A/N: Hello there! I now proudly present Chapter Four! For once, the title of the song is not the title of the chapter. There is a song explanation at the end, so don't think about it too much...if you even bother to read the lyrics =P haha.
Disclaimer: Characters belong to the genius that is Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them =]
Chapter Four: Take Control
It's been three days
You come around here like you know me
Your stuff at my place
Next thing you know, you'll be using my toothpaste
Step up, sit down
Get ready, let me tell you who's the boss now
Stay here, get out
Everytime I turn around you're in my face
Don't care where you think you've been, and how you're getting over
If you think you've got me down
Just wait it gets much colder
Here I am,
As perfect as I'm ever gonna be
You'll see
Love me for me
Stick around,
I'm not the kinda girl you wanna leave
You'll see
Love me for me
Shut up, come back
No I didn't really mean to say that
I'm mixed up, so what
Yea you want me so you're messed up too
I love you, I hate you
If you only knew what I've been through
My head is spinnin'
But my heart is in the right place
Sometimes it has to have itself a little earthquake
Here I am,
As perfect as I'm ever gonna be
You'll see
Love me for me
Stick around,
I'm not the kinda girl you wanna leave
You'll see
Love me for me
I've been waiting all my life
To finally find you
Just so I can push you away
And when you're crawling over broken glass to get to me
That's when I'll let you stay
Oh, here I am
As perfect as I'm ever gonna be
You'll see
Love me for me
Stick around,
I'm not the kinda girl you wanna leave
You'll see
Love me for me
Love me for me
Whoa, here I am
As perfect as I'm ever gonna be
You'll see
Love me for me
Stick around,
I'm not the kinda girl you wanna leave
You'll see
Love me for me
Love Me For Me by Ashlee Simpson
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James POV
"FUCK…James don't stop," Victoria screamed as I pounded into her. I held one of her legs over my shoulders. I loved dancers. Flexible, great endurance, tight. Her moans and yells continued as my thrusts became more and more frantic. We were both getting close. I reached a hand in between us and rubbed her clit. She cried out. A few more thrusts, and she was done. I felt her walls clench around my dick and I fell over the edge.
Victoria was always down for a good fuck. We agreed earlier in the summer that our that our relationship was purely physical. I didn't need commitments before law school. It would require all my attention. She understood completely. That's why I liked her.
I quickly rolled off of her, spent. We laid there in our own world. Other women wanted to cuddle and talk after sex. Victoria liked quiet. I knew she would soon fall asleep. She did, leaving me to my thoughts. Thoughts about one Alice Swan. Damn. Tiny, but spunky and energetic. She would be amazing in the sack. I loved the whole idea of deflowering a virgin. I wanted to teach her everything I knew, which would then become everything she knew. It helped that she was fucking sexy as hell too, in an innocent sort of way. She was open and outgoing, unlike her frigid sister. No matter, she wasn't the one I was after. I would get Alice soon enough. Girls like her are so easy. They say they want to save themselves for someone special. All it took was pretending that you really cared about her, and then she was throwing herself at you. Begging for your cock. She won't be any different.
I wasn't expecting a challenge from her, but no one could get any easier than Rosalie. All it took was a good dance. She was in my bed within ten minutes and I had her for two more nights. I almost regretted them, if she wasn't the hottest woman here. Good God they way she moved…
Unfortunately those three nights weren't the Wam-Bam-Thank-You-Ma'ams that I thought they'd be. I thought back to when she came up to me today, telling me that she was carrying my child. Yeah right. I wouldn't be that fucking stupid. She was probably trying to pin it on me because I'm the one guy she had sex with who has money. I don't fucking think so, bitch. It's not my fault that she went around screwing everything that moves. With a body and a face like hers, who wouldn't want to do her? That still gives her no right to say that it's mine. Because it sure as hell isn't. I won't let her ruin a perfectly good summer.
