Disclaimers to Stephenie Meyer and Tomoko Hayakawa.
School was like always.
"You four, you'll be waiting on tables," Mr. Christie, the restaurant manager told them.
"Weren't we supposed to be working in the kitchen?" Jasper asked.
"We changed our minds. It would be should a waste if we just hid you in the kitchen. All you do is give a customer their food and smile – it's not too hard," Mr. Christie said to them.
"But, I can't deal with customers," Edward told Mr. Christie.
"Just smile," Carlisle whispered.
The first customer walked through the door.
"Hello, my name is Marie – I have a reservation..." the person called Marie told them. Jasper pushed Edward forwards.
"W-wel-c-come," Edward stuttered. He couldn't string together a simple sentence.
Emmett pushed ahead.
"Let me show you to your table," Emmett flirted.
"As expected," Jasper muttered. Carlisle stifled a snigger.
Bella was in the kitchen. She was free from the dazzling creatures, for a long time. It was good. It was very good. She ransacked the seafood selection that Edward had recklessly purchased and saw the king prawn. She fancied cooking something Asian.
"Here's your dinner – you've worked superbly," Mr. Christie said, pushing Emmett, Carlisle, Edward and Jasper into a small room, with a table filled with food.
"We should really bring back food for Bella," Carlisle said. Jasper nodded.
"Why?" Edward asked.
"It's your fault that the groceries got wrecked in the first place, and it's your fault you overspent it all on seafood," Carlisle said, "You're the one who practically forced Bella to have a hot pot and now we haven't got a pot. Don't you feel guilty for that?"
"No."
Emmett had taken several things from the table and put in a box.
"Here. This is for her. You're giving it to her."
Bella sat in her room; she had put all the things she needed to have a nice dinner. She made a table out of a large tray and several books she had packed but never intended to read. For her dinner she had fried king prawn with sour cream. Next to her plate was a pair of chopsticks and above her plate was her favourite Haagen-Dazs ice cream. She took a bite of her fried king prawn when Edward burst into her room.
"Here," Edward said holding out the box to her. "It had some food in it."
"I have my own food," Bella snapped. She was still mad at him, for the whole overspending incident.
"Is it really fun eating on your own?" Edward asked sceptically. He picked up one of her king prawns and ate it. Bella glowered at him. Edward chewed on it.
"That's nice." Edward remarked.
"I don't want your food." Bella told him, trying to usher him out.
"Fine."
"Get out."
"Sure," Edward said staring at Bella in the eyes. Bella's sat frozen. He was deliberately dazzling her, the reason unknown. Suddenly Edward was skulking out of her room. Bella looked at him, unable to contain her desire to look at him hungrily. When he closed the door, Bella returned to her dinner. She realised why Edward had walked so suddenly out of her room. He had taken her plate of fried king prawn with him.
"EDWARD!" Bella screamed at the top of her lungs. She later regretted this, but at least she had the Haagen-Dazs to soothe her throat after she had screamed.
--
"Ken, we have to get home it's snowing!" a mother said pulling her child along.
"When is daddy coming home?" the little child asked his mother. Edward smiled faintly.
"That kind of thing is sure nice," Edward said softly.
"Bella?" there was a soft knock on the door the next morning. It was Emmett. Bella sat up on her bed. Behind him was Jasper and Carlisle. They steadily came into Bella's room. Bella looked for Edward in the small crowd, but to her disappointment, he wasn't there.
Sensing Bella about to ask Jasper said, "Edward's not here. He left early."
"Bella, we're here to tell you that we're thankful for you cooking for us," Emmett started. Jasper hissed about getting to the point to Emmett.
"We're sorry for pressuring you to make a hotpot for us, we're apologising for Edward as well." Emmett said to Bella. Bella was surprised.
"I don't mind..." Bella began. Emmett sat on the bed beside Bella and held up his hand.
"I don't know much about Edward, but a lot happened with his family," Emmett told Bella. "Edward knows that it's a get together thing and wants it because he hasn't had the experience of eating with his family much."
"Same here," Jasper said gloomily, "I know it isn't a big deal for you, Bella, but getting together at the dinner table means a lot to me. I can't remember the last time I've eaten happily with my family."
