a/n: Hey, remember me?

Chapter 5

Things started to look up as the excitement of summer started to wear off. Alice and I spent practically every waking, and sleeping, hour together. With her uncanny ability to sniff out the biggest sales of the century and my excuseless summer schedule, Alice was filling out my summer wardrobe along with her own. Of course, that would change once band camp started next week. Things looking up ultimately meant I'd been spending more time with Jake and less time thinking of Edward.

Of course there were the moments that couldn't be avoided. It would inevitably always be those moments where I was unattractively shoving pizza down my throat or tripping over thin air in which Edward would not only witness, but also comment on. He would say something along the lines of, "Ah, there's the Bella we all know and love. I was wondering where she was hiding under all that deceiving exterior." This was also done in a sarcastic tone of voice that not only annoyed me, but also left me wishing I knew why he was so hell-bent on confusing me.

It was on one of these ever so frequent occasions that I gathered up the courage to ask him all the questions I'd kept hidden away. Jake dropped me off at Alice's house a bit earlier than planned promising to return later that night for another one of Alice's infamous movie parties. Therefore, Alice was out buying the various necessities for a movie party, junk food.

I knocked lightly on the door noticing that both Esme and Carlisle's cars were in the driveway. Esme's eyes brightened when she say me and she pulled me into a firm hug.

"Why hello there Bella! We weren't expecting you until a bit later. Alice is out getting stuff for you movie night. How have you been?" I'd never really been close to my mom, Esme was more of a mom to me. She had been the one to explain periods and bras to me when my own mother hardly sent a card on my birthday. Esme always cared, always gave me a sense of belonging in her family.

"I'm great. I know Jake just dropped me off. He ran home to get changed. I hope you don't mind my being a bit early." Of course I knew she wouldn't.

"Of course not! Come on in. I was just baking some cookies for tonight. Hungry? We have leftover chicken carbonara we've yet to eat." She whisked me into the kitchen and I sat on one of the barstools watching her dance around the kitchen every bit as lithe as her daughter.

"No thanks, how have you and Carlisle been?" I asked as she picked up one of the cookies and slid it to me on a napkin.

"We've been wonderful. I'm sure Alice has told you the news about the cruise we're going on in a few weeks right?" She beamed with excitement as she told me of the plans for their second honeymoon.

"Yeah sounds great. You two deserve to have a week to yourselves after all you do for so many other people. Take pictures!" I smiled along with her nibbling on the cookie.

She laughed softly continuing on with talk of travel, sight seeing, and snorkeling. While Carlisle worked down at the hospital, Esme helped at the local soup kitchen. She spent countless hours preparing food and fundraising to keep the project up and running. She truly was a saint.

Before Esme could further the details of her trip Edward pushed through the swinging, kitchen door. His hair was in all different directions as if he'd just gotten out of bed. You know, sex hair. And he yawned making his way to the fridge.

Esme glanced at her clock and then at her son. "Edward, are you just now getting up? It's nearly 8pm." She rolled her eyes at him in obvious disapproval.

"I had a long night." He said grabbing the milk and reaching up to grab a glass. "Sorry."

She sighed slipping two cookies onto a napkin for him. "Right, well. This sleep pattern of yours is really going to mess you up when you start work next week." She said in a motherly tone.

He groaned completely ignoring his mother's concern. "Don't worry mom. I got it all under control. Besides, Bells will keep me on my feet. Right Bella?" He looked up winking at me taking a bite of the cookie.

I blinked in surprise and I'm not sure how long my jaw was open before I regained the reality that it was open. I closed it abruptly enough and blurted out, "Wait, what?"

He laughed gulping down the milk and placing the milk back in the fridge and the cup in the sink. "Oh you'll figure it out soon enough."

With that he slipped out of the kitchen leaving me in awe and his mother in annoyance. "That boy," she sighed, "will be the death of me. I swear."

I thought about asking her exactly what he meant but thought better of it. I'd ask Alice later. She would have answers, she always did.

"Bella!" Alice's sing song voice called my name from her room.

"Alice!" I called back to her from the game room couch.

"Get up here!" She laughed leaving me no choice but to follow the sound of her voice.