I shoved those thoughts away. It was over and done with. I would have nothing more to do with her. That child was not mine.
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BPOV
I woke up suddenly. It was still slightly dark in my room. I groaned, rolled over, and tried to go back to sleep. No such luck. I sighed in defeat and kicked my covers off. One glance at Alice's bed told me she was still asleep.
I angrily marched into the bathroom, trying to be quiet, but really not caring. I tried to remember what put me in such a foul mood. What happened last night? I thought groggily.
Ah, yes. I found Rosalie distraught on the floor in the kitchen. When we got back to her room she told us what was wrong. She was pregnant. Pregnant by James! The guy who was currently trying to date my sister. If anything, it increased my determination to keep him away from her. Alice deserved so much better.
But that was hardly the point. I wanted to help Rose. She was down on her luck and she needed someone to help. I cannot believe…just…THE NERVE! All I wanted to do was help and Edward goes and yells at me that I was not doing or saying anything helpful. Then Rosalie, Miss I'm-Too-Beautiful-For-Your-Help, tells me to fuck off. Just earlier I thought of them as angels, as Gods. Now…I wasn't so sure I wanted anything to do with them. Part of me wanted to go back to them and tell them off. I wanted to tell them to their faces just how jerky they were both being. I wanted to so bad, but I had a feeling as soon as I got a glimpse of their gorgeous faces, I would lose my courage. Another part of me wanted them to apologize to me. As if that would happen. More than anything, I wanted to forget about what happened last night and help Rose in any way I could. That shouldn't happen to anyone. James gave me bad vibes, but I never thought he would do something like this. How could he just neglect his baby like that?
I sighed as I ran a brush through my hair. It was frighteningly early, but I figured I'd read a little bit before it was time for breakfast. There was only an hour left until then anyway.
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"Bellaa, could you please, please drive faster?" Alice whined from the passenger seat. I rolled my eyes for what seemed to be the ten billionth time with her.
"I'm not trying to get a speeding ticket."
"Do you see any cops?"
"That doesn't matter."
"Yes it does."
"No it doesn't, Alice," I said through my teeth. Would I ever win against her? She gave it a rest, thankfully. If I was going to spend an entire day with her shopping, my least favorite thing to do, I wanted there to be as least disagreement as possible. I knew she would force me into things I would never buy voluntarily, so I wanted to save all my arguments for when that time came. Until then, I wanted peace.
I decided to placate her for the rest of the ride by playing her ipod instead of mine. She seemed to like that, so I let her be. We spent the rest of the way into town in silence. Once we got to the shopping strip, I parallel parked my car in front of a French lingerie store. Alice squealed in delight, and almost dragged me out of the car. I groaned when I saw that that was the first store she wanted to visit. We entered, and she was in her element. She took me by the hand and pulled me over to the first rack she saw. I stood back awkwardly, watching her face light up like a child's on Christmas morning. A few times, she picked some out, turned to me with a calculating gaze, before nodding or shaking her head. I knew what that meant, and I was honestly scared.
After about forty five minutes of browsing, she had her little arms full of bras, panties, baby dolls, and other unmentionables. She turned to face me with a raised eyebrow. I took that as a sign that she wanted me to follow her so I did. Into the changing rooms.
I gulped before stepping in. She pointed to the third dressing room to my right, and I reluctantly walked in. She handed me a few pieces before shutting the velvet curtain. I grimaced as I observed the pieces she had handed me. They were embarrassingly small and scanty. I sighed, knowing there was no way of getting out of this, and tried the first one on. It was a midnight blue panty and bra set. I turned to the mirror, and looked at myself critically. Hmm. Not too bad.
I wasn't 'sexy' by any means. I was slender, but not toned. Too soft. Way too clumsy to play any sort of sport. I was surprised this morning when I looked in the mirror and saw a slight tan. I made a mental note to thanks Alice for that. I stared at myself in the full body mirror, and the midnight blue didn't look half bad. It looked nice on my skin.
