Alice decided that we were going to hang out the next day after school.
She parked the Porsche in my driveway and for a brief moment, I wondered where Charlie was going to park his cruiser, than dismissed it and went to let Alice in.
She was already standing at the door, arms crossed, and her foot tapping impatiently.
I giggled a little at the sight, then grabbed my key and thrust it into the key hole.
"Okay, Bella, we'll make some dinner, throw it in the oven and then head up the stairs for a makeover!" Alice bounced slightly while talking.
There was no room for negotiation on the whole makeover thing. I sighed.
I headed to the kitchen, grabbing some of Henry's Fish Fry out of the freezer.
I walked toward the stove, passing Alice who was sitting on the counter, and noticed her look of disgust.
"You don't like fish?" I asked.
"Chicken smells better. Fish just stinks."
I raised my eyebrows at this, but walked back to the freezer and grabbed chicken anyway.
She jumped off the counter,
"What can I do?" She asked, looking, less revolted.
"Get some potatoes out of the pantry and wash them." I always hated that job, but Alice didn't seem to mind, skipping to the pantry to grab them.
I grabbed a pan and began putting chicken in it, then went and grabbed the rest of the ingredients for lemon chicken.
Alice and I didn't talk much, just a 'what else do you need done?' he and there.
While we cooked I thought about Edward.
I was so confused by him and his mood swings.
How would Alice and I be friends if every time I came over he pitched a hissy fit?
It could happen. It would never work out.
"Are we done cooking now?" Alice broke me out of my thoughts impatiently.
I rolled my eyes, "Yep."
She grabbed my arm, yanking me up the stairs and down the hall to my room.
"Let's start with clothes!" She skipped to my closet, excited.
The excitement quickly changed to horror as she eyed the clothes in my closet.
"What happened to the clothes I bought you?!"
"They're in there." I mumbled, blushing.
"Along with all your old clothes!" She yelled.
"Do you not appreciate my Herculean effort?" She pouted.
I instantly felt guilty.
"I appreciate it, Alice. I love how hard you work." Did that make sense?
"You should!" She exclaimed.
I nodded, "I do."
This seemed to satisfy her, and she smiled before throwing every piece of clothing I own around the room.
Eventually, she found a skirt and a shirt that she wanted me to wear and sent me off to the bathroom to put them on.
It actually didn't look that bad on me.
The blue made my skin tone look paler than usual but accented my browns eyes.
The skirt was modest, knee length, and the dark denim showed off the little let leg it showed.
I walked back to my room, my self-esteem getting a little better.
Alice had cleaned the mess she'd made, I noticed and was grateful.
"Hair's next!" Alice jumped up and down.
"Sit!"
I wanted to tell her 'no'. It was almost guaranteed she would see my hearing aids.
After all my hard work it would ruin the life I had built for myself here.
But when I saw the look in her eyes, I caved.
I sat in the chair, sighing heavily.
She jumped for joy, and then grabbed the curling iron asking, "Are you ready?"
"Yes." I stated in a monotone voice.
"Just leave my hair down." I commanded a little sharper than I wanted it to be.
"Fine, Ms. Grump." She said, taking in my mood immediately.
She picked up my brush and began softly pulling it through my hair, murmuring something.
I just nodded and faked a smile, pretending to hear her.
She frowned, looking at me strangely, than said it again, this time I focused on her lips in the mirror, resorting to lip-reading.
"Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you." I panicked, making up an excuse for my fears.
"Well, I have bad curling iron experiences, ask my Mom."
Worry-sweat started to bead on my forehead and my palms as the brush got close to my ear.
I fidgeted.
She angled the brush, directly so it would hit my hearing aid and I jumped away, but it was too late. The brush hit my hearing aid, making a clunk and a ringing in my ear.
"What was that?" She asked.
"My……head?" I tried to lie.
"It rang." She stated the obvious.
Then, she lifted my hair, before I could jump away or protest. She fingered the pink hearing aid.
"What's that?" She asked obviously in a shock.
"I-it's my h-hearing aid." I stuttered out hesitantly.
She closed her eyes, pain washing through her features.
"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked softly.
"I was scared." I tried to reason with her.
"But…..why?" She asked.
I stood up going over and sitting on my bed, then patting the spot next to me.
Alice sat next to me, but didn't meet my eyes.
"I was born this way, you know." I started hesitantly, "I don't know what it's like to hear completely.
I went to school one year and it seemed like everybody liked me," I let out a bitter life, "Well, it turned out that everybody made fun of me behind my back. After all I couldn't hear them doing it.
Well, eventually I found out that they were making fun of me. It wasn't that hard, some people pointed and laughed at me, calling me 'deaf girl'. Nobody talked to me, they were afraid of something new, someone new.
It was hard going to school, knowing when you got there; no one would talk to you. When new kids came, people told them that I was handicap. But, I guess that's kind of true.
Alice, I understand if you don't want to be my friend anymore, just please don't tell anyone." I begged her.
Suddenly, she looked furious.
"Bella how could you think so low of me? I would never do what those people did to you, ever. I'm sad that you thought I would ever sink to that level. You're my best friend."
Tears filled my eyes, I had a best friend. She was real, she was sincere. And I could finally count on some one to always be there for me.
"Now that you've trusted me with your secret, Edward's got a secret for you."
(A/n: Hi everybody. This is Hannah. I did some shadow writing for Brooke. Tell me, did I do a good job? Anyway! Review and tell us how you liked the chapter. Now, I'M NOT TAKING OVER THIS STORY FOR BROOKE! BROOKE IS STILL THE AUTHOR! Now hit the review button or Brooke will take another leave, as long as the last one. Show us how much you don't want that and review! Flamers will be blocked.)