Chapter 8: I'm Not A Princess, This Aint A Fairy Tale
" Ana, will you hold still please," Rosalie asks, strained patience ringing through her voice. I stop fidgeting immediately feeling like a chastised child. She has been helping me pin my hair up for the last hour, and I am growing restless.
" Sorry Rose, I'm just nervous. The most formal thing I have been to was prom, and that wasn't actually all that formal," I say, watching Rosalie concentrate hard on what she was doing. A small smile graces her face.
" You shouldn't be nervous. It's not a huge deal, just a few friends and such, besides it's a good excuse as any to get all dressed," she says, sliding in the final pin into my hair. I smile. I have to admit, I love the idea of getting dressed up. The make up, the dresses. It all has a fairy tale feel to it.
" I know. I will pay you back for the dress too Rose, I cant accept a gift like that, its too much," I say, smiling at my finished hair. A look of pain crosses her face.
" No you wont. I wont take a penny from you. It's a gift," she says, and her voice assures me that she doesn't expect anything in return.
" Okay, but I just feel kind of bad," I say, examining my face in the mirror trying to decide if I need to add more eyeliner.
" Don't feel bad Rosalie, Ana has a hard time accepting gifts from anyone," Jade says, walking into the bathroom. She looks absolutely stunning in her knee length, black silk dress. Her hair curled in ringlets and pulled half up leaving some of the tendrils to fall around her face softly. I blush at the honesty of her statement. I hate when people buy me things, it makes me feel, awkward.
" Okay well I need to go put my dress on," I say, walking out of the bathroom leaving Jade and Rosalie to talk and primp on their own. I slide into my long teal blue dress careful to not mess my hair up. I struggle with the zipper and I cant get it on my own. I open the bedroom door looking to see if someone is around to help me.
" Hey Jade, can you zip me up?" I ask, turning around for her. She zips me up quickly when the sound of the doorbell makes us both jump.
" looks like the party is about to start," Jade says, heading for the stairs. We weren't allowed downstairs since Rosalie, Emmett, and Jade got back from their little outing.
" I will see you down there," I call behind her, walking carefully back into our room. I slip on my heels and turn to look in the full length mirror. I am stunned slightly by my appearance. My blonde hair pinned up in complicated twists and curls. My make-up absolutely perfect. My stomach filled with a million butterflies. I press a hand to my racing heart and decide that I might as well get it over with.
I walk down the stairs following the sound of music softly playing, and the murmur of voices. I stop about half way down the stairs utterly captivated by the transformation that the house had taken. Rosalie was a genius. Dozens of candles flickered and twisted twinkling lights stretched before me. The smell of roses and star gazer lilies waft towards me as if beckoning me to step from reality to fairy tale. I realize that it has grown suddenly quiet, so I look up and see the small group of people staring at me. I blush slightly as I step down the stairs and walk towards where Jade and Edward are standing.
" This is phenomenal, I have never seen anything like it," I say, accepting the glass that Edward holds out to me. Edward smiles slightly.
" I have known Rosalie most of my life and if there is one thing I know about her its that she is anything if not thorough. She lives for setting up parties like this," he says, slipping a hand into his pant pockets. I smile as I sip my drink and listen to the conversation that he and Jade are having about her pre-med major. Rosalie all but glides towards me with an older couple following close behind and I cant help but notice the amazing family resemblance.
" Ana, I would like you to meet me and Jasper's mother and father, Matthew and Veronica Hale. Mom, Dad, this is Ana," she says, and I politely extend my hand to them.
" Its so nice to meet you dear, Rosalie has told me so much about you," Veronica say, taking my hand warmly in hers. I am caught slightly of guard by this.
" Oh has she?" I ask, looking at Rosalie quickly. A part of me can't help but to feel slightly nervous. 'Did she tell them that I am the girl that has the ridiculous school girl crush on their son' I wonder to myself.
" Yes, she told me you have a wonderful head for music. I would love to speak to you about a job opening. Please, will you walk with me?" she asks, walking with my hand still caught in hers towards the back room where only a few people stand, including a D.J who is still setting up. " Tell me Ana, have you thought much about what kind of job you want while you are here?"
" Not really, to be perfectly honest I just thought that I would end up doing some sort of waitress job to meet my needs," I say, wondering where this conversation is going. Its quiet for a moment.
" Well I have a side project, that I have to admit I haven't been able to pay much attention to. I own a small recording studio and record label, and I need someone who will be able to come in and do some secretarial work as well as scouting for talent. So what do you say?" she asks, looking at me a smile on her youthful face. I am stunned silent. I shake my head slightly.
