Edward's POV
"I can't believe you did that," I hissed at Alice as I slammed my locker door.
"Did what?" she threw her arms out defensively.
"Pressured Bella into going to the party like that," I scowled.
"I didn't pressure her. She could have said no… but it was better if Tanya thought we were going anyway. It was the only way she was going to walk away without making some sort of a scene. It would have been all over the school in seconds that we were refusing to go to her parties. And besides, you heard Bella. She wants to go."
"She doesn't want to go," I growled. "She's only doing it because she thinks that's what I want."
"Is it what you want?" Alice asked softly.
"Well… it would be nice for Bella to be comfortable enough to go out with me in public," I started. "But, Alice… do you really think that one of Tanya's parties is the best place for that to happen at this point? I mean… Bella's not very social to begin with, and I don't want to force too much on her."
"I think you're underestimating the amount she likes you," Alice smirked.
I frowned at her.
"Just the fact that she offered to do this is telling enough. She must like you a lot more than either of us anticipated. This is a big step for her."
I paused for a moment, reflecting on my sisters words before realizing that she had a point. Her face lit up in a grin as I relaxed my shoulders and nodded once.
"Edward's got a date with Bella Swan tonight," she teased, punching me lightly in the shoulder.
My eyes widened. "Oh my God… this is a date, isn't it? Shit… this isn't what I wanted our first real date to be like." I bit my lip.
"It's your second date," Alice corrected, shutting her locker too.
"I don't think the first one really counted."
"It counted," she assured me. "Oh, and there's something I should tell you…" she bit her lip sheepishly.
"What?" I groaned.
"Now's probably not the best time. We're going to be late. I'll tell you before next period. Good luck on your practical." She spoke quickly and disappeared almost immediately, scampering down the hallway without a backward glance.
Shaking my head in mild irritation, I made my way to Biology class.
Bella was going over last minute notes when I arrived, so I didn't interrupt her. I took out my own notes and did the same even though I wasn't the least bit concerned about the test. Hopefully I would get a few extra minutes at the end of class to talk to her. It all depended on how quickly the other students finished the test. No one was allowed to socialize until every single paper had been handed in.
Luckily, we had about ten minutes to talk at the end of class. Bella and I were two of the first ones finished, but no one could go back to their seats until everyone was done. It wasn't surprising that the last one finished was Tanya.
"How do you think you did?" I asked Bella casually as we took our seats.
"Pretty good. I was only stumped on one question, so I took an educated guess."
"That's good," I nodded. "So, um… about tonight.."
"I already talked to Alice about it. I'm going to follow her to your house after school apparently, so you don't have to worry about it."
"Wait…" I shook my head. "You talked to Alice about what?"
"She offered to help me get ready," a slight blush crept into Bella's cheeks. "I really don't have anything to wear so she told me she would help me.."
"Oh, Bella…" I started apologetically. "You don't have to subject yourself to that. I'm sorry… Alice can be really nosy and overbearing sometimes."
"It's totally fine," Bella waved her hand as if to push the thought away. "I will probably end up needing her help more than I am willing to admit anyway."
"Oh, okay…" I nodded, "But if you don't want to be her guinea pig, I will totally help you get out of it."
"It's fine," she smiled.
A loud chorus of chairs scraping against the floor accompanied the loud bell ring and we both stood to gather our books.
"Alright, well.. I have to stop and get gas on my way home from school today, so I guess I will see you guys there. I'll tell Alice not to speed so much seeing as you're going to be following her," I attempted to wink at her, but I think it ended up looking like a slight face spasm because I noticed that she suppressed a laugh.
"Kay," she smiled.
I fell into the line of students leaving the room behind Bella and made my way back to my locker. I paced myself until I was several steps behind her so as not to seem like I was stalking her or something. I watched as she turned her shoulders every now and then to slide unnoticed through a group of people. She was actually really good at maneuvering the congested hallway without getting in anyone's way.
"Enjoying the view?"
I started and looked to my left. Emmett had caught up to me and was grinning suggestively.
"What?"
He jerked his head toward Bella and I followed his gesture, immediately realizing what he was accusing me of.
"Oh, no… I was just..."
"Yeah, I bet," he winked.
I rolled my eyes and changed the subject. "You going tonight?"
"Yeah…you?"
"Yeah," I grimaced. "Bella is going too..."
"I heard about that," He raised his eyebrows and nodded. "I don't know man. I think it's great that she's going with you and everything… but I think Tanya is up to something. I mean…. I saw her at the table and the wheels were definitely spinning. And you know as well as I do how rarely that happens. I think she has less than respectable intentions, if you know what I mean."
"Yeah, I agree," I grimaced again. "But Bella feels like she has to do this, you know?"
"Well, she seems like a nice girl. You seem to really like her."
"Yeah, man. I do." I nodded.
"Well make sure you bring her over. I want to meet this chick that has Edward Cullen defying the laws of the Queen."
"Laws of-" I scoffed, "Whatever, man. I'll see you tonight."
"Later," he clapped me on the back once and made a beeline toward his locker. When I turned my attention back, Bella was nowhere to be found.
"So..." I began, leaning against my locker and giving Alice a pointed stare.
She winced, "Please don't kill me. I was just trying to help."
"You're so invasive," I sighed.
"Are you mad?"
"I would be…except for the fact that Bella seems almost enthusiastic about it."
She grinned, "Don't worry. You'll thank me later. I promise."
"Yeah, yeah. Just don't embarrass her too much. Be nice."
"Always," she beamed, slamming her locker door and heading off toward her last class for the day.
