Disclaimer: This is all mine-- 'cept the characters :)
Chapter 3: Hangovers and Sunburns
I rolled over in my bed, my head thumping and my mouth feeling like I had chewed on cotton balls all night. The sun was streaming through my windows and I immediately hated my decision to choose the bedroom facing the East. I pulled the covers over my head and groaned. Then I smelled it.
"Bella! Breakfast is ready!" Alice called from the kitchen.
I groaned again at the loud noise, but threw the blankets back. I slowly climbed out of bed and stumbled in the vague direction of the kitchen, bouncing off the hallway walls as I went. I found Alice standing in front of the stove, flipping pancakes and frying bacon. On the breakfast bar sat two glasses of orange juice. I plopped down on one of stools and rested my head in my hands.
"How are you so perky right now?" I mumbled.
Alice laughed, "I drank some Gatorade and took some aspirin before bed last night. I was going to ask you if you wanted any, but you were nearly passed out when I came in the room last night."
"Oh." I took my glass of orange juice and drank some of it, happy for the way it made my mouth feel. "Thanks, by the way for last night." I finished.
Alice flipped some pancakes on a plate, added a few strips of bacon, and sat the plate in front of me. She stared at me, "You know I'm here for you, right?"
Her question took me off guard. "Of course, Ali." I picked up my fork and knife and started cutting my pancakes into small pieces.
"Okay. Then you know that I know that last night was about a lot more than just that creep, Aiden." She said matter-of-factly.
I continued applying butter and then maple syrup, blatantly ignoring her statement.
"Bella! Talk to me!" She sounded anxious.
I set my silverware down with a clink and I brought my eyes up to hers, "Look, I'm just a little upset about Edward, okay? I'll get over it, I promise. And I feel bad for not seeing my family lately. I miss them."
She sighed, flipping some pancakes onto another plate and coming around to sit beside me. "I figured. Look, I was thinking that maybe we'd go up to Forks in August for a few weeks."
I started to tell her I couldn't afford it but she shook her head, "No Bella, I'm paying. Consider it an early birthday present."
I picked up my fork and stabbed my pancake pieces, bringing it to my mouth, and chewed glumly.
Alice huffed, "Bella, come on! You miss your father, and I miss my parents. Plus I've already bought the tickets, so you can't get out of it."
I groaned, "Ugh, Alice! I thought I told you to consider me in these types of decisions."
"I did! I even talked to Charlie! He's so excited that he's going to see you Bella! Besides, it's your birthday present! You're not even supposed to know what you're getting!" She exclaimed, quite happy with her reasoning.
"Finneeee." I answered her, chewing on a few more pieces of pancake. "These are really good, Ali."
She grinned, chewing on her own pancakes. "Thanks! I learned from the best." She looked at me and elbowed me in the side. I grinned back at her knowing full well she was talking about me.
We ate the rest of the pancakes in silence and then I did the dishes since Alice cooked. She had gone into her bedroom. When I was finished with the dishes, I went to find her, her door was wide open and she was sitting at her computer, staring at the monitor.
I slowly approached her, "Alice? Are you okay?" I asked.
She quickly exited the page she was looking at and whipped around to face me, "Yeah, great! Just facebooking, you know!" She looked overly happy and I was instantly suspicious of her actions.
"Alice?" I questioned again.
She groaned, her face crestfallen. "It was Jasper."
I was immediately at her side, rubbing her back. He did this every once in a while, messaging or emailing her. She'd finally be heading in a good direction, with a guy she liked, and he would send her something that would throw her through a loop.
"What did he say this time?" I asked easily.
Alice sighed and clicked on her facebook page again, pulling up the message box. The latest message was indeed from Jasper. She clicked it open, and moved so that I could read it. This was typical behavior for us, not invasion of privacy. We'd been doing it since the first time Jasper had re-entered her life via Facebook. I read the message:
Alice,
The days go by and I still can't stop thinking about you. About the way your smile brightened everyone's days. The way the scent of you filled the room and I would inhale it, it was the most heavenly thing I'd ever smelled. The way when you sneezed, you'd squeak a bit, lol. Most importantly, the way your kisses made me feel like I was the only person in your world.