"Bella, can I see?" Alice asked impatiently from the other side. With a smile, I opened the curtain just wide enough for her to come in. She did, and she gasped.
"Oh, Bella, it looks great! Just like I knew it would!" she gushed. I blushed deeply and turned to the mirror once more. It really didn't look half bad.
"Okay, try the red one next!" she ordered excitedly. I gave her a pointed look, and she exited the room. I quickly changed to the one she had specified and looked at the mirror.
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After the lingerie shop, where I acquired six new sets of bras and panties along with two baby dolls, Alice led the way to a small boutique across the way. We spent about two hours in there. In the end, Alice didn't find much to her liking. We exited and made our way to another shop. A bikini shop.
"Aw, Alice, no, do we really have to?"
"Yes!"
She giggled and pushed me inside. I wondered how she packed all that strength in her tiny frame. As soon as I went inside, I felt the intense urge to blush. The person at the check out counter was a guy who looked to be in his early teens. He would see what I bought. More appropriately, what Alice forced me to buy. She immediately began browsing the racks. I followed her, not really knowing what else to do. By the time we had gone through the entire store, she had one arm full of selections for her, and the other for me. I shook my head as I followed her into the changing rooms. Maybe she should consider therapy.
"Okay Bella, I want you to try all these on, and pick at least three that you like. After this, we can go eat."
I snorted at her businesslike tone. Though I suppose to Alice, shopping is a very serious business. I slumped into the dressing room she had fixed for me. I began sorting through what she had picked out for me and tried the most scandalous ones on first, to get them over with. At least, that's what I thought would happen.
After about four that I decided I would definitely never wear in public, I tried on the second to last one in the 'scandalous' pile. It was plain and red, but very skimpy and definitely wouldn't cover much. I tried it on, and to my surprise…I liked it. Not because it made my breasts look more voluptuous or because it gave my body the shape of a woman, but because the red color genuinely seemed to make my newly tanned skin glow. The other things, well…they were unexpected bonuses that made me blush, but I could get over it. I made a new pile, the 'keep' pile, and the red bikini was the first one in it. I felt oddly proud of myself for picking that one. I was always shy and introverted, but this was almost like a new step. Starting fresh. Like I would be soon at Georgetown. It was something I wouldn't even have looked at had Alice not picked it out for me. I finished with the 'scandalous' pile, and moved on to the more conservative pile. I liked almost every one in that pile. When I was done, I stepped outside and showed Alice my choices. She approved, of course, and we were on our merry way to eat lunch.
We walked for a bit before we noticed a small Italian restaurant on the side of the road. La Bella Italia. We walked inside and were immediately given a table. It wasn't too busy, which was surprising given that it was lunch time. I didn't mind so much. I liked privacy. The empty restaurant gave Alice and I plenty of choice of where we wanted to sit, and we chose a secluded booth. We ordered quickly, and we began to discuss what we had bought. It was nice…until Alice decided she wanted to talk about James.
"Oh he is just so cute! He's so sweet, I think he really likes me!" she gushed excitedly. I tried to contain my look of disgust.
"You know, Alice…maybe you should just, you know, not get too serious with a guy. Like you said, senior year is coming up, and you want to keep your options open-"
"I was talking about college, Bella, not boys. James is really nice, and I really like him. There shouldn't be a problem," she said defensively. I decided to change my tactic.
"Alice, there isn't really a problem, I just want what's best for you. I want you to experience everything life has to offer. You saw me in high school, I focused on nothing but school…no boys for me, or many friends either. I don't want that to happen to you," I said sincerely. She gasped and rushed over to my side of the table to hug me.
"Oh, Bella, I'm sorry! I know you want what's best for me. Trust me, that won't happen to me. I socialize and stuff…look, I'm just having fun, okay? He's going to college all the way across the country…I'm not sure how that would work…maybe we could…no, never mind. Don't worry, Bella, I'll have a great experience…it's been fabulous so far," she assured me in a teasing voice. I smiled at her and nodded. She ceased all talk of James, for which I was more grateful than she realized. The rest of lunch went by in more casual conversation.