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Bella's POV
If it weren't for Alice, I never would have found the driveway to the Cullen house a second time. It was hidden behind masses of trees and entirely invisible until you had already driven past it. Once I was faced with the elegant mansion again, my nerves sprung into overdrive. It looked so much more impressive in the daylight. Granted, the day was overcast, so there wasn't much sun, but it wasn't past midnight like the last time I had been here.
My truck rumbled to a halt just behind Alice's bright car. My entire truck rattled when I slammed the door shut. Alice didn't even use the door. It was a rare sunny day in Forks, her top was down. She lithely jumped over the door and jogged over to me.
"That was almost unbearable, driving that slow..."
"We were going ten miles over the posted speed!" I pointed out.
"Slow," she confirmed again. "Let's go."
I sighed and turned to follow her, but she stopped in her tracks.
"Oh," her face fell suddenly and twisted into a frown.
"What?"
"I just realized that the first time you're going to meet the parents -" she put a very suggestive emphasis on the last three words. "-and Edward is not even here to introduce you."
"Why is that a problem?"
"Traditionally, Edward should be the one to introduce you."
"Traditionally? Alice, you're reading far too much into this."
"No."
"Yes."
"Bella, trust me," she sighed. "I see things that you don't. Just… trust me on this one."
I frowned and fell into step behind her. I hadn't known Alice for very long, but I knew it was pointless to argue with her.
"Maybe I'll just sneak you upstairs and we can introduce you to Mom and Dad later when Ed's home."
"Alice, it's really not-"
"Yes, that's what we'll do," she cut me off. "Come on."
With a groan of resignation, I followed her through the door and into the house.
"Alice, you home?" I heard a pleasant woman's voice echo through the white hallway.
"Yeah, I have to go get Bella and I ready. We'll be down in a little bit." Alice replied, grabbing my arm and hauling me through the house with surprising force for such a small person. I barely had enough time to study my new surroundings.
The house was even more impressive on the inside than it was from the outside. It was very bright and open. The immaculately polished hardwood floors nicely complimented the pure white walls. The staircase was coupled with a glass railing that was so perfectly cleaned that it almost looked nonexistent. Like the metal rail on top of it was hovering in the air instead of resting upon a thick sheet of curved glass.
Pictures of various family outings lined the walls ascending the stairs. I did the best I could to avert my eyes from them, but I couldn't help but take a second glance at a few; especially the ones where Edward was smiling and happy. There was something about his smile that was so breathtaking and captivating.
"Bathroom, Ed's Room, guest room, Parent's room, Library," Alice said, pointing out the different rooms with her free hand as she dragged me through the hallway. "My room."
We were stopped in front of the last room in the hallway. Alice threw me a quick grin before pushing the door open and pulling me inside.
Alice's room was the size of my entire upstairs back at my house. The carpeting was brilliant white and the walls were a very light pink. The wall facing the door was almost entirely covered in crystal clear glass windows. I made a mental note to find out what kind of glass cleaner they used around their house and wondered how many birds flew into the windows on a daily basis.
Alice pulled me past the giant four poster bed and toward another door which opened into the bathroom.
"Whoa," I felt my jaw drop.
"What?"
"This is your… bathroom?"
"Yes. Why?"
"This is bigger than my bedroom."
She laughed.
"No… this is bigger than your bedroom..."
"I wish," she sighed. "Mom wouldn't go for that when I asked."
The room was huge. Half of it was a large walk in closet, but the other half contained a walk-in shower, a Jacuzzi tub, and a large mirror and vanity area.
So this is how the other half lives, I thought to myself as Alice gestured me into a pink boutique chair.
"Alice, you really don't have t-"
"Ah, ah, ah," Alice held up a finger to silence me. "Let me explain something to you. I don't mean any offense by this, okay?"
"Okay," I allowed.
"Tanya is feeling very smug right now. She thinks that your presence at this party is going to be a disaster, at best. It is my one true dream in life…okay, my one true dream that doesn't revolve around clothes," she frowned and shook her head a little as if to clear away the confusing thought. "Anyway, it is my dream in life to disappoint Tanya every chance I get. So far, I've been quite unsuccessful because she usually gets everything she wants one way or another. Until you came along, that is."
I frowned.
"You took Edward right out from underneath her. I can't even express how priceless that is."
"Especially since I'm a nobody," I muttered.
"Past tense, thank you very much. Especially after I'm through with you. People wouldn't dare call you a nobody."
I gulped and turned toward the mirror, studying my reflection. Alice must have caught my flinch because she gave me a reassuring grin and said, "Trust me. I know what I'm doing."
The next two hours went by surprisingly quickly, with the exception of the twenty minutes she spent focusing on the shape of my eyebrows. She kept me turned away from the mirror the entire time and forbade me to look. She had a large leather pink purse that was filled with objects that were completely foreign to me. Some she used on my hair, others on my face. She never stopped talking once.
"While you're there, talk to everyone. Smile a lot. Try to look natural. You have a really nice complexion by the way."
"Thanks?"
"Being that you're the police chief's daughter, you really shouldn't drink…just in case. Make sure you always have a drink in your hand though, that way no one offers you another one. And never accept something that someone else gives you unless it's someone you know, like Edward or I. People are stupid and they do stupid things when they're drunk. Alcohol, when added to pre-existing ignorance, is dangerous. Trust me. Close your eyes."
I did as she instructed and felt the sharp point of what I assumed was an eyeliner pencil trace over my eyelids several times while she continued talking.