Alice, I'm sorry. I'm so incredibly sorry. Please give me another chance. I swear I'll do right by you. I want to come visit you in Houston. Please say yes. Please.
I love you,
Jasper
I closed my eyes and scratched my head a bit before thinking about saying what I wanted to say. I turned around to find Alice on her bed, under her covers, hugging her polar bear tightly to her chest. I slowly walked over to her bed and sat beside her, her back to me.
"Alice, you know you can't see him right?" I asked her easily, but she knew it was rhetorical question, so she didn't answer. "He swears he'll change, but he won't. Besides, like your mama said, 'once a cheater, always a cheater'".
She nodded her head and rolled over to face me. Her face looked strained, as if she was fighting some terrible internal battle. "I know … I just ... I wonder how things would be if I did give him that chance, you know? I mean, if you think about it, I didn't even give him a chance to defend himself."
"Alice! We've been through this! There is nothing he could have said that could have remedied things. He's bad news, sweetheart." I did my best to sound forceful but caring at the same time. She knew how I felt about Jasper and his wayward ways. Honestly, if I thought he really would change, I would happily tell her to go back to him. But I knew better. "Change" wasn't a word that the Cullen boys expressed frequently, if ever.
She groaned again, twisting her face into her pillow and smacked it. "I hate this!"
"I know, honey. I do too." Then I felt a small smile come across my face. "I know what will make you feel better."
"Shopping?" She mumbled.
I laughed, "It's always shopping for you, isn't it?"
She nodded her head fervently and I laughed again, "Well, I was personally thinking about something that was about 6'2, cropped brown hair, pretty eyes, and an incredibly sexy voice, but if you'd rather go shopping, then…." I trailed off, smirking.
She looked at me, her mouth twitched to the side. "I suppose I could call Felix. Maybe he'd like to get lunch or something?" She leapt up from her bed and grabbed her phone, her fingers going a mile a minute on the keypad. She gracefully walked back towards me and sat on the bed.
"Thanks Bella, I needed that." At that moment, her phone vibrated and she smiled shyly as she read the text. "He's coming to pick me up around 11:30." She glanced at her alarm clock, "Oh no! That's an hour away! How will I ever be ready in time?" She stood up and frantically started pacing the room.
I laughed and grabbed her arm, shoving her towards the bathroom. "The first step is showering, my dear."
She laughed and closed the door behind her.
"Alice" I whispered to myself as I shook my head. She was a bit chaotic at times, but she completed me. I went back to my room and flipped on my iTunes, Band of Skulls began to play through my speakers and I started to pick up my room. I was typically a clean person, but I went through periods in which clothes, shoes, towels, books, and such would litter my floor and bed. By the time I had finished putting everything away, three more songs had played and I heard Alice in the hallway complaining.
I walked out to find her, but I could only hear her. I finally reached the closet and I shoved my head in it. "Alice, what are you bickering about?" I asked.
She immerged from the closet holding an emerald green sundress that would compliment her skin tone perfectly. "I can't find my shoes to go with this!" She complained, holding up the sundress. She was clad in a towel and her hair was soaking wet.
"Oh, you mean the strappy, brown sandals we picked up from Armani Exchange?" I asked, and she nodded her head. "Those are in your bedroom, under your bed, still in the box."
She squealed, running towards her room, "Thanks Bella! You're a lifesaver!" she called over her shoulder.
I followed her into her bedroom and plopped down in the middle of her bed. I played with the hem of my pants while she got ready, slipping on her sundress and digging for her shoes. She finally found them and slipped them on her tiny feet.
My voice broke the comfortable silence, "So, where you going?"
She flashed a bright smile at me, "I'm not sure! He won't tell me. He just told me to wear something comfortable."
I fell off the bed laughing at that statement and she just rolled her eyes at me.
"What? You know I'm most comfortable in heels and a dress!" She exclaimed.
I continued rolling on the floor laughing, finally spitting out, "I hope he takes you hiking!"
She huffed and ran over to me, seizing my sides, tickling me to death. I continued laughing until I could barely breathe. "Stop Alice! I'm going to pee my pants!" I screamed above the laughing.
She stopped and gracefully walked towards the bathroom, "I told you I'd get you back Swan," her face smug as she walked away.