After we ate, we hit a few more shops. Alice picked out two sundresses, two cocktail dresses, three tops, and three bottoms for me. I hoped she was having fun because I didn't think I was going to do this again on this vacation. She picked out a lot more for herself of course, but I was just anxious to get back to the resort. My feet were killing me. We went into one last souvenir shop where we bought a few random knick knacks for our friends back home, and decided to call it a day.
I drove back to the resort following all the speed limits, but this time Alice had no complaints. Her whiny, girl power songs filled the car as I drove, but I couldn't find the energy to get annoyed. Once we got back to Newton's, she headed off to our cabin to take lie down. I was going to join her, but as soon as I got out of the car and smelled the fresh air, I decided to take a small walk instead. I wanted to take advantage of the remaining daylight.
I let my feet carry me, too lazy to pick a specific path. I walked around the entire resort once, and I noticed that the sun was beginning to set. I looked down at my watch and it told me that dinner would begin soon. I took one last, big breath of fresh air before making my way back. As I neared the main house, I saw a flash of honey blond hair. I smiled for a second when I recognized Jasper, then memories of last night came rushing back to me, and the smiled disappeared as soon as it had come. I tried to make myself invisible so as to not be seen by him, but I was too late. His head perked up in recognition and he jogged over to me. His smile was apologetic by the time he reached me.
"Hey Bella," he greeted quietly.
"Hey Jasper," I mumbled back. We stood there awkwardly for a few minutes, not looking at each other directly in the eye. Finally, he decided to say what I wanted him so badly to say, even though I wasn't really mad at him. I would really hate to lose Jasper as a friend because of two other people I barely knew.
"Listen, Bella, about last night, I'm sorry for the way Rosalie and Edward behaved. Rosalie is really distressed. Hell, I don't even know what to do. Edward has always felt responsible of us because it was his decision to leave home. He's pretty angry right now. You should've heard them going at it after you left. Edward is really pissed at her, and Rosalie thinks his anger is misplaced. I personally agree with Rosalie more than Edward. I can't believe what that guy did to my sister. I just want…" he broke off with a clenched jaw. I smiled at him and placed my hand against his cheek. He slowly relaxed. I wasn't sure how much I liked this side of Jasper. It was sweet that he wanted to protect Rosalie, but he was usually cool, calm, and collected. It was strange to see him angry, or riled up in any way.
"Anyway, I just wanted to apologize. They had no right to treat you the way they did when you were only trying to help," he said sincerely and I nodded. I supposed it was my turn to speak.
"I know. It kind of felt like a slap in the face to be honest. No one has ever rejected my help before. That's all I wanted to do, really. I still do…if you'd like?" I asked timidly. He chuckled before turning around to walk with me, placing an arm around my shoulders while he did so.
"I'd love your help, but it's really up to Rosalie. She's naturally a very guarded person, so I reckon you'll have to get her to warm up to you somehow. Maybe you should show her through your actions how much you really want to be her friend," he suggested. I nodded with a furrowed eyebrow.
"Just out of curiosity though…" he looked around before continuing, "why are you so eager to help? You don't know any of us. I'm not complaining, I definitely appreciate our friendship, but…why?"
I looked away. Why did I want to help?
"I guess because no one deserves what happened to Rosalie. And because it's in my nature to be helpful. My dad wants me to make this world a better place. It's just how I've been raised. I want to help," I repeated. He accepted my explanation with no questions asked.
"So, how's Mike treating you?" he asked teasingly. I grimaced.
"Ugh, can we please not talk about him?" I pleaded. He let out a shout of laughter. We kept walking until we got pretty close to the main house. As we were walking the last stretch of path before the back doors, we saw James inside, laughing with the same red head that Edward was dancing with the other night. My nose wrinkled and I looked up at Jasper. He was seething. We stopped walking and took a left turn to go around to the front of the house.