"Don't dance, either. There is always music, but no one really dances anymore. Also, don't go to the bathroom alone. Always knock before you go into a room. You never know who is inside of it…or what they're doing..."
"Alice, are you sure about this?"
"Of course I am. I've been on the other side of that closed door a couple of times in my life, so I know what I'm talking about."
"No, not that. I mean…as a whole."
"What's not to be sure of?"
"I'm not…" I hesitated. "This isn't who I am. I don't party, I never…"
"Bella," she hesitated, pulling the eyeliner away from my eye. I opened them and looked at her. Her face was full of genuine sincerity as she continued. "If you don't want to do this, Edward will understand."
"He can just go without me, right?"
"Yes, but he won't."
"You're right. I already talked big and said that I would be there. I can't embarrass him like that."
"No, it isn't that. I don't think he would want to go without you."
"Why not?"
She bit down on her lip and hesitated again. "He really likes you, you know."
I was silent, almost disbelieving.
"He likes you more than he liked Tanya. I can't even explain to you how grateful I am for that. I mean… everyone who really knew him knew that Tanya was all wrong for him. It killed me to watch him try so hard to be someone he wasn't just to get her attention."
Her face was pained, as if looking back on the way he used to be was causing her grief.
"I think after he met you, he realized that what he felt for Tanya wasn't real. It was…artificial, almost. Like he only liked her because he was expected to."
Her expression grew distant, as if she was deep in thought. I subtly settled into my chair, waiting for her to return to the present.
She was silent for another moment before she started back on my eye makeup. When she was finished, she turned away from me to begin rummaging in her bag.
"You're good for him," she said suddenly, a distinct tone of decisiveness echoing in her voice. "You're what he needs."
I didn't say anything.
"You probably haven't realized it yet. I don't even think he does. But… you fixed him. And being the annoying little sister that cares about him much more than I would ever admit to his face, I am eternally in your debt for that."
I opened my mouth, but still didn't know what to say. She didn't seem to notice that I wasn't responding. She was scrutinizing two different tubes in her hands. It took a moment before she threw one of them back into the bag and opened the other one.
"Close," she said pointedly, gesturing at my mouth. I snapped my mouth shut immediately and she applied a gooey substance over my lips.
"Smudge," she ordered.
"Umm..."
She sighed, a corner of her mouth twisting into an amused smile before rolling her lips over one another as example.
"Oh," I felt myself blush. She gave me an approving nod as I did what she showed me.
She turned away and rummaged in a drawer, producing a large curling iron. As it was heating up, she applied her makeup. It fascinated me that she didn't even need a mirror. Everything she did was flawless, perfected like some rare art.
"What?" she shook her head, catching my open-mouthed gaze.
"I…nothing. You're just so good at..." I gestured with my hand towards the eyeliner pen in her hand as it was suspended mid stroke.
Alice let out a slight chuckle, "Years of practice."
She resumed her instructions on proper-party-etiquette as she rolled the large barrel of the curling iron through my hair repeatedly.
"…Oh, and don't let any of the jocks hit on you. Just avoid them."
"I don't think I have to worry about that, Alice," I mumbled.
"Hm," she chuckled. "Whatever you say, Bella. Oh! By the way, do you have a curfew?"
"Oh, um…not really," I said uncertainly. I didn't want to imply that it was okay for me to be out all night, but I didn't want to seem like a goody-two-shoes, either. "Well, I obviously didn't tell my dad I was going to a party…he would have killed me…But when I told him I was hanging out with a friend tonight, he looked like he was ready to sing," I grimaced at the thought of Charlie singing.
"Oh…I take it you don't go out often and hang out with friends?"
I laughed slightly. "Friends, or lack thereof."
"You couldn't have had no friends," Alice protested, placing her hands on her hips.
"Well, there's Jacob," I allowed.
Her face fell. "Jacob?" she echoed warily.
"He's just a friend. We've known each other since we were little."
"Oh, well that's nice. You never hung out with him?"
"If you consider watching the Mariners or fixing cars hanging out, then I guess so."
"Oh, he's that kind of friend..." she mumbled.
"What?"
"The kind of friend who you watch sports with."
"…Alice…what?"
"Guys think that's hot."
"What?" I repeated.
"A girl who is into sports. Guys think that's hot."
"Oh, no…No, Alice. It's not like that. Jacob and I are platonic friends. End of story."
"Does Jacob know this?"
"Yes, he does."
She smiled disbelievingly and continued rolling the curler through my hair. "Anyway…curfew?"
"No curfew. He basically told me that he didn't care when I got home as long as I stayed out of trouble and didn't get into another accident…"
"Good. I mean, not that I expect to be there really late…but, it's better to not have time limits. Sometimes the party is a bust and we end up home early, but sometimes we don't get in until 3 in the morning. It just depends."
I felt my eyes get big, but I concealed my expression of terror as quickly as I could. Obviously not quick enough, though.
"But you can just tell Edward if you want to go home. I'm sure he'll have no problem. I mean, if you're not having fun-"
"No, that's not it. I've just never really stayed up past 1 on purpose before. You might have to drag me out of there."
"You'll be fine," she winked. "Ever tried Red Bull?"
"No…"
"That's what you should drink. It's non alcoholic, and it's an energy drink. It works wonders. Plus, Tanya is sure to have a big stock of it there. Jager bombs are a big hit with the jock crowd."
"Jager…what?"
"Jager bombs," she repeated. "It's a mix of red bull and Jagermeister. I don't like it very much. I think the jager tastes like black licorice," she made a face. "I prefer to mix red bull with cherry vodka or something like that."