Twenty minutes later, I heard the doorbell ring and ran to answer it. Alice was still applying her make- up. I opened the door and was greeted by Felix, clad in khaki shorts and a green polo. I wondered if they had color coordinated, or if it was just intuition between the two of them.
"Come on in!" I said, making a sweeping gesture with my hand.
"Hey Bella!" he said, walking inside. "Did you sleep alright?"
I avoided his eyes, staring at the floor, and gave him a small nod. "Thanks by the way, for last night."
His finger lifted my chin to look him in the eyes, "I promise you Bella - he is never coming back here. You're safe." His voice was full of conviction.
I felt a tear spring to the corner of my eye, "Thanks. Really, I mean it."
He just shrugged his shoulders like it was no big deal, "Please. It's my job to take care of my girl's best friend, right?"
I raised an eyebrow, "Your 'girl', huh?"
He grinned from ear to ear, "Well, I'm hoping she will be."
I immediately was won over by his honesty. "I like you Felix." I said matter of factly.
At that moment, Alice entered the room. "Well, are you done with the twenty questions now, mom?" She asked me playfully.
"Please, we've only just begun!" I eyed Felix who all of sudden looked rather bashful. Feeling sorry for him, I added, "But we'll finish it later, since you two have a date!"
Alice took his hand and I heard him murmur, "You look amazing."
She smiled and tossed a goodbye over her shoulder before leaving the apartment.
I wasn't feeling very hungry since I had a big breakfast, so I figured I could deal with some more cleaning. I flipped on the stereo in the living room to a random station and immediately set to sweeping the floors and dusting. Cleaning helped me keep my mind off things. When I finished the living room, I moved on to the kitchen, putting clean dishes away and cleaning the stove. I started mopping the floor when I heard his voice come from the living room. I dropped the mop and my heart sped up a bit, but then I realized it was from the radio. I quickly ran to the stereo, stumbling a bit on the carpet, and flipped the station over.
"I will not be listening to you anymore," I said absentmindedly to the stereo.
I moved back to the kitchen, mopping the floor and was finally satisfied when it sparkled a bit. I then moved to the refrigerator and started throwing away things that had expired. Not too many things had to go, just a carton of cottage cheese and some moldy cauliflower. We were usually very good about buying just enough groceries to get us through a few weeks. I tossed the expired food into the trash and yanked it out of the trashcan, tying it at the top. I slipped on some flip flops and took the trash to the curb, knowing the trash man would be around to pick it up in the morning. As I passed the pool it called to me, begging me to jump in. The sun was high and there was hardly a cloud in the sky.
"Perfect" I said, going back into my apartment.
I went back to my bedroom and slipped on my navy blue bikini and then applied some sun block. I grabbed my iPod, my latest literature book, a towel, my cell phone, and my sunglasses and I was set.
I walked towards the pool, happy that our complex was for adults only. I wasn't much for kids, especially little ones who like to splash and pee in the pool. I threw my stuff on a sun bathing chair and dived into the sparkling, blue water. It felt absolutely amazing, instantly cooling my overheated body. I surfaced and swam to the other side of the pool to climb out. I pulled the chair out so that it was flat and laid my towel on it before climbing on top. I put my sunglasses on my face, plugged my ear buds in my ears, switching it to classical, and opened my lit book.
"Wild Swans" was required by the English department, as well as the Education department, as the program demanded a well-rounded curriculum. The book wasn't awful and in fact I had found it quite interesting to read about three different generations of women in China, starting at the Feudal period and lasting up until more recent times. Before I knew it, I was fully engrossed in the book, turning the pages every few moments. I was what you would call a "speed" reader, and it always drove my classmates and friends nuts that I could finish an eight-hundred page book in just under three hours, and still recall page numbers and quotes. It definitely helped with school, as the classes required us to do monumental amounts of reading (sometimes fifty to seventy-five pages a night) plus outside reading in other various books. The program was difficult, but I loved it and I honestly didn't mind the reading.
After about an hour, I rolled over onto my belly and set the book down. I was nearly finished with it and decided it wouldn't kill me to take a breather and t ake a nap. I pulled my sunglasses off and laid my hands on either side of my body. Within moments, the sandman had lulled me off to dream world.
