CHAPTER SIX

"Is that what it's supposed to look like going in or coming out?" I recoiled from the Costco sized pot on the stove, wishing I had never looked into its depths.

"I am not taking credit for this one. It is purely Manwich but it's cheap and serves a lot so…" Edward shrugged while stirring his vat.

"It's depressing and just looking at it makes me want to consult an eye doctor to see if there's been any damage to my pupils."

"It's not that bad. No need to be overdramatic…oh wait I forgot who I was talking to." He jested. "Besides, a lot of people around here like Sloppy Joe days."

"Do you like sloppy Joe days?" I asked incredulously.

"It doesn't matter what I like or don't like. When the food is free, I'm just thankful."

I rolled my eyes, "Looks like eating this shit also brainwashes you. So much for drinking the Kool-Aid, we have Sloppy Joes." I said with fake enthusiasm.

I hopped down from my sink and walked over to where my apron laid. "I'm off to cover buns and potato salad, please keep that vial stuff away from me. I think it might be toxic."

I pushed through the swinging doors and out to the food line.

"You're in for a real treat, Bella. Saturday nights is the best." Alice cheered. "We give out different prizes and it's always a packed house. I also have a little reading corner for all the children that come through…"

She continued to go on and on but all I kept thinking was that we were severely understaffed and this was the most populated night at the ole soup kitchen. We were down Emilio and now with Alice telling me all about her extra activities, it didn't look like I would be able to just stand at my station and serve.

"How are we going to get everything done when we don't have enough staff to operate the line?" I interrupted.

"It's no problem. I have my brother and sister-in-law coming to help as well as Jasper. Whenever we are short-staffed my family always lends a hand." She smiled once more before buzzing off.

It must be nice to have a family willing to help you out. My brother would only lend a hand to help push me off a cliff. My dad…well my father would probably be too busy and send someone in his place…better yet, he'd probably send me a note in his place.

And then there was grandfather. He was shaping up to be the only person I could sorta rely on. It's funny because I never would have thought about grandfather before all this Jacob Black stuff.

"Coming through." Edward announced as he walked his big vat of mystery goo through the swinging door. "Keeping the Kool-Aid far away from the help."

He stuck his tongue out at me and after thinking about my family or lack thereof I just nodded to him.

"What's with the sad face?" He asked.

"Nothing…just a little overwhelmed but Alice said that her brother or something is coming to help…"

"Emmett?" Edward cut me off.

"I don't know…does she have more than one?" I asked irritated that he interrupted me.

"Uh…watch my slop…I mean Sloppy Joes…I'll be right back." Edward tore out of there.

This was weird. That was weird, right? I looked down at the slop…a perfect name if you asked me. I pondered why Edward would take off hearing of Alice's brother coming. Did they have beef with each other? Was there like some magical soap opera waiting to unfold? Day's of Our Homelessness?

My mind went wild and I had just about come to the conclusion that Edward probably slept with a married Alice and Emmett, Alice's brother walked in on them and that is why he vamoosed. Jasper that poor bastard has no idea.

"Bella, I would like you to meet my brother, Emmett and his wife Rosalie." Alice's introduction tore me out of my fantasies and it took me a minute to readjust my brain waves.

Emmett was unusually bulky and the girl beside him, his wife was anything but with her long blond hair and blue eyes. I never would have picked them out as a couple; it reminded me of Alice and Jasper. All of them complete opposites to their partners…weird. But then again we have Paula Abdul to thank for that explanation.

"Uh…hi…how are you? Edward…he mentioned you but then the weirdest thing he just…" I stuttered using a hand gestures to help communicate. I watched their faces for any kind of indication of scandal.

"Oh…yea…Edward…homeless dude." Emmett laughed loud and awkwardly.

I gaped at him. Homeless dude? That was my name for Edward. How would he know that?

Everyone looked tense and it was then that I knew that something was up. There was something slim shady going on up in this…soup kitchen.

"We all ready for doors to open?" Jasper walked out and interrupted our very illuminating conversation. He looked between us all and shook his head before walking toward the doors.

"Okay…so Rosalie if you wouldn't mind helping with the Sloppy Joes and Emmett can you be on clean up and leftovers?" Alice began to delegate.

Before I would start on my station I turned around and walked back toward the kitchen.

"What's up?" Edward jumped a little when he saw me coming through.

"Yea…what is up is right. What is going on out there? Everyone's acting weird and you just up and poofed like a fart in the wind."

"I'm sorry…it's just I had to attend to some stuff before doors opened."

I narrowed my eyes at him, "I don't know what's going on and I'm sure it's none of my business…but…you didn't sleep with Alice did you?"