"Oh," I nodded, trying to sound like I was following.
"You've never drank before, right?"
"Oh, um…no," I blushed.
"Okay, don't start tonight. I don't want a first time drinker on my hands. If you want to do that you can come over here next weekend and we can get you sloshed in the safety of our home rather than out in public."
"Um…that's okay," I bit my lip.
"Ah, ah!" she scolded quickly, "Lipstick!"
"Oh, I forgot."
"You're like that girl in the movie "Clueless". You know, the one that they makeover?"
"I like Brittany Murphy, so that's not a bad thing to me..." I shrugged, silently priding myself on the fact that I caught a modern pop culture reference.
"I like her too. I guess that would make me Alicia Silverstone, though…and she kind of irritates the shit out of me, so let's forget the 'Clueless' metaphor." She stepped back from me and cocked her head to the side, studying her work for a moment before a smile spread across her face.
"There. Finished. Ready to see?"
"Yeah, sure." I tried to sound nonchalant as she swung my chair around to face the mirror. Unfortunately, my loud gasp gave away my surprise.
Alice beamed even more as I studied my foreign looking reflection.
My eyebrows were suddenly perfectly and professionally sculpted. My cheeks had a soft red glow to them, though I couldn't tell whether that was my own natural blush or if she had added that in herself. My lips were a glossy, yet subtle, red. My eyes were outlined in black and my eyelashes were noticeable for the first time in my life. There was a faded grey eye shadow over my lids that faded into a lighter color and then blended into my skin flawlessly. My usually limp and lifeless hair was molded into gentle, shiny curls that cascaded down my shoulders. I looked almost unrecognizable, but upon further scrutiny…it was undeniably Bella Swan. Just…a different version of Bella Swan.
"Wow…" I breathed.
Alice continued to smile for another moment before suddenly saying, "You have really good skin. Seriously. Your complexion is damn near perfect. I'm quite jealous."
I was still speechless. I just stared at myself in the mirror, trying to memorize what I looked like, doubting that after tonight I would ever receive an Alice makeover again. Despite what I looked like, I was almost guaranteed to make a fool of myself tonight.
"Okay," Alice checked the clock on the wall behind her. "We're right on schedule. Time for clothes."
"I don't think I'm going to fit into your clothes," I winced, tearing my eyes away from the mirror to give her a sheepish grimace.
"Please," she rolled her eyes. "Come on."
EPOV
"Edward, you're wearing a hole in the carpet," my mother sighed from her perch on the couch.
I stopped pacing and sat down beside her.
"What's got your panties in a bunch?" she smirked, swirling around the dark colored wine in her crystal bowl glass.
"Nothing," I lied.
"She's in good hands," she smiled, patting my leg. I should have known better than to try to lie to my mother. "I just wish Alice would have let me meet her before dragging Bella off to her torture dungeon."
I shot her an exasperated glance and she laughed. "I'm just joking. Alice promised you she would be gentle. Trust her."
I was about to respond when I heard the familiar crunch of gravel in the driveway. I craned my neck to see, although I knew it was Jasper. He sprinted up the sidewalk and let himself in the front door.
"Hey, Jazz," Esme smiled without turning to even see who it was.
"Hey, Mom," Jasper smiled, leaning over the couch to give her a kiss on the cheek. "Hittin' the grapes early today, huh?" He gestured to the glass of wine in her hand.
"It's the weekend," she sighed, waving her hand in the air dismissively.
"What's up?" Jasper grinned, extending a hand to me. I grabbed it and clapped him on the back once as he sank down onto the couch. "Does Alice still have your girlfriend in her clutches?"
"Dude, why?" I shook my head at him in exasperation as Esme shook with silent laughter beside me.
"I told you she was your girlfriend," she snorted.
I was about to repay Jasper with physical harm when I heard the click of a door from somewhere upstairs. My heart started beating in double time as I heard Alice's tinkling laugh echoing down the staircase. Alice appeared first, though she was barely worth a double-take, for me. She was wearing a slightly less than knee-length white ruffled skirt with a pink halter top. It was nothing extravagant as far as I was concerned. I was used to seeing Alice like that. Still, though, Jasper's sharp intake of breath was enough to tell me that they would be disappearing from the party halfway through the night again.
Alice paused on the stairs and turned around, gesturing for Bella to follow her.
"What?" Alice whispered in response to something Bella whispered before that I couldn't hear.
"Oh, Bella. You'll live. Come on," Alice groaned, not completing her descent of the stairs until Bella had begun.
"Ow," I heard Bella hiss as her foot appeared on the top step. I could see now why she was complaining. Alice had her in a pair of heels.
The shoes only held my attention for a fraction of a second, though. Slowly, my eyes traveled upward, grazing over the flawless legs and smooth knees until the cadet blue colored dress got in the way. I had never seen so much of Bella's skin before. She was always wearing jeans and thermals to school, and there was so much more of her to take in now. I gulped as she came fully into view. She was wearing an unfamiliar V-neck dress with a pleated empire waist and modest, yet slightly revealing length to it. I was barely surprised that I had never seen that particular garment of Alice's yet. Her closet could disorient Chuck Norris. I smirked at the thought.
It took a moment, but I finally managed to pull my eyes away from the bare skin of her arms. Once my attention reached her face, I felt my eyes widen in awe and I took a moment to reel myself back in. Alice had no doubt caught my expression, and I could nearly feel her radiating smugness from beside me. Bella had always had this subtle beauty to her. I had always found her attractive and pretty in her own ways, but now it was broadcast in twelve languages. Alice had completely transformed her. To call her stunning would have been a disgraceful understatement. If there was any person left at that party that was that doubted my sanity, I dared them to continue after they saw her tonight.