I pulled myself off of the couch and took the flight up the stairs to her room. She was waiting for me at her door, garment bag in hand. I knew instantly what she was planning. She'd been trying her best all summer to get me and Jake together and from that look in her eye, her plan was for it to be tonight.

"Oh, no Alice. No. This is just going to be one of our regular movie nights." I tried feebly to protest but I knew from experience that once Alice got an idea in here head, no one could stop her.

"Bellllaaa. Calm down. It's not even that bad. You'll like it. No heels or anything." She promised.

"Fine." I sighed flopping down on the chair in front of her makeup table. "Do your worst."

An hour later I found myself stepping down the stairs toward the game room. I'd heard Jake come in earlier but Alice had simply said, "Keep them waiting. It's what all women are supposed to do."

Not one to go against Alice's wishes, I idly looked at various pictures she had hanging on her wall. There were pictures of us all through our lives. Pictures of us at Disneyland when I'd gone with her family on their vacation in 6th grade. There were pictures of us at the town dance. Me with pimply Mike and her with Jasper, the love of her life. There were also pictures of Edward too, from when he wasn't always a jerk. The three of us were playing under the old oak tree. Alice was sitting on a root picking at the flowers while Edward was pushing me on the old wooden swing. Wow, how time flies.

Alice swept into the room looking flawless, as usual and she softly whispered, "You can go now!"

So with her permission, I once again descended the stairs finding Jake, Edward, and Jasper all playing some various game on the Playstation. I stood there for a moment before any of them realized I was there. Jake peeled his eyes off the TV and dropped his remote.

"Bella's here, I'm out." He winked at me patting the seat next to him.

I carefully stepped over the chords making my way to him. I slouched down next to him on the oversized couch and he put an arm around my shoulder.

"You look amazing tonight Bells." He smiled his full teeth smile at me and I couldn't help but smile back.

"Thanks." I said softly.

Alice bounded in the room with Jasper in tow. She stopped abruptly when she saw Edward slumped on the couch deeply entranced by the game. She coughed loudly and when he didn't look up, she chucked a pillow at his head.

"HEY! UNCALLED FOR!" he yelled at her throwing the pillow back at her with uncanny aim. She quickly plucked the pillow out of the air and simultaneously put her hands on her hips.

"Excuse me, this is uncalled for. I don't remember sending you an invite to our movie night." She glared at him with her eyes that seemed to be able to pierce through souls.

"Excuse me, this is my house. I have a blanket invitation to anything that happens here." He focused his attention back on the game while Alice continued to glare at him. "And I would appreciate it if you would stop glaring at me." He said matter-of-factly.

Jake and I sat watching the brother/sister battle intently and before Alice could launch herself at Edward, Jake spoke up with the courage that came from any, as Edward would later say, whipped man.

"Dude, just go. Maybe another time." Jake urged him to go with his eyes giving him a nod toward the door.

"Oh great, just great. My own best friend has lost his balls." Edward got up obviously perturbed. "Fine, whatever. I'm leaving." With that, Edward sulked out of the room.

A bit later we heard him yell to Esme that he was going out and wouldn't be back until late. While Alice looked elated, Jake looked torn. Had he really hurt Edward? Or was it just a front he'd put on to make us feel bad?

The feeling of being moved woke me up. I opened my eyes slightly to see that I'd once again fallen asleep on Jake's lap. I could faintly make out the outline of Edward against the dim hallway light as Jake moved toward him. They moved out into the hallway and I strained to listen to their conversation. I could barely make out what Jake was saying, but I could clearly hear Edward's slurred word. He was drunk.

The only words to be heard were, "Not cool. I don't care if everyone's sleeping." and "Whatever."

I heard heavy footsteps up the stairs and somewhere down inside of me I hoped Jake was helping him up those stairs. Death by a drunken fall was pretty embarrassing. I sat up on the couch and watched the previews of the scary movie we'd been watching before we'd all fallen asleep. I was barely nodding back asleep when Jake came back into the room. His distressed face turned quickly to a smile as his eyes met mine. He slipped in beside me and quickly we found sleep once again.

A/N: I know it's not that much of an update, but it is an update!