Alice, don't treat her like you did me! How many times must I tell you? It is impossible for most girls to walk in six and a half inch heels!"
"Oh, Bella!" Alice laughed. "I'm sure Jasmine has better coordination than you did! She doesn't trip over nothing."
Bella's eyes narrowed. "Say that once more and you're a pile of ashes," she threatened.
"Come now, Bella, it was all in good fun," Rosalie said coming up behind her.
"Hmph…" Bella couldn't find a way to argue.
The rest of the day flew by. We spent thousands of dollars on clothes for each of us. I was overwhelmed by our girls' day out. It was six o'clock when Alice, Bella, and Rosalie dropped Nessie and me off at a café while they were going for more shopping.
"Have fun!" I called as the three of them sped down the street.
"C'mon!" Renesmee pulled me out of the slight drizzle and into the dry café.
Inside, Nessie and I stood in line to get something to eat. I know, it surprised me too.
"You're going to eat?" I whispered to her.
Renesmee nodded.
"How?"
"I'm only half vampire, Jazzy," she explained to me. "I can eat human food or drink blood. Though I usually prefer the latter, food tastes just fine to me."
I stopped with the questioning there. Renesmee ordered two muffins and two lattes. When we got what we ordered, she pointed out an empty seat in the back and we sat down. I tried my first muffin and my first latte—they were delicious.
"What was that that Seth said about rancid chicken and water?" Renesmee asked me as she took a bite of her muffin.
"That was what they gave us to eat at the orphanage," I said.
"Gross!" she exclaimed. "I can't imagine having to eat that thrice a day!"
"Can you imagine having to eat it once a day or week?" I sighed.
Nessie's jaw dropped. "That's all they fed you?"
I nodded.
"Ugh, that disgusts me," she said shaking her head.
"You'd get used to it over the course of fifteen years," I joked.
Renesmee's lips puckered. "No I wouldn't."
We laughed together at her statement for a moment. I had no clue why it sounded so funny to us, it just did.
"I'm glad I finally have a sister," Renesmee said suddenly. Neither of us had spoken for a moment and I was surprised at her words.
"What do you mean?" I asked leaning across the small table.
Nessie sighed. "I see how Bella, Alice, and Rosalie interact. They seem to have a closer bond than friends and even though they're not related, they're closer than most sisters I've seen. They are sisters to each other, I suppose. I'm with them a lot and I have feelings of immense friendship with them but I've always been envious of the sisterhood they share. I know they try to include me as much as possible, but I've always wanted to know what it feels like to have someone be closer than a sister. And now, I know how it feels because I have you, Jasmine. You're the sister I always wanted. I love you as if you were my own blood, if you'll excuse my choice of words." She smiled. "I love the feeling of sisterhood. It's more amazing than I had ever imagined."
"You're a sister to me too, Nessie," I whispered. She smiled at me and I returned the favor.
That's how we continued the evening. Renesmee and I chatted like the best friends (and sisters!) that we were. I loved how comfortable she was with me. There was one thing that finally started nagging at me. Eventually, I just had to ask.
"Nessie," I asked. "Why did Alice just have to buy me that dress?" I wasn't sure why I needed the answer to this question, I just knew I needed it.
Renesmee sighed. "Alice is going to kill me for this…" she murmured.
"Nessie, you don't have to tell me," I assured her. "It's just curiosity. It's not like I can't live without the answer." I smiled.
"No, no," she argued. "I'm not sure why Alice didn't want to tell you, I thought it was stupid of her. Not like it's anything bad. I'm sure Alice was just being stupid."
"So…she's going to kill you but you're going to tell me anyways?" I checked.
"Uh huh." She nodded. "She had this vision of you on a beach, like she said. Alice used to not be able to see werewolves, and she still can't…not when they're in their wolf form, anyway. She's gotten so attuned to them that she can see them at least while they're human. You were on the La Push reservation beach with—" Nessie stopped. "Oh great." She rolled her eyes. "Fabulous…"
"What?" I asked.
She nodded her head toward the door of the café and I saw Alice with a grave, mean expression in the car with Bella and Rosalie laughing at her. She motioned for us to come outside.
"She's being so stupid about this," Renesmee complained. "I don't see why you shouldn't kn—" Alice honked her horn before Nessie could continue. Renesmee grabbed my hand and tugged me out of the café. I hadn't noticed how much the rain had picked up until we were outside. Nessie and I got into the back seat and we went through two minutes of silence before Alice spoke.
"I guess I was being stupid about it, Nessie," Alice said. "Jasmine, really it isn't anything bad. I guess I just wanted it to be a surprise. No point in keeping it from you now, though." Alice shrugged. "So yeah, in about a month or so, you'll be in that dress on the beach with Seth."