"WHAT? Gross!" Edward exclaimed, "Why would you think that?"

I smirked a little, "Just observations. There's nothing wrong with it…if she floats your boat and wants to get dirty behind the kitchen after hours…but she is married so I suggest you don't literally bite the hand that feeds you…or bite anything else for that matter. It's a shame kind of because you two would have made really cute kids."

The revolted look on Edward's face practically had me skipping over to the kitchen door. "To each their own…just don't do it near the food because those poor people out there don't need any more added ingredients, if you get what I mean.

I walked out and picked up my pinchers and settled in my spot for the rest of the night. I kept catching the blonde one looking over to me. I tried to ignore it but come on, how about a little show of manners.

"WHAT?" I snapped when I finally caught her again.

"Nothing…you don't need to be so rude." She replied snooty.

"I'm rude? You're the one staring at me all night long. Can I help you with something?"

She pursed her lips and returned to her slop. I shook my head and continued to stare down at my buns.

The blonde one looked once again to me but this time she at least spoke. "It's just…you don't really interact with anyone…there just people, Bella…they're not going to bite."

"I know that…I tried to whole interaction thing and all it got me was in trouble. It's just best if I keep my eyes on my pan."

"You don't seem very comfortable here. Why did you want to volunteer?" She asked.

"My grandfather thought it would give me perspective. You don't exactly look like you fit in here either. Did you volunteer or just get dragged into this by your sister-in-law?"

"First of all, I don't get dragged into anything. If I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't be here. My husband…his family is all about the social awareness. The Cullen's are all involved with helping in some way or another. Emmett is a police officer. Alice runs this kitchen and Ed…everyone knows from Carlisle, the patriarch that anything less is unacceptable."

Carlisle Cullen…I've heard that name before. Stow that one away for a much needed Google search.

"Wow, sounds like something my grandfather would say. He's always going on about grass being greener and hard work…blah, blah, blah."

She looked at me for a second, "How old are you?"

"Twenty-three." I replied cautiously.

"You're practically a baby. You have so much in this world to still learn."

"And what lesson exactly should I be learning?" It always pissed me off when old people would say things like that. What did she know about me? Not a damn thing.

She smirked over at me, "Trust me when you learn them, you'll know."

One thing is for sure, I would definitely not be coming back to the kitchen on days when that blonde one would be here. I have a feeling that if things kept going the way they were, one of us would end up in a pot of that slop.

The night was winding down and there were no more words exchanged between us. I waited until there was a break to go and find Edward. He was in the back already starting on dirty pots.

"Please tell me what days that Emmett and that blonde one come here." I huffed.

"Oh…was Rosalie her normal charming self?" he laughed.

"She's so…annoying." I complained.

"That she is." Edward agreed.

"You have so many lessons in life to learn." I mocked in my best blonde one voice. "So insufferable."

"Well, just hang in there. You are like twenty minutes away from completing your first full kitchen day and then…only three more days left."

He sighed and turned back toward his pot.

"Don't be a loser…I'm not leaving until Thanksgiving. I have a bet to win, remember?" I shook my head at his silliness.

He stepped back from the sink, "Really?" he asked with a small gleam in his eye.

"Yea…well don't get all weepy. I'm only going to be here like two or three days a week…whenever I can work it in around that blonde ones schedule."

"It's probably best…you and Rosalie, I have a feeling that would be disastrous."

"Do you like know everybody? How is that you work on the streets and make it back here to cook and know everyone in between?"

"I am just that damn charming." He puffed up his chest.

"Charming? You'd be more charming if you shaved every once in a while. Don't you think people would be more willing to give you a dime if they weren't afraid of getting lice when they came closer to you?"

"What are you, my mother? The beard works."

"Works what exactly? The end of unemployment line. It is proven fact that people give more to those who are more physically attractive. You shave that musty old rat off your face and you'll have dollar bills coming out your ass."

"Well, that just sounds painful. I don't need dollar bills coming out my ass. I'm doing just fine where I am, Bella."

"True but don't you want that food truck? You'll get there faster if you...spiffied up." I pushed off the counter to go and return to my post.

I walked back out and the blonde one gave me a look, "That was a mighty long bathroom break."

"Must have been the food." I looked down at her ladle of slop, "It was like, I was having its babies. Lots and lots of babies. If I were you, I wouldn't go back to the birthing room, if you get what I mean."

I winked and held my laughter in seeing her gawk at me in disgust.

And I'm the one with lots to learn.

The doors closed up and everyone was already running around trying to clean up. My assigned task was to sponge down the tables with disinfectant. It wasn't a hard job but I could see drops of slop and it made my stomach turn.

