Find Me
Bella's POV
I only went out with Tanya to the mall because it was mine and Edward's off day. We had decided that we were spending way too much time together, and that we just needed a day so that we can do things on our own. Things such as be with our families, and friends. I woke up to my cell phone ringer. I only knew of 3 people who had my phone number. Charlie, my mother, and Edward. So I picked it up just to find out who it was.
"Hey Bella" the girly high pitched sound came from the other end. "Um hi, who is this?" I asked. "It's Tanya, silly." She said in a mocking way. How did she get my number? "Oh hey, what's up?" I was bored, so I just continued talking to her. "Oh nothing much. We were thinking of going to the mall soon, and we want you to come along." She asked me in a hurry. "Why do you sound in such a rush?" I was suspicious. "Oh right, we're actually kind of already in front of your house." Oh God! I had no way of escaping them. "I'll be right down." I said with my hands cupping my head as I felt a headache coming on. "No, no we'll just come up. We have something we like for you to try on." Who is this "we" she keeps talking about, and what the hell? She wants to dress me now?
So as I paced in my room I heard the door open downstairs, and their steps echoed in my house as they came upstairs. She knocked on my door slowly to figure out which room was mine because she obviously hadn't been up here. She has only seen my living room from her first visit. This is going to be so awkward. "Come in." I said in a low voice.
She opened the door swiftly, and was carrying many bags on her arms. Lauren, and Melissa were with her to. "Hey Bella. Ok so here is how it will go. You will try on these outfits, and just pick anything you like." She said while placing the items on the bed. The bags were small which led me to believe the clothes inside would be better fitting for a ten year old. I couldn't help it. I peeked in the bags. Short shorts, tank tops, booty underwear, bras, stockings, flip flops, flats, headbands, makeup, it just went on, and on. "Um well I already see what I like so I'll just go put those on, and we can go." I said trying to make this go away much faster. I picked the short shorts, and the tank top. They were the ones you'd consider clothing the most in those bags.
I dressed myself in the washroom while they made their way downstairs to the car to wait. I applied some makeup but not too much that it would be noticeable. I grabbed my purse, and made my way downstairs, and outside.
Her car was incredible. I felt envy. She told me to hop into the front passenger seat. As I claimed the spot I noticed behind me that Lauren, and Melissa had pouts on their faces. It's not like I asked for the front seat. They make it seem like a throne or something. We made our way to the mall, and entered. We glanced in a few stores but nothing caught the eye of Tanya. I didn't have much money with me, so I just said to them that I had already bought most of my new clothes from Phoenix. They seemed content with my answer because Phoenix is obviously bigger than Forks, and has more shopping malls.
So we decided to head to the food court to buy some drinks. I bought myself an iced tea. We sat down at a table, and apparently I had my back to a bunch of guys that were looking at our table. I didn't want to make a move. I didn't want anyone to know I was out with them. I just stared most of the time in front of me, while taking a few sips of my beverage. Then Melissa started yapping away about some nonsense. "Bella someone is looking at you with wide eyes." She said while pointing him out discreetly for Lauren to see. Oh God I thought. Just what I need. Them making me wear these clothes, just so some slobbering fellow staring at me. "No he is not. He is probably just looking at all of you." I said trying to make them stop. "No honey, he is staring at your body. His lips are parted, and he is looking you up and down." Lauren said in a squealing voice. How can he even see my body, the chair is covering me in the back. I couldn't take this anymore. I told them I was going to go throw my drink in the garbage, just to get away from them.
As I made my way to the garbage, I suddenly bumped into someone's hard chest. Yet his skin felt smooth. I looked up. "Edward?" He looked up from his tray. He was obviously dizzy from our contact, and that I was the first to speak up. He looked taken by my presence. Why though? "Bella what are you doing here?" He his poured all over my body like he was trying to figure something out. "Um, well I'm out with some friends." I said as calmly as possible. That's when he snapped. His face became rigid, and he took my arm gently but swiftly to an empty hallway of the mall. "What are you doing with them Bella? They are not good people." He spoke with such a tone that I thought was odd considering how friendly he was with Tanya, and her friends a little while ago. "They have been nice to me for a while now." Is all I could come up with. I looked down at the ground.
"Bella when did they start befriending you?" He started to become less angry, and more sympathizing. "I don't know Edward. About five months ago." Which is true. We had gone to the movies, went out for dinner once in Port Angeles, and talked at school, and now we were shopping together as a group. "Bella go tell them that you got a phone call from Charlie, and that you have to go home. I can see them waiting for you. They are getting antsy." He said while looking at them through the corner of his eye, and then looking back at me. "Edward what is your problem? I was just shopping with some friends. Do you not want me to have any friends or something?" Did he forget that we had an off day where we can do whatever we wanted? "That's not it at all. They are just schemers. They do this all the time with different girls." This made me see that he was right. Most of the time they would be sarcastic with me. They had been laughing at me a lot all this time, and made silly jokes around me.
I told Edward to wait here. I made my way back to them clutching my cell phone for evidence. "Tanya, I'm sorry I just got a call from Charlie. Their was a minor accident at home, and I need to leave." I told her. "Oh ok, that's fine. I hope everything is okay." She said. I waved to her, and returned to Edward. We waited for a few minutes so that we were free of the prying eyes of Tanya. Emmett, Edward, and I returned to Edward's car. "Bella I'm sorry. I just don't want to see you hurt." He said this while I entered the car, and sat myself down. "Please just don't go out with them again." He was being very serious which scared me a little bit. "Alright Edward. I promise." I held his hand to calm him down. I peeked at him reluctantly, and he seemed to have a thousand thoughts running through his mind. He looked like a stone sculpture that was breaking into pieces. I let go of his hand when he started shaking. He took the steering wheel with his now free hand, and gripped it.
He opened the car door for me when we made it to my house. He walked me to my door, and started talking slowly. "Bella did they make you wear this?" "Ah I guess. Why is it too much?" He pondered for a moment trying to come out with the right words. "Bella you look great but they put you in these clothes to be gawked at!" He said the first couple of words slowly but as he progressed his sentence he started fuming, when he said the last few words. I put my hands on his shoulders to stop him from pacing around so much. He was making me dizzy. "Edward it's okay. You don't have to worry about them anymore. I won't hang out with them, and I won't let them tell me what to wear. I guess I was just trying to fit in." What I said obviously eased his mind, and body. I looked down once again, and he took my face with both of his hands bringing me to face his piercing, emerald eyes. "Bella you are beautiful, don't let anyone change you." He kissed me every so gently feeling more of his breath than his lips on mine, and I went inside my house.