Disclaimer: All these characters belong to Stephanie Meyer.

Author's note:

Sorry for not updating, it was finals week. Now that I have off I will try to update sooner. Hope you enjoy.

Alice stared at me for a couple seconds before my words registered. "Make you different? Bella I don't think you need to be different, you are fine just the way you are."

I shook my head and tried to keep in my frustration. "Alice I know you are just trying to be a good friend but I really don't want to hear that right now. Will you help me or not?"

She studied my face to see if I was bluffing. After she was satisfied with my seriousness she perked up a bit. "Ok I will help you in certain departments that you could improve on, but at the end of the day you will still be the Bella that we all know and love alright?"

I just nodded fiercely and pulled her into a hug.

"Alright enough of that" She joked. "We are going to have a busy day. I doubt that you will spend all of this money. Why don't you go up stairs and take a shower and I'll go through your closet and see if there is anything I can salvage from that."

I ran up stairs and took a quick shower, feeling better already. As I made my way into my room I saw Alice throwing clothes into three different piles. She turned to me and explained. "Ok this pile over here is your keeps" That pile was the smallest of the three and I noticed that the cloths were outfits Alice had given me over the years on special occasions. There were some outfits that had never even been worn.

She pointed to the biggest pile on her right. "This is what you are getting rid of." I gulped realizing that was more than half of my outfits I actually wore.

She then pointed to the third pile. "Why on earth do you have so many of Edwards shirts and sweatshirts." I blushed instantly. Over the years I had my own little collection of clothes he would bring over to sleep in or forgot. He never said anything to me if he saw me wearing one of his sweat shirts and I sometimes worn his plain cotton tees to bed. I loved wearing them because they smelled like his warm delicious smell. Of course I didn't want to let Alice know that so I tried to play it off.

"They are just comfortable that's all." She just shook her head in disappointment at my clothing choices.

"Well you can wear these in the comfort of your own home, but that's all. Understood?"

"Yea yea I got it. So what's next?"

I should have known what I was in for the second Alice's eyes lit up. "We are going shopping! I will borrow Esme's car so you don't have to drive."

Alice made her way over to her house next door while I wrote a note to Charlie who was still sleeping, before going to wait outside. As I was waiting out on the curb next to Esme's car, I saw Alice bound out of the house with Edward on her tail. He was wearing gray sweat pants and nothing else. I had seen his bare chest before but it always made me catch my breath every single time. His hair was all ruffled and his face looked sleepy like he had just woken up. This was one of my favorite Edward appearances because it always left me with fantasies of waking up with him holding me in his arms. I did one last double take of his lean arms, cut stomach, and pecks before I pulled myself together as they approached. Thankfully it was cold outside so my rosy cheeks could be blamed on the weather, not from blushing.

"Alice I just don't see why I'm not allowed to come to the mall with you guys that's all. Every time you drag Bella to the mall I've been there." He looked at me with a lazy smile and winked. Edward had pulled himself out of bed to go to the mall with us? That's when I realized that he was trying to help me out. Every time Alice had dragged me to the mall after I put up a good fight, Edward would always tag along so that the torturous hours weren't as bad. I actually had a good time with him goofing around in the stores. Alice always hated when Edward came because she didn't have my attention so she eventually stopped asking me to go.

"This is just a girl trip Edward and we are going to be out for the whole day so you would get bored. Also I think Bella needs to actually accomplish some shopping this time. " Alice huffed and then turned to get into the car.

"I never get bored with you guys. Go ahead and tell her I can come Bell." He looked at me reassuringly.

I almost stammered as I looked down at the ground while I spoke. It took everything I had to say no.

"Alice is right, its probably better if we just go… sorry." I waited for him to speak and when he didn't I lifted my head up to meet his face. The smile was gone and he looked a little hurt. I turned to get into the car and heard his voice again. "Remember tonight we are going to see that movie you wanted to see."

I did want to spend as much time with Edward as possible but I was still upset about what happened the night before and needed to prove to him that I could be a type of girl like Victoria. This weekend I was getting rid of the old Bella.

I decided right then and there that he wouldn't see me again until I was different. "Actually Edward I can't tonight, I'll be busy with stuff." After that I got into the car and we drove off. I stole a quick glance in my driver side mirror and saw him still standing there watching us drive away.

The drive to the mall was quiet but I finally spoke up after I caught Alice giving me side glances. "What is it Alice?"

A big smile then broke on her face. "I had a sudden epiphany about why you wanted to change the way you look that's all. I think a certain boy is involved."

I gulped knowing she probably suspected Edward. I really wasn't ready to confess that to anyone yet and knew every time I saw him or spoke of him Alice would tease me or make it obvious in front of him. After a silence grew between us, Alice suddenly broke.

