EPOV
After breakfast, Alice told me she wanted to make cupcakes. I didn't really question it. I've always enjoyed cooking and it would be something fun. I was right too, it was fun. Alice even mentioned a party and asked if I'd like to go. It seems like a good idea to me; so I said yes.
We start getting ready to wash the various bowls that we dirtied. My smile quickly fades away and I sigh. Alice looks up at me questioningly. She volunteered to wash while I dry. That still doesn't change the fact that I hate doing the dishes. It's the most boring chore one could do.
"Turn that frown upside down, Edward," Alice says, filling up the sink with soapy water.
"I hate dishes," I grumble.
"Ah, common, don't worry, be happy!"
"Nothing happy about it."
"I bet I can make you smile."
"I bet you can't." Alice doesn't say anything. Now I'm consciously trying to be aware of not smiling.
"You come shopping with me if I win," she says after a moment.
"You don't take me shopping the entire time I'm here if I win," I say.
"Deal."
"Deal." We shake hands before Alice sets about washing the dishes. We're silent and I wonder what she's plotting. The silence and seriousness of it all is almost comical. It makes my mouth twitch, but I suppress it. Maybe her plan is to win, with out doing anything at all.
"Edward," she says. I look over at her and see her holding her dripping, soaping hand up in a fist. The way people do it so that it looks like their hand is talking.
"Hm?" I mutter, uninterested. This is her best attempt? Really?
"I wanna have hot sex with you," the fist hand says. I almost drop the bowl I'm drying.
"Oh," I say, acting like I'm not paying attention. Actually, I am; I want to see where she's heading with this.
"Take me to your room," says her fist. I look at it, in all of its dripping, soapy glory and fight back the smile.
"Not now," I say, hearing the amusement in my voice. No! I will not go shopping!
"But I'm so wet," Alice's fist says. That's what finally makes me crack up laughing.
"I knew I'd win," Alice says smugly, putting her hands back to work washing the dishes. I gas for air and shake my head.
"That's not fair."
"It was fair. I made you laugh and now you have to come shopping with me. Don't be a cry baby, it won't be just us."
"Who else?"
"Rose, Em and Jazz."
"Okay, that's fine."
"Bella, too."
"Damn it!"
~*!*~
The rain comes down fast, in big fat drops. I have rain drop races on the car windows. I like to drive, but sometimes being a passenger has its advantages. Well, it does when there are things to see. In this town, though, there's pretty much nothing.
"Are you enjoying Forks?" Rose asks from the front seat. She and Jasper drove over this morning. Emmett came in his Jeep and Alice took him to go get Bella. She said she would need him to drag her out for her.
"Yeah, of course," I say. Jasper is driving and Rose is looking at me from the passenger seat. I'm sitting in the back, feeling a tad awkward.
"Y'all can say no," Jasper says. I raise an eye brow at Rose. I've noticed that they both have a Southern like accent, but I haven't asked yet.
"Our dad is from New York," she says. "We were born there, but moved to Texas shortly after, 'cause that's where Mom is from. We lived there until the summer before we started high school."
"Oh," I say, nodding as if that sums everything up; actually, it kind of does. I glance at Jasper's Yankees hat and finally make the connection.
"So what about you?" Rose asks me. We stop at a red light and I look out the window.
"My parents are from Boston," I say, looking back at Jasper and Rose. She's still turned around in her seat, looking at me. Jasper stares straight ahead.
"They met at a Red Sox game," I say slowly. Sure enough, I see Jasper's hands tighten on the steering wheel. Rose shoots me a nervous smile.
"That sounds cute; what's the story behind that?"
"Well if you meet my mom I'm sure you'll hear it."
"Oh, tell me anyways."
"My mom was on a date. Charles was her boyfriend of about six months. He took her to the Red Sox game and they had pretty good seats. He bragged about how great they were and being able to get them because of his money. Mom didn't like it, but said nothing. Then he asked her to marry him. Every one in the surrounding seats were awing at Charles, down on one knee in the stands; but Mom didn't say anything."
"Had she already met your father?"
"No, she hadn't. However, she felt like there was some one else that she was meant to be with. Charles was too forceful with her, too mean to other people. He wasn't the kind, passionate man she had always dreamt of being with."
"Aw."