Finally, everyone else would see what I had seen all along. I saw Bella. Beautiful, gorgeous, perfectly imperfect Bella.
How the fuck was I supposed to keep my hands off of her tonight?
"Isabella," My mother broke the awkward silence as Bella neared the bottom of the stairs.
"Bella," Alice and I corrected together.
"Sorry, Bella," Esme edited. "It's so nice to finally meet you," she reached out for her and pulled her into a tight embrace. Bella looked slightly stunned for a moment, but returned the hug without missing a beat.
"It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Cullen."
"Oh, please, honey - call me Esme."
Bella bobbed her head awkwardly once.
"Oh, well..." Esme suddenly shook herself out of her daze and began shooing us toward the door. "You guys have a party to get to, don't let me slow you down. No drugs, no cops, be home before morning. If you drink, I had better not find out about it, and you -" She turned menacingly toward me, her pointer finger extended. "- had better drive carefully."
"Yes, mom," I sighed.
"Have a nice time," she opened the front door and ushered us out.
I let out a deep breath and followed Alice, Jasper, and Bella out the door.
"Hi," I whispered into Bella's ear.
She giggled slightly, "Hi."
"You look amazing."
"Thanks," she blushed. "You clean up pretty nicely yourse- oof,"
I had seen her heel catch on the porch steps and anticipated the result before it happened. I quickly thrust out my arms to catch her shoulders as she began to topple over. I tried not to focus on how smooth her skin was as I helped steady her.
"Crap," she muttered. "That was embarrassing. Thanks."
I chuckled, "It's Alice's fault for making you wear death traps on your feet."
"I couldn't talk her out of them. I tried to tell her that a lack of coordination added to a 4 inch elevation would not end well…"
"But your legs look hot as hell," Alice chirped from ahead of us without turning around. Bella's pre-existing blush deepened and she quickly began focusing on the ground, letting our conversation drop.
"See you there," Alice threw a smile over her shoulder towards us as she climbed into Jasper's Hummer.
I sprinted a few feet ahead to my Volvo and held the door open for Bella. She gave me a small smile and ducked into the vehicle. Jasper had already pulled off and sped down the road before I had even gotten in and started the car.
I pressed the number six button on the CD player and Ludovico Einaudi began filtering through the speakers. Bella smiled again.
"Don't let me forget to make you a CD of this music," I started conversationally.
"Yeah, I have to get you one of Yiruma, too," she nodded.
My phone went off in my pocket. I read it quickly as I was stopped at a stop sign.
Who's the best sister in the world?
I rolled my eyes and snapped the phone shut without responding to Alice's message.
"Um, what time did you tell your dad you would be home?"
"Oh, I didn't. He was kind of elated that I had plans on a Friday night, so he's being extraordinarily lenient."
"I see. Well, is there any particular time you would like to get home?"
"Um," she hesitated for a moment before shrugging her shoulders. "Not really. I mean, I'm not used to being up really late, so I'll probably be tired really fast, but other than that…"
"Well let me know when you start getting tired, okay? I don't want to make you drive home battling exhaustion."
She bobbed her head in agreement once and then we both fell silent and began listening to the smooth instrumentals flowing out of the speakers. I made a special effort to appreciate the music, knowing that in a few short minutes it would be replaced by deafening hip-hop beats and lyrics with no relevance to anything important.
Bella began fidgeting a noticeable amount as we pulled into Tanya's driveway. Compared to my house, Tanya's was like the white house. Three stories tall and made of solid brick, except for the white marble columns baroquing the front of it. Complete with a fountain smack-dab in the middle of the circular driveway, this was by far the most ostentatious home in Forks. Even halfway down the drive we could feel the pulsing beats of the music. A group of our classmates lingered just outside of the doors, all equipped with red plastic cups. One obvious lightweight was already puking in the bushes and it was only shortly after eight.
I spotted Jasper's Hummer and slowed down my car to study it for a moment.
"What are you doing?" Bella asked, trying to follow my gaze.
"Jasper's car," I gestured toward it with my head.
"Oh…" she trailed off, still obviously confused.
I flicked my eyes at her and then explained with a sigh "I'm making sure that Alice and Jasper aren't in the vehicle before I go parking next to it."
"Oh," she said again, this time with much more understanding.
After I was satisfied that Jasper and Alice were not in the vehicle, I swung my Volvo in beside it and turned off the engine. I glanced at Bella quickly, but she didn't return my gaze. She was staring very determinedly at the dashboard, her shoulders rising and falling as she took in several deep breaths.
"Ready?" I asked.
She took one more deep breath and turned to look at me. She nodded once and reached for the door handle. I did the same and quickly met her around on the passenger side to shut her door for her. I held out my arm, more for support than courteousness at this point. The last thing I wanted was for her to trip and fall in front of everyone. Not that it would embarrass me, but it would certainly cause her embarrassment. My goal for the night was to get through it with minimal embarrassment on Bella's part. She took my arm and followed my lead toward the brick walk leading toward the house.
Even before we had entered the house, I felt the eyes. Everyone in the group outside the house had caught sight of Bella and hushed immediately, elbowing each other in the ribs and gesturing towards us. I smirked, but I could almost feel the heat begin to radiate off of Bella. This was the kind of embarrassment that was acceptable. I had mixed feelings about it, though. On one hand, I was thrilled that people were finally seeing Bella the way I saw her, but on the other hand…when it was just me who saw her that way, I had much less competition. Now every straight male at this party would have pictured her naked at least once before the night was over. And now that I had thought about that, I was picturing her naked.