"Oh come on Bella, I know you have the hotts for James Woodsland!" I breathed out a sigh of relief. If she thought it was James Woodsland than I would play along to keep her off my trail about being in love with Edward. "Yup Alice your right, its James Woodsland."

She squealed with delight. "Oh he is definitely good looking Bella. I'm happy you like someone. I was beginning to think that you and my brother were secretly hooking up with each other until I saw him at the game with Victoria." She giggled at this. I stayed quiet and looked out the window.

Once we made it to the mall, Alice had me in and out of stores in no time. I tired on jeans, skirts, dresses, shirts, sweaters, jackets and shoes. Thankfully Alice did know that I like to wear more earthy colors like greens and blues, so many of those colors were incorporated into the clothes I bought. Alice also knew that my shoe of choice were my converses so she bargained with me and made me buy different colored pairs since all I owned was black. The last store we went to was hair and makeup. This was the area that I was most handicap in, but Alice tried to explain the different face moisturizers and powders that would look good on my pale complexion. I told her that I would buy some of the things that she picked out for me but I wasn't going to start wearing makeup like a hooker either. Our last stop was to a salon just outside of the mall. Alice told me to wait outside on the bench while she checked it out. As I waited for her to come back I sat down and thought about how different this year had been already. Everything felt like it was changing for the worst. I was just trying to adapt to the change so I wouldn't be stuck in the past. I remembered the first time I realized that I was in love with Edward.

It was on my thirteen birthday and my dad had just bought me a new bike. Edward and I went for a bike ride down a winding road surrounded by forest. There was an incline in the road and I started to accelerate faster than Edward. I felt pretty smug that I was going faster than him and was not paying attention when a sudden turn came in the road. I tried to turn my bike fast enough to make it but the speed and the gravel on the rode made my bike skid out from under me, causing me to fly forward. Thankfully I had a helmet, so my head was protected, but the rest of my body was'nt so lucky. I knew I was bleeding from the smell around me but I didn't want to move just yet.

Edward rushed over to my side quickly and looked panic stricken. "Bella!! Oh jeezes Bella! Stay still okay I'm going to pick you up." He was bigger than me at that age but I didn't think he could get me up regardless. My house was a distance up the road and I knew it would take all his strength to carry me that far. I tried to stand up on my own but the sudden pierce of pain in my leg begged to differ. He scooped me up in his arms, not bothering about my blood getting on his clothes and carried me up the hill. I knew he was getting tired but he kept his eyes focused staraight ahead until we made it to our street. Charlie was outside and once he spotted us he ran over to us frantically. When my Dad tried to get me out of Edward's arms, he didn't budge and wouldn't let me go. My dad got us into his car and sped me, still wrapped in Edward's arms, to the hospital. I was in pain but felt so protected and secure with him holding me. He finally gave me to the doctors when we went into the hospital but he held my hand the whole time.

"Bella! Bella! Hello are you in there?" Alice waved her hand in front of my face and broke me from my reverie.

"Yea sorry what's up?"

"Well I couldn't get you an appointment today but I got you the whole treatment tomorrow. I booked an appointment for myself too and we are going to have a whole spa day!" She seemed really excited and even though I wasn't the type of girl who liked to be pampered I went along with it.

"That sounds good Alice. I cant wait." I tried to sound sincere. We both got food after that and then made our way home. I looked at the clock in the car and saw that it was five o'clock already. When we finally got home I noticed that Edward's car was missing from the driveway. Even though I had canceled on him I was still disappointed to see that he wasn't home. Alice helped me carry all the bags up to my room and put everything away in my closet and dresser for me. After we were done I laid down on my bed, my body exhausted from running around all day. Alice was still fussing about the wonderful things I bought and how good I will look in them for James. Charlie's voice then called up from down stairs. "Bells I ordered pizza for you guys, it should be here in fifteen minutes or so."

"Thanks Dad!" I yelled down.

"Alright I'm going to go bring the clothes that I bought to my house. I'll be right back." She left then and I stayed laying on my bed looking up at the ceiling.

I heard a car door slam shut from outside and got off my bed to look out my window. Edward was walking away from his silver Volvo and heading inside his house. I smiled to myself knowing that he was home at least and not on a date with Victoria. When I turned away from the window, I started to look at all the different pictures hanging up on my wall. Most of them were of Edward and I over the years. Many of them had us making funny faces at each other or the camera. There were ones of Alice, Emmett, Carlisle, and Esme as well. I always went on family vacations with them since Charlie and I never did. They had a lake house about a two hour drive away secluded deep in the woods. It was more like a little cottage that Carlisle had surprised Esme with for one of their anniversaries. It was my favorite place to go with them in the summer. The last picture I ended on was the most recent picture taken of Edward and I. It was taken this past summer in front of the lake, the last evening we were there. I was on his back with my arms wrapped around his neck and his arms under my legs holding me up. We weren't ready for the picture to be taken and were both laughing hysterically at Emmett who had slipped and fell into mud behind Alice who was taking the picture. I loved the candid moment because it showed one of the many happy memories I had with him. Alice bounded into the door just then and made me jumped out of my skin.