"I want him away from Alice," I whispered. Jasper looked down at me, confused.
"Who's Alice?"
"My sister."
"Oh. Why haven't I seen her?" I shrugged in answer.
"Look for her tonight. Really tiny, short, spiky, black hair. You can't miss her, really. Anyway, James has been going after her and I haven't liked him since the beginning. He used to just give me bad vibes, but he just disgusts me now. I tried to talk her out of seeing him today, but she's stubborn," I explained. He frowned pensively.
"Try harder, okay? We wouldn't want someone else to get hurt by James," he said angrily. I nodded in agreement.
"Well I guess dinner's starting. I'll see you later, okay?" I stood on my tiptoes and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He smiled and sent me off on my way.
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James was sitting at our table again. Doesn't he have a job to do? He spent more time whispering in Alice's ear than actually serving us. Daddy didn't seem to mind, of course, nor did my mother. I minded. I minded a lot. Finally, James got up and decided to play waiter for once.
"Is there anything else I can get you all?" he asks with a charming smile on his face.
"More water, please," my mom asks politely. James's smile widens and he walks off to get a water pitcher. An idea hit me, and this would probably be my only opportunity.
"May I be excused? I have to use the ladies room," I smiled sweetly at my dad and he nodded. I quickly got up and went in the direction of the bathroom for show. When I was out of my parent's sight, I turned and went in the direction of the kitchen. I found James right outside the doors, getting a water pitcher. I held my head higher and marched up to him. I tapped him on the shoulder and he turned around. He smiled when he saw me.
"Yes, Bella, is there anything I can do for you?"
I didn't miss the double entendre in those words.
"You can actually. You can explain to me why you won't take responsibility for your actions," I said icily. He looked innocently confused.
"I'm sorry?"
"You know damn well what I'm talking about. Rosalie? Does her name ring a bell? Or have there been so many women since her that you can't remember?"
To my surprise, he chuckled, looking more amused than I thought the situation called for.
"Bella, Bella, Bella. That child is not mine. You know girls like her, they'll do anything for money. I have a hard time believing she's pregnant at all," he said arrogantly. My nostrils flared in anger.
"But you can't just leave her! She's pregnant and she needs help. You did this to her, man up and take responsibility. She probably wants an abortion. Find her a doctor, and pay for it," I demanded, my voice getting louder with every word. And he just laughed harder.
"Okay, Bella, suppose the child is mine. A child with someone like her? No social standing whatsoever. What would my parents say if they were alive to see this? Absolutely not Bella. You're so young, and so naïve. You were raised in the same society I was, Bella, you have to know what it's like. In this life, as you'll soon find out, some people count, some people don't. It's as simple as that," he said before turning around and grabbing the water pitcher. I grabbed his arm.
"No. In this life, everyone counts, and everyone deserves a chance. Everyone including Rosalie. Ignore her if you want, James, but stay the hell away from my sister. In fact, stay away from her and the rest of my family, including me. Got it?" He chuckled again and shook his head.
"Silly Bella," was all he said before walking away. I stormed back to my table, making sure it looked like I was coming from the direction of the bathroom.
"What took so long, Bella?" my mother asked me worriedly. I forced a grin.
"I think I ate something bad at that restaurant. My stomach is bothering me," I lied feebly, trying to make it seem as though I really were feeling off. Maybe if I played this up, I wouldn't be required to go to the ballroom tonight, or the gazebo. My father looked at me worriedly.
"Do you have a fever?" I waved him off.
"No, I'm fine, I just want to go lay down after dinner. Do you mind?"
"Not at all, you can go right ahead. Alice, will you be joining your sister?"
Alice looked torn between going with me or going with James. She looked at James longingly. I sighed.