" Oh wow, I am honored I am, but I don't know how much help I will be to you. I mean I don't have training in this sort of thing,' I say, and her quick laugh stops my ability to talk.
" Ana, let me ask you a question, why do you love music so much?" she asks, searching my face for her answer.
" That's easy. Music has always been my way to express myself. I have always found it amazing how one song can play and it can make everything seem okay again. Or how when I have no words to express myself there is always a song that can explain the way I feel. That and with music there is always hope," I say, realizing that I started rambling.
" Then you are perfect for the job. No amount of training can give a person the passion you have for music," she says, running a hand tenderly down my arm. " How about we set up a time for you to come by Monday at around lets say, noon, to see the office and we can talk over this some more, it seems that the guests have all arrived and the party is about to start." I look around and realize that the house has indeed filled up quickly.
" Okay Monday then," I say, she smiles warmly before hugging me sweetly and walking away, leaving me to feel like I have just been hit by a truck.
" You will have to excuse my mother, she can be quite over whelming when she is trying to get her way," a voice says from behind, and I don't even have to turn around to know who it is.
" Yes well, I appreciate the offer and her faith in me to do a good job," I say, turning to face Jasper. Beautiful. The one word to describe him. The black suit fits him perfectly. His usually naturally messy hair slicked back.
" You look nice Jasper," I say, forcing a small smile to cross my lips. He studies me for a moment, until a smile lights up his eyes.
" You look amazing. So beautiful Ana," he says, taking a step towards me. I catch my breathe trying to figure out what he is doing. He steps towards me again, until he is standing right in front of me.
" Will you dance with me?" he asks, wrapping his arm around my waist before I can answer. He lays his hand on the small of my back while taking my hand in his. The music is soft, as he twirls me around the dance floor, and I get lost looking in his eyes, shining brightly in the flickering candle light. I can feel myself slipping off the careful ledge I have myself placed on, slipping and falling head first in love with him
JADE'S POV
I have been standing here for the last twenty minutes already wishing that I could take off these ridiculous high heels, and change into a pair of jeans. I lazily swirl my glass of champagne, watching the bubbles intensely. I wonder if anyone would notice if I were to slip out and hide away upstairs for the night,' I think to myself.
" Not thinking of sneaking away are you?" Edward's voice comes from behind me, his breathe blowing sweetly across my neck. I smile widely before turning around.
" You read my mind," I say, looking up at him. His smile falters a bit and he probably thinks I didn't catch that.
" No, you just don't come across as the type of girl that goes for all of this," he says, leaning against the wall lazily.
" Oh really, and what kind of girl do I come across as?" I ask, smiling sweetly.
" The kind of girl that would rather be wearing her favorite pair of jeans with a beer in her hand and loud music playing in the background," he says, leaning towards me.
" For someone who seems so elusive, you have the incredible at reading people," I say, setting my champagne glass down on the counter. He shrugs his shoulder at that, and grows contemplatively quite.
" I wonder what Rosalie's mom wanted to talk to Ana about, " I say, grasping at anything to say just to make small talk.
" She is offering her a job at her recording studio," he answers easily. I blink at that, genuinely surprised. Knowing Ana, she will take the job. Always the over achiever. She will take on a double-major and a full time job without breaking a sweat, at least she will do it in such a way to make it look effortless.
" Wow, that's awesome," I say, secretly envious at the thought of her having a job and me jobless. I have always been independent. I had to be. I didn't have parents to care. I mean my mom was there but she was more wrapped up in my step-dad than me to even notice I was there. She did her part though, securing a college fund so that I could pay for my first year of pre-med without worrying about books and the dreaded student loans, but everything else I have to do on my own. A soft tapping on my shoulder grabs my attention and I turn my head to see who it is.
" Hello, Jade isn't it?" Matthew, Rosalie's father asks.
" Yes, it's a pleasure to meet you," I say, extending my hand to shake his.
" Same here. Could I have a word with you, this will only take a moment Edward," he says easily, taking me through the kitchen to the foyer where no one is gathered. " I couldn't help but to over hear that you are pre-med."
" Oh yeah, I am," I say, confused by the direction that this conversation is taking.
" Well see, Rosalie was expressing to me how even though you have your first year paid through you don't have much to sustain you as far as money goes. I know what its like to be in college. Living from pay check to pay check. Praying you will be able to make what little you have stretch. Anyways, listen to me ramble. To the point. I am the head of a research lab, and we have just recently come up short handed. Now at first you will mostly just be there to take notes for me or the other lab workers, but I am sure if you are as smart and good as Rose says you are, you will be doing medical research of your own within a few months," he says, smiling a broad smile that causes his eyes to crinkle slightly. I stand in stunned silence for a moment before I can finally speak.