I awoke with a start when I heard a loud splash in the pool. I flipped over quickly to be greeted by a small pixie peering at me, and a tan man swimming in the pool beside her.
"What time is it?" I grumbled, still not fully awake.
Alice pulled out her cell phone, "Nearly three o'clock."
I groaned, "I've been out here for almost three hours."
"Yeah" she said, "I can see that."
I groaned, realizing that she was talking about pink sunburn I was now sporting. "Great, now I'll look like a lobster for the concert tonight." I whined.
Alice giggled, "At least it'll be dark!"
I gave her the stink eye and grabbed a hold her wrists, dragging her towards the pool.
"Bella! No!" She screamed, "No! No! Ahhh!" She went in with a tiny splash.
She screamed when I finally tossed her into the pool. Felix's laugh filled the air, as it was deep and seemed to reverberate off non-existent walls.
When Alice resurfaced, she spit water out at me and grabbed a hold of my ankle, pulling me off balance and back into the pool unfortunately. I went in with a huge splash, unlike Alice. I resurfaced and growled at her, before swimming towards her and dunking her head underwater.
The water play went on for fifteen more minutes, until both of us screamed truce and I climbed back out of the pool. Alice stayed behind, floating in the water. She didn't hear Felix swim up behind her, and it scared the living day lights out of her when he picked her up and threw her across the water.
When she surfaced, she swam at him and playfully hit him in the chest. They were all smiles and giggles (which was rather awkward to see Felix do) and it made me instantly jealous. They were happy.
I grabbed my towel and my stuff and headed towards the apartment. "I'm going to make dinner, ya'll staying?"
Felix called out to me while trying to dunk Alice's head underwater. "Whatcha making?"
I turned around and contemplated what we had in our fridge and freezer. "Hmmm, I was thinking a Chicken and Rice bake with cheese and broccoli." Both their eyes got wide with hunger and they nodded their heads so emphatically that water splashed around. I laughed at them and headed inside to start dinner and apply aloe to my now burnt skin.
I ran into the bathroom to inspect my skin and noticed that it wasn't nearly as bad as I imagined. A little pink on the shoulders, collar bone, nose, and cheeks. I applied some aloe and felt instant relief as the cool gel seemed to suck the heat out of my burnt skin. I then went into my room to throw on some shorts and one of Jacob's old t-shirts. Even after two years and numerous washes, it still managed to smell like him.
Once in the kitchen, I immediately set to work on dinner. I pulled out the broccoli, Velvetta cheese, milk, rice, and chicken, and turned the oven on to preheat it. After preparing the chicken and rice, I smoothed it out into a casserole baking dish, and added the cheesy sauce on top. I dipped my finger into the pot and licked the cheese off.
"Mmm." I moaned. "So good."
I dumped the rest of the cheese sauce over the rice, stirred in some broccoli, smoothed it out, and placed it in the oven to bake. I then started preparing a salad, pulling out the lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, green and yellow peppers, and cheese. I cut up the pieces and diced the carrots, throwing them into a large salad bowl. I popped a tomato in my mouth, enjoying the sweet taste. I then set to making a homemade vinaigrette dressing that I knew Alice would love.
A half hour later, the timer went off and I pulled the cheesy chicken and rice bake out of the oven. I ran out to the pool and exclaimed that dinner was ready. Alice was lounging on a chair, soaking in the sun, while Felix was doing laps around the pool. Wrapping themselves in towels, they followed me into the kitchen and both inhaled deeply.
"Bella, that smells phenomenal!" Felix said, his voice laced with hunger.
Alice turned to him, "You haven't had real food 'til you've had Bella's cooking."
Felix smiled and I blushed bright pink.
"It's not that great, Ali." I mumbled, grabbing dishes and forks.
Alice yanked the dishes and silverware out of my hands and began placing them at the table. "Yeah right" she said, mockingly. "We both know that I've gained like, thirty pounds from your cooking."
I looked at her bug-eyed, "Shut up Ali! You have not!"
She giggled, "I know… but I should have!"