"So what is going on with you and my brother?" She caught me out of the blue with that question and I didn't know how to reply.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know I just noticed he was really quiet and moody when he came home, what did you say to him?"

I did feel bad, knowing he was probably mad at me for canceling on him but he did the same to me the night before. "I don't know." I didn't really want to talk to Alice about him so I hoped she would drop it.

"Maybe him and Victoria got into a fight." That was definitely an area that I did not want to discuss, but knowing Alice she loved a good gossip.

"Maybe. Hey I think the pizza should be here by now lets go see." I used that ploy to avoid that conversation and thankfully when we made it downstairs the pizza was there. Charlie ate with us and asked us how our day was. He looked at me a few times in pity knowing how I felt about shopping with Alice but I just gave him the shoulder shrug to let him know it wasn't too bad. After dinner Alice told me that our appointment wasn't until two the next day so I could sleep in. It was already around 8 o'clock and I was getting very tired. After I cleaned the dishes and Alice left, I told Charlie I was going up for the night.

I headed up to my room and took out one of my books I had to read for class. I looked outside the window and saw that Edward's car was still there. I must have dozed off while I was reading because when I woke up it was the next day. It was around 10am and I knew I had to get a few chores done before I spent my day at the spa with Alice. I cleaned the house a little and threw in a load of laundry. After that I took my grocery list and made a trip to the store to get some things. That took longer then I had expected and it was one o'clock by the time I packed everything away. Alice came over and rushed me out of the house and into her car. We made it to the mall with some time to spare so we grabbed a quick lunch.

When we finally made it to our appointments I was taken into a different room and told to change into a robe. It turned out that Alice had ordered a whole treatment of massages, facials, scrubs, mineral bath, and then finally hair cut and blow out. I was a little nervous to take my clothes off but the masseuse was a very nice woman and made me feel comfortable. Everything was better than I had expected and I even fell asleep during the massage. It was few of the most relaxing hours I had ever spent in my life. My skin felt so soft and fresh after the treatments were over. I was led to a different part of the salon where I met Alice over by the hair section. She was done with her treatment too and was talking to one of the hair stylists when I made my way over.

"Here she is!" Alice said while turning to me.

The hairstylist looked over my hair and then seemed pleased. "I know just what to do with her."

Alice beamed at me while they led me over to the washing station. I got to pick out my shampoo and chose one that smelled like strawberries because it was close to the scent of the one I usually use. This one however had more of a distinct heavenly smell and I made a note in my head to buy the shampoo and conditioner before I left. When I was finally seated in the cutting chair, she started to chop away. Bits of my hair fell away from my head onto the floor. I eventually closed my eyes because I started to get nervous about the cut. After she was done she blow-dried my hair and sprayed it with something before stepping away.

Alice was jumping up and down with excitement. "Bella you look excellent!!" I swirled my chair around and looked at myself in the mirror. My hair was still long but it had long and short layers throughout. There was a face frame now that hung around my heart shaped face with a hint of a side bang. The locks looked voluptuous and alive, not dead and dull like before. I smiled and thanked the hair stylist. After I bought the shampoo and conditioner that they used on me as well as some lotions and oils, I made my way home with Alice.

Charlie complimented me on my hair and Alice stayed for dinner again. We made our way up to my room and she picked out an outfit for school the next day. It was a deep blue V-neck shirt and hip hugging jeans with my black converses. She gave me my new gray jacket to pair with it as well. I was doing some last minute homework on my bed when she sat down next to me. I looked up to see her staring down at the floor.

"Bella... I know that you considered this a favor to you but I just wanted to say thank you for spending time with me this weekend. I know that we don't have the friendship that you and Edward have but it felt nice to bond with you. Sometimes I guess I feel out of place because you and Edward have each other and Emmett has his sports, I don't have anyone to share stuff with. But I just want you to know that you are like a sister to me and even though I'm not your go to person for things, I'll always be here for you because you are my best friend."

I didn't know what to say so I pulled her into a big hug and she laughed. "Jeezes Bella don't get all mushy gushy with me now, I'm the only one who can do that."

We laughed and chatted away about school and the weekend. After Alice left I finished up my homework and turned my lights out early. It was already dark outside and I knew he would be coming over soon. I heard my window open and closed my eyes pretending to be asleep.

"Bella?" his velvet voice called out. I wanted to call out to him but I couldn't. Tomorrow I would be someone different, someone who he could love. Tonight I was still old Bella and left it at that. I rolled over and feel asleep, at peace knowing that he was there with me and hoping that soon I would be much more than his best friend.