"Heck, has Edward actually ever eaten with his family?" Carlisle asked Jasper. Jasper shrugged. Bella took all this in. She was sorry that Edward hadn't the chance to eat with his family, but it was something out of her control. However, she could help build some memories for him. Not because she liked him – because she thought that everyone should remember eating something happily. She motioned for the three boys to leave her room and she slid off her bed. She got dressed, and looking out of the window she saw that she needed some extra layers. Like the day at the market, it was snowing.
--
Edward was pulling carrots out from the ground. He was sweating, but he didn't want to take his coat off because of the snow. He pulled the carrot out and landed on the soft ground.
"You sure a good help," Tom said happily. Edward grumbled under his breath. "Do you like carrots?" he added looking at Edward and the way he had thrown the carrot in the basket.
"I hate them," Edward answered truthfully.
"I only know that because the scary girl carefully picks out carrots, and she said it to me once. She is always considerate of everyone's likes and dislikes."
"You could say that," Edward said, pulling out another carrot.
--
Bella searched in the market. There were no pots that she found suitable. She waited in the bus line for the bus into Port Angeles for the pot. She had a black card in her purse, which she rarely used. It was something that her Auntie had given to her. Her Auntie had left it in a book in her room, and Bella was free to use it whenever she felt like it. Bella thought that this may be a suitable time to withdraw some money, but there was no ATM in the market.
--
"Hello, Brandon residence," Alice said into the phone.
She heard who was on the other end and she nearly dropped the phone.
"Jasper?" she said as calm as she could. She listened hard into the phone.
"Yes. I have went camping," Alice said. She didn't know why Jasper was asking.
"You want to borrow what?"
--
Bella walked around. She had rarely come to Port Angeles. She had only been once or twice and that had been a long time ago. Bella had no time to lose; she went on a quest to find the right pot.
--
Edward finished pulling out potatoes for Tom. Tom handed him a large bag of vegetables for the hotpot.
"If you ever want vegetables again, my fields always are here for you," Tom said happily, smiling at Edward. Edward smiled back, turning his back on Tom and walking in the direction of the bus stop to home.
"Eat your vegetables!"
"No!"
Edward was tall enough to look over a wall and see the commotion. A mother was telling her child to eat her vegetables whilst the father smiled at the wife. Edward sighed. If only he had the chance.
--
Alice rang the doorbell at the mansion. She was holding a portable stove, which Jasper had asked her for.
Jasper answered the door, and when he saw Alice he smiled.
"Here you go Jasper," Alice said handing over the portable stove. Jasper took it and was surprised that she could lift the thing by herself.
"Thank you," Jasper said, giving Alice a swift kiss on the cheek, and he closed the door. On one side, Alice was bright red and streaming with happiness. On the other side, Jasper was blushing with what he just did. Carlisle and Emmett were smirking at Jasper, but they didn't know what he had just done. Jasper wasn't going to tell them – they'd go on about it for the few weeks if he did. Jasper opened the door again and Alice was still there.
"Do you want to join us for dinner?" Jasper asked Alice. Alice nodded, and stepped inside the mansion.
--
Bella carried the heavy pot through the market to the other bus stop. It was heavy. She finally reached the bus stop, but the bag snapped. It had taken her ages to find the right pot, and then look at its quality and its warranty.
"Ughhh," Bella moaned and she clambered to pick her pot up. It was no use, the snow itself was disagreeing with her, and she slipped around.
"Need any help?" a person asked, and soon the pot was lifted up. Bella was then lifted up. She looked at the person who helped her. It was Edward. Edward had waited a long time for a bus. He was considering walking home when he saw Bella. Bella thanked Edward.
"How did you afford the pot?" Edward asked suspiciously, he saw the dollars sticking out of Bella's pocket.
Bella smiled. She delved in her pocket and pulled out her card. Edward nearly dropped the vegetables in his arms.
"You...you...have a...oh, my...card?" Edward said, his incoherent words not forming a proper sentence.
"Shh!" Bella shushed loudly. The last thing she needed people to know is that she had a card.
"You used it for this?" Edward asked emotionally.
"Shut up."
"You are pretty strange, Bella Swan."
"I don't need to hear that from you!" Bella snapped, grabbing the pot back. Edward took it from her.
"Hey, let me hold that for you," Edward taking the pot from her. Bella took the vegetables from him and together, forgetting the bus, they walked home.
And to home was a long distance to walk.