"It's fine Alice, I'll be okay by myself. Go dance," I assured her. She beamed at me. I returned the gesture, but I could barely get myself to grin. I didn't want her in the clutches of James tonight.
When I got back to cabin, I took all my clothes off, picked out a new set of underwear, and hopped in the shower. There was nothing like the relaxing, hot stream of water to relax me. I just wanted to retreat into my mind tonight and mull things over.
First and foremost, there was Rosalie. I would take Jasper's advice and show her just how much I wanted to help her. I had to think of something by tomorrow. The sooner the better. She said she needed money for an abortion. So…what if I could get her the money? I nearly jumped up and down and clapped in glee for thinking of my idea. I didn't want to buy her trust or her friendship, but I needed an action that would say that I really wanted to help. An answer to one of her problems should get me something, right? Right.
Onto problem number two. James. He needed to stay away from my sister. I had already warned him, but I knew it went on deaf ears. But who was I kidding? I'm Bella Swan, sweet daddy's girl who's going to change the world. Nothing about me was intimidating, right down to the plain pink Mary Janes I wore on my feet. I needed to find another way to get the message across to James…and probably Alice too. I decided I'd worry about that later.
Third and last…Edward. This God like creature confused me more than anything. I had avoided thinking about him the entire day because whenever I even thought his name, my temper would flare. He just…he made me so angry! I can't believe he treated me like that. Rosalie, sure. I can't imagine what she must have felt last night. But Edward? Where did he go off yelling at me like that? I understand that he was angry, but there was no need to take it out on me. I'm not the one who caused the problem, and really, all I wanted to do was help. How does he go from giving me one of the best nights of my life, to hating me the next night?
I huffed in the shower, and turned it off. Thinking about Edward would definitely not relax me. I quickly dried myself, brushed my teeth, changed into my pajamas and went to bed.
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I got up early the next morning, on purpose this time. I needed to see Jasper. Quietly, so I didn't disturb still-sleeping Alice, I got dressed for the day and tiptoed out of the room. I made sure to exit the cabin even quieter so my parents wouldn't wake up.
I walked back to the main house, not knowing my way to the staff's quarters without starting from there. I made it there in five minutes, then took the path that would lead me to the 'employees only' side of the resort. Once again, when I came to the fork in the path, I took the right. Without all my previous hesitation and panic, the trip only took me about ten minutes from the main house. Once I got past the moss covered sign, I stopped, realizing I had no idea which cabin was Jasper's. I figured he didn't sleep in the staff ballroom. I groaned, angry at myself for not seeing the hitch in my plan. I heard footsteps coming my way and I looked up hopefully. It was a woman, so no Jasper. I didn't give up though, hoping she could point me in the right direction.
"Excuse me?" I called out timidly. She turned to me, and her face showed confusion. She must have recognized me as a guest.
"Um, could you tell me which way to Jasper's cabin, please?" I asked, blushing.
"Sure, Miss, um, you just keep going straight this way, make the first left, and his cabin is the last one on your right," she told me. I smiled and nodded gratefully. I quickly ran off in the direction she pointed me in. It seemed as though all the employees were getting ready to begin their days. I ignored them as I ran to his cabin, not stopping until I found the one she had described. Praying that this was the right one, I jogged up the steps and knocked loudly.
I heard a grumble on the other side and Jasper roughly pulled the door open. I gasped as I took in his attire. I still thought Edward was the most beautiful man I had ever met, and may not have much experience with the opposite sex, but even I could appreciate a good looking male when I saw one. He was shirtless with sleep pants on. They hung low on his hips, revealing his defined hip bones and nice six pack. His arms were well stocked…in muscles. I blushed when I realized he had caught me ogling him. He just smiled and told me to come in. I stepped in his room and sat down awkwardly on the edge of his bed. He smiled when he saw me looking around his room uneasily.
"It's okay, Bella, I won't bite," he joked. My tense posture eased and I giggled.