I felt my phone begin to vibrate in my pocket and I pulled it out to see Jessica's name light up on my screen.

"Hey, what's up?" I finally decided to answer. I hadn't seen any of them in over a week and I'm sure they were about to file a missing persons report.

"Where have you been? We haven't seen you at the bars or clubs. You haven't come to lunch and you missed our weekly shopping trip. Did you get new friends or something?"

"What? No. I just…have been really busy." I looked down at my sponge and could see the meat red soaked into it from the dirty tables. My, how the mighty had fallen.

"Lauren thinks you're avoiding us because you know you'll lose the bet and you can't bear having to show your face."

"That's ridiculous. Tell Lauren I am determined to win this bet and that is why I have been so M.I.A., I have a really strong lead."

Ugh! Damn that Lauren. How ever were we friends to begin with?

"I really hope you win. What I wouldn't pay to spend a whole year at Fashion weeks to not have to listen to Lauren tell the story of how her mom once modeled for Calvin Klein like a bazillion years ago and how she could be his love child. I mean hello…Calvin is like way gay and besides why in the hell would it matter who her daddy really was. She already won…she's never going to have to work or stress…I mean when I stop and think about it, we are just so lucky and I looked up that whole karmageddon thing and I don't think she completely understands it but then again what do I know, I got like a "C" in critical thinking skills. That asshole, Mr. Miller always had it out for me. It's like he wanted to fail me because he was super jealous that I had more money in my bank account then he did. It's my fault that he had to drive a Toyota…"

She was never going to stop. I felt really bad for having to end this call short especially since she was on my side but when Jessica got going it was hard to get her to stop.

"…it was only once and I'm not proud but what else was I going to do. My dad would have flipped if I had less than a "C" in any of my classes. Which I still don't understand why any of it mattered, it's not like I was ever going to get a job critically thinking…does anyone actually have a job in critical thinking?"

"Jessica!" I hollered into the phone.

"What? I'm not deaf. No need to yell."

"I have to go…do you want to catch a Starbucks tomorrow?"

"How about now? I mean its Saturday night. The night when we prowl."

"I…I'm really tired. No prowling for me tonight."

"Oh…right…your secret life and all." She replied irritated.

"I'll tell you more tomorrow. How about one o'clock?"

"Fine…If I don't die of boredom first."

And people told me I was over dramatic.

I returned to my tables and then went to work on trays next. I sat down at the table ready to start cleaning trays when Alice popped into my line of sight.

"A great day, right?"

I had yet to figure out what Alice's deal was. Was she always this happy? She got crazy over a banana and looked like she was prepared to take on Emilio but was she sincere? I had still yet to figure that out.

"Uh…it was something?" How could I reply to that? A great day wouldn't have me anywhere near Horizons. A great day would be me on a beach.

"So…were you thinking of coming back again?" she asked timidly.

"If that's okay?" Leave it up to her. If she was smart, she'd say no.

"Absolutely!"

Apparently she wasn't.

"What days' work best for you? We're closed on Sundays but any other day, lunch or dinner, we'd be happy to have you."

"You guys don't serve breakfast?" I wondered.

"No…we don't have room in our budget plus we are pressed to get the volunteers we have. We take off Sunday's because there are enough churches around that serve up meals or hand out bagged lunches." She explained.

"Oh…well what days do you struggle. I probably could put in two or three days a week and no offense but I talked to Edward and he also agreed that I probably shouldn't work with your sister-in-law again…we just don't…mesh."

She let out a small laugh and shook her head, "She doesn't mesh with a lot of people but she has a good heart. Like I said, I only ask my family to come in when I know we need it desperately. But, in that case I will be sure to keep that in mind. How about we start with Tuesdays and Thursdays but if you ever find yourself in need of some excitement just remember how fun Saturdays can be."

"I'll be sure to do that." I replied dryly.

"Okay…well great." She hopped up and was off again.

I swear if I had her energy all the world's problems would be solved. Probably not but I'd like to think so.

It wasn't even nine when I was all finished. I gathered up my things from my locker and made my way out to my car. It was dark outside and I looked around thinking about all the times I have been afraid of this area after dark and now it started to look different.

"What, you can't even say goodbye?" Edward jogged over to me.

I rolled my eyes, "Good bye."

"I told you I would walk you to your car. I wasn't kidding."

"I don't need a stalker slash…escort. I can handle myself."

"You push one jackass up against a wall and suddenly you're Chuck Norris." He quipped.

"You look more like Chuck Norris then I do. I'll take Buffy however…at least she had some fashion sense." I replied unlocking my car doors.