Damn it, Edward. Get a hold of yourself. This is not the time to lose your head to petty desires like that.
I didn't even bother knocking on the door. Some people thought it was common courtesy to knock on the door at a party, but I knew well enough that there was no possible way that a knock on the door or even a bazooka horn as a doorbell could be heard over the noise inside that house. I turned the big brass doorknob and pushed the door open.
Bella and I both flinched at the overpowering sound of music and chatter as we entered. No one seemed to take notice of us at first, but then again, it only took one person. A cheerleader who had made a pass at me a few times in the beginning of the year was the first to see us. Her eyes bulged and she quickly poked her finger into the ribs of the girl next to her, who turned quickly to see what the fuss was. After that, the news of our arrival spread like wildfire. It had made it all the way through the main room before we had even gotten that far. Eyes were drawn to us like magnets. Not us, Bella. I was old news, now. The stunning woman beside me was the real reason for gossip. I could see the awe in their faces as they looked her up and down. Some of them with confusion, trying to figure out who exactly she was. Some of them with disbelief, knowing exactly who she was but unable to accept the sudden transformation.
I could only imagine how uncomfortable Bella was. I was the most uncomfortable I had been in a long time, and I was just standing beside the object of everyone's attention. I suddenly felt an urge to pull her into my chest and protect her from the sudden scrutiny she had been placed under. Luckily for me, though, Alice jumped into the picture and distracted us both.
"Hey guys!" she grinned, pushing her way through the crowd with Jasper towed just behind. "What took you so long?"
"We only went ten miles over the speed limit," I explained sarcastically.
"Oh," she crinkled her nose in distaste.
Jasper's lips moved, then, but I couldn't understand what he said.
"What?" I leaned my head toward him to hear better as he repeated. I still didn't catch what he said, though.
"What?" I repeated.
"He said that Tanya has been waiting for you to get here," Bella shouted over the noise.
I gave her a confused glance. How had she heard him when she was a foot farther away than I was?
"I'm really good at reading lips," she explained.
I was about to reply when I heard a different voice sound from behind me.
"Edward!"
I turned quickly to see Tanya walking toward me, flanked on both sides by Kate and Irina. Tanya didn't even look at Bella; she kept her hungry eyes glued onto me.
"So glad you could make it," she said loudly, using the noise as an excuse to press herself close against me while she said it. I took a step away from her and forced a curt smile, tightening my elbow against my side and pinning Bella's hand to me like I was using her as a protective force field. Conveniently, Tanya caught the gesture and it brought her attention to Bella. In a period of about three seconds, I saw seven different emotions cross Tanya's face. Smugness turned to surprise which turned to confusion which turned to realization which turned to shock which turned to anger which was quickly covered by a very unauthentic smile.
"Bella, so glad you could make it, too…You look so different, I barely recognized you..."
Bella didn't say anything.
"Edward, haven't you offered Bella a drink yet? Goodness, sometimes you can be so rude. Bella, would you like a drink? I'll go get you a drink."
"No, Tanya. I'll get her a drink," Alice stepped in quickly exchanging an unreadable glance with Bella before hurrying off toward the long table covered with tubs of ice and different drinks.
Tanya scowled at Alice as she walked off before plastering the fake grin back on her face and turning back toward us.
"Well, have fun, I guess."
Bella smiled and nodded once. I nodded, but didn't allow her a smile.
Alice passed by Tanya on her way back toward us. She handed both Bella and I a can of Red Bull. "You're driving tonight," she reminded me unnecessarily. I nodded and accepted the energy drink with a gratuitous thanks.
"I love this song!" Alice bounced a little before downing her Smirnoff.
It only took me another two seconds to figure out what the song was. It was "I Wanna" by All-American Rejects. It was actually a good song, in comparison to most of the rap and perverse hip-hop that was usually played here.
"I wanna, I wanna, I wanna touch you. You wanna touch me too." Alice sang, wrapping her arms around Jaspers neck and pressing her small body against his. He smiled and rolled his eyes before kissing her lightly on the lips. I turned away from them, feeling awkward and found Bella doing the same thing.
We stood awkwardly for a moment, not speaking. When we finally looked back up at each other, we found that we were both mouthing the lyrics to the song at the same time.
I never thought that I was so blind
I can finally see the truth
It's me for you
She ran her hand through her hair and smiled timidly at me, "You like them?"
"The All-American Rejects?"
She nodded, although I don't think she could hear me.
"Yeah, I like most of their music."
The rest of the evening followed in a similar manner. Small talk was pointless because it was too hard to hear, we exchanged several comments on the music and Alice chattered away animatedly at us with Jasper staring off into space. None of us could hear what Alice was saying anyway, and I'm quite sure that Bella stopped trying to read her lips after the first minute or so.
Several people tried to get me on their team for the beer pong tournament, which I repeatedly denied saying that I wasn't drinking. Instead, Bella and I moved over to the tables to watch. The music was turned down at this point so that people could focus on the game, so it was easier to explain the rules to Bella.
"Basically they're just trying to get the balls into the cups on the end. When they do, the other team has to drink the beer out of the cup and then the cup is removed from the game. The first team to get all of their cups off the other side of the table wins.""And the losing team gets drunk off their asses as a consolation prize," she nodded.
I laughed, "Yeah, pretty much."