"I know, it's just…I have a few questions for you," I said shyly. He gestured with his hands for me to go ahead.
"When exactly is the M.D. coming to town?" He scratched his head.
"Next week. Why?"
"Just answer my questions, you'll see why later." He rolled his eyes, but silently told me to keep going.
"And how much would the…procedure cost?"
"Two hundred fifty." I beamed at him.
"Thank you Jasper!" I bounced off his bed and jumped on him, giving him a bear hug. He hugged me back tightly, and I couldn't help but feel the heat radiating off his body. I closed my eyes.
"Thank you, Bella. For wanting to help, and for wanting to be my friend," he whispered in my ear, before giving it a kiss. It wasn't the kind of effect that Edward had on me…but Jasper knew what he was doing as well. I pulled back slightly to face him. He leaned in and pecked me lightly on the lips. We pulled back and stared at each other…before bursting out with laughter.
"I'm sorry, Bella," he said between laughs. I stood in his arms, shaking from my own giggles.
"It's okay. No offense, but I didn't feel anything."
"None taken, me either. Still friends?"
"Still friends."
Sniggering, we let go of each other and I promised him he'd find out later why I asked those questions. He bade me goodbye as I walked out the door.
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JPOV
I was still chuckling after Bella left. I thought she was beautiful the first time I saw her, and I couldn't help the small attraction that developed. But Bella and I worked much better as friends. I shook my head, glad I had at least gotten it out of my system. The attraction was gone now, but I wasn't finished with the Swan women.
After my talk with Bella last night, I couldn't help but get curious about her mystery sister. I hadn't even noticed that she had one. That night in the main ballroom, I looked for the tiny girl Bella had described. I saw James, and thought she might be with him. I was right.
But when I first set my eyes on Alice Swan, I wanted to kick myself for not noticing her before. With Bella, I got my first glimpse of just how amazing the Swan girls were. But Bella, and no offense to her, paled in comparison to her sister. She was tiny, just like Bella said. I just found it adorable. Her skin was pale, I could see, even though she had gotten a bit of a tan like Bella. She danced so gracefully, she could be as good as Edward and Rosalie. In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to go snatch this stunning creature away from James. He did not deserve her. If she was anything like her sister, she would be beautiful on the inside and on the outside. Her eyes weren't brown like Bella's. They were grey. Most people would find that cold, but I found her eyes warm and full of life. I wanted nothing more than to stare into her eyes for hours as we lay next to each other.
Seeing her twirl around the dance floor with James made me angry. Bella was right being worried; she should be. James could charm the pants off any woman, as much as I didn't like that. If Alice wasn't careful, she could end up broken, like my sister. I wouldn't wish that on any woman, especially not Alice. It hurt me to even think about something like that happening to her. It already hurt me enough that it happened to Rose. Bella needed to think of a way to keep James away from her. I would help her if she needed. She wanted to help Rose, and I would help her.
Before I could get any more furious, I quit thinking about James and got out of my cabin, fully dressed and ready for the day. I walked over to Edward's cabin, to the left of mine, and knocked on his door. He as actually up today. We walked in silence towards the cafeteria for a few minutes before I spoke.
"So…what's up with you and Bella?" He scowled at the question.
"What about her?"
"Why'd you yell at her like that the other night?"
"She was sticking her nose where it doesn't belong."
"She was only trying to help, Edward."
"Don't defend her, Jasper. I've seen how buddy-buddy you two have become," shit, if he found out that she was in my room in the morning…, "and you need to stop. She's a guest, she's off limits."
"I'm not attracted to her in that way, Edward. We're just that; buddies. Really, Edward, she only has good intentions. She's a really nice girl and she genuinely likes to help people. You didn't have to lash out at her like you did." He shook his head and muttered a 'whatever' under his breath.
We entered the cafeteria and got in line for breakfast, just like every other day. It was early and the line was short. We quickly sat down and started to eat. We stayed like that for a few minutes, just chewing and lost in our own thoughts, before we heard a tray hit our table. We both whipped our heads up, and saw it was Rosalie.