"Do you have anything less…expensive to drive down here? I just think it would be a good idea. This kind of car couldn't stand out any more than it already does."

"I doubt that. If my father would have bought me the Lamborghini that I really wanted…I'll see what I can do but I don't think I'll be able to pull that off before Tuesday."

"That's when you're coming back?" he asked.

"Tuesday…Thursday and if I am really a loser with no social calendar, I hear that Saturday's are just the bee's knees around here."

"Saturday's would be good…if you could spare it…or bear it. As you can see not a lot of people are bagging the doors down to help out on the best night of the week."

"I'll think about it. Well I am off to try to soak out all the smells from my body that this place has imposed upon me. That meaty crap…it could take a while." I cringed.

"I hear if you soak in that meaty crap, it does wonders for your pores."

"So gross." I practically threw up just picturing it, "So where are you off to?"

"I gotta go and put some time in on my corner. I have a food truck to work towards."

"Really? What corner?" I asked curiously.

He pushed off my car and started to walk back towards Horizons. "You think I'm going to tell you? I don't need any more stalkers." He winked, "See you on Tuesday."

So weird.

I drove home and started to wonder just what I was going to do the rest of the night. It was so early but for some reason I was extremely exhausted. After a long hot shower I settled myself up in bed to catch up on my Tivo.

I don't even know what happened but the next thing I know a clap of thunder has me flying out of bed. I clutched my chest and tried to get my breathing under control. I must have been so soundly asleep that the disturbance nearly made me wet myself. I turned off the television and marveled at the rain splattering my bay window.

I had no idea we were in for a storm. In California it was rare for us to get rain so whenever it happened I loved it. Sleeping with the sound of the rain was the best. I snuggled back down under the covers happy for nature's lullaby.

Edward.

I threw back the covers and ran over to my window. I looked out and down to my pool like he would be standing there but it occurred to me that Edward could be out there…in that rain. Was he going to be able to find shelter for the night? I should have given him enough money to pay for a hotel room but how was I supposed to know it was going to rain.

If that damn bastard had just told me what street corner he would have been on tonight, I could do something. Come on Bella, he's obviously used to the occupational hazards of the homeless profession. Go back to bed.

I sighed and went back to lie down in my bed. I closed my eyes and tried to think of anything but homeless dude out in the cold. With the soup kitchen being closed tomorrow, there was no way to know if he was even okay.

Why are you even worrying over this? He is not your problem, hell he isn't even your friend.

Well maybe he's a…friend. I'm not really sure what one would classify as a friend. What is a friend? Someone you talk to. Someone whose company you can…somewhat enjoy. A person who you can rely on.

Hell, even Lauren and Jessica didn't really meet those qualifications.

I talk to Edward. I somewhat enjoy his company when he's not being a major asshole. Rely on? I wouldn't say I rely on Edward. Maybe my definition is incorrect.

I jumped out of bed and located my laptop. The room was starting to get mighty cold and instead of turning on the heat I opted to jump back under my covers quickly. The Google screen lite up my room and I type in "definition of friend."

"Friend. Noun. A person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically exclusive of sexual or family relations. Example, add (someone) to a list of contacts associated with a social networking website. "I am friended by 29 people who I have not friended back""

Well isn't that typical.

Exclusive of sexual or family relations? How could the word friend be so confusing?

"Google you have failed me." I huffed.

Suddenly something else occurred to me. Carlisle Cullen.

I typed the word into my Google bar and hit return. The page filled with results and pictures. Not a bad looking dude. I clicked on the picture and smiled. Not bad at all. He was a regulation hottie. I wonder if there are any pictures of him shirtless.

I typed in Carlisle Cullen shirtless and just as I hit enter a bunch of photos popped up but then my damn laptop died.

"Crap." I hobbled out of bed and went to plug it in. I guess shirtless Cullen was going to have to wait.

My night was filled with erotic dreams of one hottie señor Cullen. It made my night extra special and I woke up with a smile on my face. It wasn't until I was fully awake that it finally occurred to me that this man who did naughty things to me last night in dreamland was also the father to Alice the banana queen.

I laughed out loud.

Man wouldn't that would make for an awkward conversation if she ever found out.

AN: I want to make an extra special shot out to Fallingsnow Winter and the amazing Banner she made for this story. You can go to my Facebook page to see it or its on the TWCS site as well as fictionpad. I am incredibly honored that someone would put that much time and effort into something for this story. I am so happy that so many of you have completely embraced this story. When I first started I wasn't sure if readers would have a problem with this kind of Bella but thank you for giving her a chance. Thank you again for reading and reviewing.