"So she said 'no'. Charles freaked out. He got up and yelled at her about making a fool of him in public. She stood up as well, crossed her arms and listened to him. Mom says he yelled about what would happen after the game when they got home. He said she would marry him. Then, after he finally stopped, Mom asked him if he was done."
Rosalie chuckles and I pause.
"Then she slapped Charles and walked away. She didn't go back either. Mom says that a part of her wondered if he would chase after her, but he didn't. So she wandered around, not knowing what to do. She wanted to see the end of the game, but had nowhere to sit."
"What did she do?" Jasper asks. I'm surprised he's been paying attention.
"She went to buy herself a Fenway frank. After she bought it, she turned around and walked into someone."
"Typical," Rose says with a laugh.
"Yep, it was Peter."
"Wait, your dad's name is Peter? That's funny; Alice's dad's name is Peter."
"It was Alice's dad."
"Oh."
"Jeez, Rose, just let him go on with the story," Jasper says, laughing.
"Peter apologized for ruining her frank. He bought her a new one and then offered her to come sit with him and a friend. He said he had been on his way to buy them some drinks when he saw what had happened between her and Charles. Mom was a bit embarrassed at first, but warmed up to him and decided he was nice. Peter said that one of their friends had to leave early so she could have his seat."
"And she went with him," Rose says.
"Rose! Stop interrupting," Jasper says impatiently. I think he's getting into the story.
"Yep, she went with him. His seats ended up being even better than Charles's. They were front row, which was a big deal. When they stopped at the row a blond man stood up and started joking with Peter. Mom says she didn't really see much of him, but figured he was the other friend that Peter was with.
"Then Peter said, 'Carlisle, this is Esme. She just left her jack ass boyfriend… no offense Es… and I offered to let her sit with us. It's the least I can do since I walked into her and made her drop her frank.'
"Mom laughed and told him that it was no offense at all and she was the one who walked into him. Then she was in front of Carlisle and she got a good look at him. He was staring at her; not saying anything. She didn't say anything either. They just stared at each other for a long time before Carlisle smiled and said, 'Nice to meet you, Esme.'
"So you can pretty much guess the rest, Mom sat with Uncle Peter and Dad and after the game, she and Dad kept in touch. They got married a year and a half later. My older brother Masen was born and after I was born, Dad got a new job in Chicago, so we moved," I finish the story just as Jasper pulls into the parking lot at the mall.
"That was so romantic," Rose sighs.
"Well what about you, how'd you meet Emmett?" I ask.
"He pants-ed Jasper our first day of school and I punched him in the face," she says.
"Good times," Jasper says before he gets out of the car.
"So who's this brother you mentioned?" Rose asks as we walk toward the mall. It's raining less now. There's only a light drizzle and it's some what refreshing.
"Masen," I sigh.
"Oh, I sense some sibling rivalry. So, how old is he?"
"He's going to be a senior in college."
"What college?"
"Boston College."
"Aw, he went home for college! That's so cute."
"He's a know-it-all, super star football player that hogs all the attention."
"Foot ball? Emmett would like him. What position is he?"
"Running back."
"Emmett's a quarter back," she says. I look at Jasper, walking a bit ahead of us.
"What about him, he play foot ball?" I ask.
"Hell, no," Jasper says.
"Oh, jeez, now you've done it," Rose mumbles. Jasper slows down so we catch up to him.
"I play baseball," he says proudly.
"Oh really, what position?"
"Batter."
"Cool. I've played, mostly as an in fielder, though."
"I pitch occasionally, that is, when Alice can't play."
"Alice?"
"Yeah, she was on the school team; baseball team, not softball team. She fought to be on the team and really deserved it. She was our star pitcher. Everyone was afraid of her too, considering she wouldn't hesitate to kick our asses."
"Cool," I say; I notice Alice skipping toward us. She hadn't told me she was on the baseball team. I smile at her, and then behind her I see Bella, being dragged forward by Emmett. Our eyes meet and I frown. Bella glares at me. Well I have news for her; she's not the only one who knows how to glare.
There you all are. So, how'd I do? Good? Bad? Isn't Esme and Carlisle's story just adorable? I think so. I'm a Red Sox fan, my self so I had to give them a shout out. Disclaimer- nothing recognizable in this chapter belongs to me. No profit is made, blah blah blah. New chapter, next Friday; reviews make me happy. =)
~EM~