Now I was worried. Rosalie looked horrible. There were bags under her eyes, and she looked ready to flop down onto the table. Her skin wasn't just pale, it was sickly.
"How are you?" I ask warmly. She sends me a halfhearted smile.
"I feel kinda sick, but that's just the way things are," she said sadly. I wrapped my arm protectively around her.
A little while later, Emmett joined us. Normally, he was loud and boisterous, always making people laugh with some joke. But he wasn't stupid. He felt our moods and stayed silent, only saying a quick "Hey" when he sat down, to which Edward grunted, Rosalie half-smiled, and I nodded. Without the distraction of talking, everyone finished quickly. We all got up simultaneously and got ready to start the day.
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BPOV
At breakfast, I was silent. Conversation carried around me, but I tuned it out. Today was the day. My plan was set in motion, and I would show Rosalie I really did care. I would do something about the situation. I would not just forget about her, or Jasper, or Edward, even though I did want to forget about him. Sort of. A little bit. Not really.
After breakfast, Alice went to play croquet. I joined her for a game before a little boy about seven years old wanted to play. Alice thought he was adorable and agreed instantly. I saw my chance and excused myself, claiming a headache. I power walked over to the golf course where I knew my father would be today.
I was right. There he was, practicing his shot while my mother practiced next to him. She wasn't doing very well, and he teased her. I smiled. I always loved to see my parents just being in love. It made me think that maybe there was someone out there who would love me like they loved each other.
"Daddy!" I called out. He turned around and grinned widely when he saw me.
"Yes, Bells?" I walked up to him.
"Daddy…you said that…that I should always help out when someone was in trouble. And I love to help people daddy, I really do. Someone's in trouble daddy, and I need a favor really badly. Could you lend me…could you please lend me two hundred and fifty dollars?"
He looked at me in confusion, crossing his arms.
"That's a lot of money. Who's in trouble? What is it?"
"I…daddy, this is really hard for me to say to you. Believe me, it really is, but…I can't tell you. Please, daddy just…" I trailed off, about to play the 'trust me' card, but deciding not to at the last moment.
"Is it illegal?" he asked, somewhat suspiciously. I did my best to put an innocent expression on my face. I swallowed before I answered.
"No. It's not," I answered with a sweet smile on my face. He shook his head.
"That was an incredibly stupid question. I'll have the money for you by dinner," he pulled me into a hug and kissed my head. I smiled against his chest. He let me go, and I walked back to Alice, suddenly in a lighter mood.
A/N: CHRIST! This one just kept spilling out and out and out. My keyboard has suffered enough abuse! Unfortunately, I return to school tomorrow (Yeah, my school system is pretty retarded. Blame them, not me!) so I won't be able to update as often. Consider this long chapter my parting gift. I'll try to update as often as possible, I promise! Oh and to SexySadie88, kudos on recognizing the fiery red head! Though I must say, Bella wasn't really supposed to know her name in the last chapter. So if I have Victoria introduce herself in future chapters, bare with me alright? The name Victoria just kind of spilled out without my noticing. I tell you, no filter sometimes! Oh and at the beginning, I didn't make some drawn out lemon with James and Victoria, because quite honestly, James lemon? Ew. And to those of you who are kinda like WTF JASPER AND BELLA? haha, sorry I couldn't resist. Jasper's a babe ;D. I promise, this fic is purely Bella&Edward.
Song Explanation: It took me at least three hours to find a song for this chapter. I had to listen to this song many times before I finally decided to use it. I really only like the first verse for the story. The reason I chose this song was because, if you noticed, Bella is starting to take control in this chapter, hence the title. The line "Get ready let me tell you who's the boss now" really fits in my opinion. The song title is not the chapter title because I just thought Take Control just fit better. If you have an opinion of the song, please tell me!
As always, review!