Our easy banter continued during dinner, over the exclamations of how good dinner was, and how the chicken was so tender, and the rice so cheesy. We all enjoyed our salads and Alice was being overly sweet when she said that my vinaigrette was the best in Texas. Funnily enough, Felix agreed. I just shook my head and enjoyed the company and the flattery.
By the time dinner was finished, and the dishes were washed and put away, Alice said it was time for Felix to leave.
She eyed him, a bit of mischief behind her smile and declared, "We have a concert to attend!"
A smile broke out across my face and I squealed, running back to my bedroom to change and allowing Alice to give Felix a proper goodbye.
I heard the front door close moments later and I smiled to myself. I was genuinely happy to see that Alice was happy with someone other than Jasper. I was also relieved to learn that Felix was a very trustworthy guy and that he understood Alice and her crazy ways. The way she looked at him was as if he was the last man on earth, and his eyes were constantly twinkling when he spoke to her.
I fell back on my bed and groaned. "When am I going to meet my Felix?" I whined to myself.
Alice came into my room, "Well, that Felix is spoken for; however maybe tonight at the concert we'll meet someone new for you!" She was overly happy and bouncy as she moved about my room, humming to herself.
"Come on Bella! You need to shower!" She pulled me up off the bed by my hands and led me to the bathroom. She pushed me in and I set to work on my typical bathing ritual. Within ten minutes, I was shaved, shampooed, conditioned, and washed. I wrapped a towel around me and skipped to my room. I nearly tripped on the carpet but I didn't care, since I was overwhelmed with the prospect of actually meeting Drake, the man of my dreams.
I dried off, applying a cool, verbena bean oil based lotion to my body in hopes of preventing peeling. I pulled on a matching black cotton bra and underwear set, slipped into my BKE's and pulled the tank top over my head. I stepped over to the mirror and gave myself an approving look. Despite the major lack of flair, I looked good. The tank top was tight against my chest, making me feel larger than I actually was, and my BKE jeans hugged the curves of my ass and belled out a tiny bit at the bottom, balancing me out.
I padded down to the bathroom, and did the same thing I had done last night to my hair- applying mousse and blowing it out to be big and "concert" ready. I applied light make up, focusing on my eyes. I walked to the closet and pulled out my purple high top Chucks, slid them on my feet, and then went in search of Alice.
I found her floating around her room, pulling on something, taking it off, pulling on something else, and then pulling it off to put on something else once again. I raised an eyebrow and plopped down on her bed.
She whined, "I can't find anything to wear!"
I laughed, "Alice! You've put on at least three presentable outfits in the past two minutes!"
She sighed, "I knowwwww! But nothing screamed 'wear me to a concert!'".
I laughed again and started rifling through the clothes that were sprawled all over her room. I pulled out a red blouse with a flower appliqué on the back and was tight just under her bust line, and showed a bit of her midriff. I then found a pair of light wash skinny jeans with holes in the knees and other various places and handed them to her.
"Put these on." I told her.
She looked at me warily and I just laughed. I then strolled to the closet and pulled out her purple, red, and pink high top Nike's and tossed them at her.
She stared at me for a second, as if she didn't know who I was.
"Well come on! Get dressed, or we're gonna be late!" I said excitedly.
She slipped on the shirt and jeans, and pulled on her sneakers. She slowly approached her full length mirror and gasped.
"You…" She stumbled. "This.." She stumbled again. She turned around to face me. "This is perfect!" She squealed.
I sighed, and put my hands on my hips. "Well duh. I learned from the best." I said with a wink.
Alice's twinkling laugh filled the air and soon I found myself in a fit of giggles.
She looped her arm through mine, grabbed her clutch, and pulled me towards the door. "Young Money awaits us, my dear!"
"Hang on!" I said. I raced back to my room and grabbed my cell phone, camera, and of course, the concert tickets. I came back into the living room and looked at her, "Now we can go!"
"Well then, come on!" She urged me, pulling me out the door.
I laughed again, overcome with a feeling that I hadn't had in a while. Hope.
A/N: Thanks for tuning into another segment of Fearless folks. For those of you whom have been reading, thank you. Please, keep doing it! But uhhh, leave me a review, k? Thanks! Endless love to my amazing beta, Endlesslywaiting. You're my hero :)