Was it weird that I was almost turned on by the fact that she had just swore?
We watched the game for a while, making comments on random things until Alice and Jasper came up behind us.
"Rose and Emmett are finally here. They're coming over to talk to you."
I craned my neck around Alice to see that Emmett and Rose were in fact headed over toward us.
"Hey, bro," Emmett greeted, clapping me on the back.
"What's up?"
"Not much, just a typical Friday, right?" He glanced quickly at Bella, did a double take, and then glanced back at me.
"Oh! Right, sorry," I apologized quickly. "Emmett, Rose, this is Bella. Bella, Emmett, Rose."
"Hi," Bella rocked on her heels a little, obviously nervous.
"Bella, nice to finally meet you," Emmett did a theatric bow and kissed her hand. I bit down the absurd jealousy I felt at his nonchalant action. Little did he know that I had wanted to do something equivalent to that all night.
Bella smiled in response and giggled lightly.
"Hi, Bella. You look…I mean, it's nice to meet you," Rose nodded. I knew immediately that Emmett must have had a talk with her. She normally wasn't that warm to people who she didn't know.
"Nice to meet you too," Bella nodded in return.
We exchanged a few more minutes of small talk before something caught my eye. James Damon was staring fixatedly at Bella from across the room. I hadn't quite registered the look in his eye when his attention was drawn elsewhere. His arm was around Tanya's waist at that moment, and nothing could have angered Tanya more than him looking at Bella like that. She snapped her fingers in front of his face and then began assaulting him with her high pitched voice.
I felt Bella shift beside me and made note that she looked suddenly anxious.
"You okay?" I whispered, leaning my head closer to hers to make the statement more private.
"Yeah, I'm just a little warm."
"Do you want to step outside for some fresh air?"
She looked up at me for a moment and then glanced around the room quickly before nodding.
Jasper and Emmett were now involved in a riveting conversation about the Mariners and Alice and Rosalie were discussing hair products.
"We're going to get some fresh air," I whispered quickly to Alice. She nodded once and winked before returning to her conversation.
As we turned toward the door, I suddenly realized how packed the place had become since we had arrived. I almost felt claustrophobic as I tried to push my way through the groups of people. I debated for a second before turning back to Bella and extending my hand to her. She didn't even seem to hesitate before placing her hand in mine and letting me lead her through the crowd to the door.
Something happened when her hand linked in mine. I couldn't quite recognize what it was, but there was some kind electricity that passed between us. My heart leapt with joy when we had finally made it through the crowds and I loosened my grip to find that she did not let go. In fact, she didn't let go until we were outside in the fresh air. She moved to sit on the steps and I did the same.
"Oh, here," I pulled the jacket off of my shoulders and set it over her bare shoulders to protect her from the cold night air.
"Oh, that's…" she seemed about ready to protest, but decided against it. "Thanks," she smiled.
We were silent for a moment, listening to the chirping crickets fight against the chatter inside the house.
"Are you having a good time?" I asked impulsively, immediately regretting it. I sounded like an idiot.
"Yeah," she nodded.
"That didn't sound very enthusiastic," I raised my eyebrow at her.
She looked up at me for a moment before sighing, "Everyone stares at me."
"For obvious reasons."
"Not really," she mumbled.
"What are you talking about?" I scoffed.
She rolled her eyes and picked at a blade of grass. "I'm not new or anything. I've known most of these people for like, two years. It's suddenly like I'm the new girl all over again."
"That's not why they're staring," I chuckled.
"I don't get it," she continued. "Just because Alice put me in a dress and curled my hair I'm suddenly shiny and new again?"
"Bella…" I started, "It's not that you're shiny and new. It's just the shock to them that they've all overlooked you for the past two years. I felt the same way when I first got to know you. I felt like an idiot."
She frowned and turned to look at me questioningly.
I continued, "If I had known how amazing you were two years ago, I wouldn't have spent so much time going through shallow and conceited girls trying to find that 'something more'." My stomach suddenly clenched as I realized how abruptly candid I was being with her. I didn't want to make her uncomfortable, but I suddenly couldn't stop myself from telling her exactly how I felt.
"What do you mean?"
She had to ask, didn't she..
"I like you, Bella." Oh, no. What was I doing. Shut up, Edward, before you scare her away. "I like you a lot."
Dumb ass.
She returned her attention to the blade of grass again, biting her lip. My heart sunk with every additional second she remained silent before finally, "I like you too."
I grinned like an idiot. Elation welled up inside of me like a great balloon, inflating my self confidence to monumental levels.
"Will you be my girlfriend?"
Even the crickets shut up.
Shit, I thought. I didn't say that out loud.
She slowly turned to face me, her jaw hung slightly open and her eyes full of awe.
Fuck.
"I'm sorry," I backtracked quickly. "I don't know what I was…it just slipped out. I didn't mean to-"
"Yes."
I blinked several times. "You…yes?"
She nodded.
"Oh…well," I ran my fingers through my hair, unsure of what to say next. I finally settled on a simple, "Wow".
She was silent for a moment, studying me. Finally, she spoke again. "I'm glad I didn't have to go through countless assholes before I found 'something more'."
My heart leapt into my throat. I felt a huge smile spread across my face. She raised a corner of her mouth in response and bit her lip in contemplation. The small gesture immediately brought my attention to her lips and then there was only one thing on my mind. I tried to take a step back and survey the situation to determine if my impulse would be appropriate to follow through on. A small part of my brain was telling me to use caution. I hadn't scared her away yet, but my luck would run out eventually. Every other fiber of my being was telling me different though, including my sense of observation. The look in her eyes said that she was thinking the same thing. Before I had fully thought it through, I found myself leaning toward her. Her eyes widened for a split second, her breath caught in her throat. Then, ever so subtly, she began to lean toward me, too.