" Thank you so much for the offer. I promise I will take whatever job I can get my hands on," I say, shaking his hand happily before he excuses himself to go speak with Emmett. I watch the party progress from where I am standing for a few moments when I see Jasper coming down the stairs. 'Bastard," is my initial thought. 'Has Ana all sorts of messed up and for what?' He stops at the bottom of the steps in front of me, his hand slipping into his pocket.
" You look wonderful Jade, tell me have you seen Ana?" he asks, looking over my shoulder in search for her.
" Yes," I answer simply, looking at him disapprovingly.
" You don't like me much do you Jade?" he asks, reaching his hand up to adjust his tie. I stare at him for a moment.
" I don't know you Jasper. But I can tell you that no, I don't like you much as of this moment. You hurt my best friend, so in a way you hurt me, and I don't take kindly to people hurting me," I answer, making sure that every word I say comes across clear.
" I never meant to hurt her Jade, and if I could take back what happened, I would, but seeing as how I don't have the power of time travel, I cant do anything about it now, but try and make up for it," he says, apparent sincerity written all over his face.
" Well I wont stand in your way. She is in the back room, where the dance floor is set up," I say, moving out of the way so that he can walk past me. " Oh and Jasper." He turns back to look at me. " She's my best friend, break her heart again, and I will break your pretty face," I say, a smug smile forming on my lips. He simply nods his head in complete understanding. I watch him walk to the back room where my best friend stands, knowing in my head that she is going to end up falling head first in love with him if she isn't careful.
" You worry about her," Edwards voice comes from behind me, causing me to turn around pressing my hand to my quickly beating heart.
" Of course I do. She wears her heart on her sleeve, and she has had it broken one too many times," I say, snaking his champagne glass from his hands swallowing it in one quick drink.
" You amaze me Jade," he says, taking the empty glass from my hands. " Come with me," he says, holding a hand out to me. I hesitantly take it, feeling nervous. I never feel nervous. How can he make me nervous? The last guy to make me nervous was good smelling guy in creative writing junior year. His hand is warm in mine, and I walk with him as he leads me through the front door into the clear cool night air.
Ana's POV
I lost track of how many songs we have danced through, lost in thought, lost in Jasper. It isn't until he pulls me into him so that my head is resting on his chest that I realize that the dance floor has grown crowded. I look up at Jasper to see his eyes closed, like he is lost in the music. Like he is just as lost in this stolen fairy tale moment as I am. His eyes open slowly and he smiles down at me. I tilt my head up at the same time he tilts his head down our lips a breathe away from each others, when his body stiffens. He lifts his eyes to the door way and I follow his gaze to see a familiar cap of short brown hair standing watching us in our moment. Alice. He pulls away from me and takes a step back. In that one moment my fairy tale moment came to an end. Something passes between them and I cant place it. It seems almost intimate. My heart thuds heavily in my chest as I realize that all of the excuses he gave me just the night before were lies. He still loved her, it's written all over his face, it screams at me so loudly I fight the urge to cover my ears. I can feel my breathe quicken as I try and think of the best way to make my escape.
" Thank you for the dances Ana," Jasper says, his voice stiff and formal. I stare at him, in stunned disbelief.
" That's it? Thank you for the dances? Really? Are you going to stand there and tell me you didn't feel what I felt?" I ask, tears threatening to fall down my face. He stares at me, guilt slowly creeping into his face. He steps towards me, trying to close the growing gap between us.
" Ana, I" he starts, and I just shake my head.
" No, its my fault. No actually its yours. It is more than clear that you are still in love with her no matter what you say or how you try and lie about it. What my fault is that I believed I had a chance," I say, unaware, or at least not aware enough to care that the music has dies and people are watching us. I brush by Alice who is standing in shocked silence like everyone else with Mike.
" Ana wait," she says, her footsteps following me through the kitchen and the front door. I keep walking as quickly as I can without tripping over the length of my dress. A hard thing to do for a girl as clumsy as I am, and the heels don't help any. I round the first corner to find Jade and Edward wrapped in each other sharing an obviously intimate moment. I stop in my tracks caught off guard by what I see, and then it happens. All at once a ripping sensation inside my chest, and I begin crying, making a total and utter fool of myself. Jade and Edward pull away from each quickly, concerned looks on both of their faces.
" Ana, what is it?" Jade asks, stepping forward. I step back shaking my head.
" I made a huge mistake Jade, I should have never come here," I say, walking away, leaving a stunned silence behind me.