I was like a pre-pubescent boy with his first crush. I had kissed countless girls, but for some reason, I had never felt this nervous about it before.
Suddenly, the door to the house flew open with a loud bang. Mike Newton stumbled out onto the porch, veering directly toward the bushes behind us where he doubled himself over and began heaving.
Bella and I stood up quickly and moved away, the moment ruined.
"Wonderful," Bella groaned, wrinkling her nose in disgust.
"Hm, yeah," I rolled my eyes a little.
"We should probably get back inside anyway," Bella said softly.
"Yeah, we should," I agreed unenthusiastically.
"Thank you for your coat," she smiled, shrugging it off of her shoulders and handing it back to me.
"You're welcome. Um, I'm going to hit the restroom before I get back to the party, I think."
"Okay," she nodded. "I'll go find Alice."
I let her walk ahead of me, highly contemplating giving Mike a swift kick in the ass and sending him face first into the pile of his own vomit as I walked past him.
We went separate ways once back inside. I was second in line for the bathroom when I got there, and I didn't feel like going upstairs to the other bathroom, so I just waited. Five minutes later I slipped inside the door and shut it behind me, leaning my back against it and taking a deep breath. Despite the great moment that Mike Newton had just ruined for me, I was efficiently buzzed right then. Nothing in the world could have brought me down from my current high.
Or so I thought.
"Oof," I exhaled sharply as the door knob jabbed into my side. "It's occupied," I called out, trying to push back against the door to close it again. It met resistance in the form of a bright red pump sticking into the opening.
I took a step back in surprise as the door opened all the way. Tanya slipped in quickly, shutting the door behind her.
"What are you doing?" I hissed, though I had a sinking suspicion that I knew the answer.
"You," she smirked, taking a few steps toward me.
"Tanya, what the fuck?" I growled, sidestepping around her advance.
"Oh please, you know you want me. James is being an asshole tonight anyway. I missed this part when you and I were dating," she stepped toward me again, grasping at the hem of my shirt with her hands.
"Tanya, first of all, we weren't really dating," I grabbed her wrists and pushed her away. "And second of all, no."
"What?" she raised an eyebrow suggestively. "It's not like she's going to put out." She slipped a shoulder strap of her dress off of her shoulder. "A little fun never hurt anyone."
"Excuse me," I growled, pushing past her toward the door.
"Ah, ah, ah," she smirked, quickly pushing her back against the door. "You'll have to go through me, first," she winked.
"Was this your plan? Trying to seduce me in the bathroom? Is that why you invited me?"
"Not entirely, it was a last minute perk I decided on."
"That's not your decision to make."
"Oh? You think that just because you're the one with the dick that you get to act like one?"
"Well that's quite hypocritical, don't you think? I mean, you get to act like a cunt." Usually I wasn't so harsh, but I was extraordinarily angry at that present moment, and no word was beyond my vocabulary.
"Fuck you," she spat.
"Not a chance." I pushed her out of the way forcefully and left the bathroom, slamming the door behind me.
Seething at her audacity, I decided against using the bathroom here and instead started searching for Bella to go home. As far as I was concerned, the night was over.
I decided that Alice would want to hear about Tanya's failed attempt at seducing me, anyway. Problem was, I couldn't find Alice. Nor could I find Bella.
"Rose!" I called, pushing my way through the crowd to where Rosalie was standing. "Have you seen Alice?"
"No, I think her and Jazz went out the back way to the Hummer right after you and Bella went outside."
"Shit," I frowned. "Have you seen Bella?"
"No, why?"
"She was supposed to find Alice, but now I can't find either of them."
"I'll help you look," she said quickly, setting her drink down on the mantle and starting to push through the crowds.
We searched the party's occupants for the next ten minutes but to no avail. I pulled out my phone and dialed Bella's number. It rang four times and went to voicemail.
I felt myself begin to panic. There must have been some good reason why she had disappeared. I'm sure she was fine. Maybe I had moved too fast after all and she had just gotten scared.
"She's not in any of the bathrooms," Rose announced. "I checked out by the Volvo, too. Trust me, Alice and Jasper are alone out there." She rolled her eyes.
I dialed Bella's number again, but this time left a message.
"Bella, where are you, I'm getting worried."
yeah, sorry about that cliffhanger. the chapter was just getting out of hand, lol.
a couple things I would like to address.
1. Due to health issues, I am not able to work at the moment. I won't get into the health things, it's not important right now. Point being, I will hopefully be able to get chapters out more quickly now that I have alot of free time/ bed rest restrictions
2. I just really wanted to thank you all for the kind feedback. I can't even explain how much I appreciate it. Every review means so much to me. I only get to respond on occasion, but I seriously love you all for your support. :)
3. Kaitlyn and Stephanie need a round of applause for getting this betad for you so quickly. Seriously. Thank them for their speediness. It got you this chapter much faster than I expected.
4. I will post the link to cullenated on my main page so that you all can go post your stories and help the site take off. Alot of you asked for it before, so I'll post it there so you all can go visit. 3
5. There really is no #5. I just love you all so I figured I would add another number to say it again.
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WAIT NO! 6. GO READ JILLBETSONALICE 'S STORY SILENCE IN THE STACKS! (linked in my profile) OMG IT'S SO FABULOUS! end caps lock rape. :)