A/N Hello, lovely people! Happy November! You are all sweeter and prettier than flowers!
Chapter Ten: Answer
"Bella, when I first met you, I thought you were a flower, but sweeter and prettier."
I turned fuschia as Emmett gave his first impression of me, Esme's idea of a constructive last day activity. It was a thoughtful idea, bit I was having extreme difficulty in fabricating a positive first impression of Eric and Lauren.
"Bella I first thought you were this cute little person, but now I see how fabulous you are - you're my partner in crime, and I love you." I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at Alice. Cute and little? Try looking in the mirror, pixie.
What could I say about Lauren? I thought you were a snide, uppity bitch, and that hasn't changed?
"I thought you were this mousy shy girl," Rosalie informed me. Esme clucked in disapproval of her less-than-tactful phrasing, but, that was Rosalie. "I didn't expect us to become friends, bt we did, and I'm really glad of that," she continued with a smile. I returned her smile with a grin, knowing that it was as glowing praise as I was ever likely to receive from her.
"I thought you were real nice," Jasper drawled, a crooked grin fixed on his mouth. "You still are."
"Aw, shucks," I muttered happily. I looked quickly down at the table, then, forgetting that Edward was next. I couldn't meet his eyes; I was too nervous and embarrassed. I had no idea whether or not he'd read the letter, or how he would respond to it...
"When I first met you, you reminded me of Belle, from Beauty and the Beast." I glanced up in surprise. Edward was smiling at me in a way that was no different from the way he usually did. A square of white on the corner of the table caught my eye, and I saw that the note was unopened, the flower sticker I'd painstakingly placed there intact. My heart sank, and I suddenly wanted to snatch it back.
"I used to watch it all the time when I was little," Edward confessed, ignoring Emmett's snigger. "I thought Lumiere was the smoothest operator, for a piece of furniture. Anyway, when I first met you, you had your head in a book like Belle always did, and you seemed...sweet. Everyone knows what a sweetheart you are, but I learned there's more to you - you're a strong person, you're quirky and deep, and funny. I'm really glad I got to know you."
I felt the heat in my cheeks, but I couldn't look away.
"Thank you, Edward, that was very nice," Esme said approvingly. "Alright, Lauren's turn - Bella, why don't you start?"
"'When I first met you, I thought you were very energetic'?" Alice quoted me in disbelief.
I plucked a tuft of grass from the quad and threw it in her face. "What was I supposed to say, Alice? That was the nicest way I could think of to say, 'loud and obnoxious'."
"You and your euphemisms," she chuckled, spitting out a blade that landed in her mouth and hurling the handful back at me. "Well, if you were worried about Lauren's reaction to you calling her loud and obnoxious, she certainly didn't pick up on it."
I stopped listening then as Edward came over to where we sat, infusing my cheeks with red. I didn't have to worry, though - the letter was poking out of the back pocket of his jeans, still unopened.
"Hey, Edward," Alice said pleasantly "we were just about to play a game of Truth or Dare. Care to join?"
I stared at her incredulously. Since when? I liked to spend my quad time listening to gossip or reading, not having my face permanently resemble a cherry.
"Sure," he said affably, plopping down beside me.
Jasper raised his eyebrows at Alice, and even Rosalie sat up in interest. Emmett was clueless about the implications for me of Alice's suggestion, but he was game for anything. The prospect of what I was about to endure became infinitely worse when Lauren showed up at the last minute and sat on Edward's other side. I quickly considered the possibility of leaving, but I didn't think of an excuse fast enough.
"I'll go first," Alice announced. "Bella, truth or dare?"
I should have known better.
"Dare," I said nervously. If I chose 'truth,' she would ask me something embarrassing about Edward, I was sure of it. What was the worst she could do with a dare?
"I dare you to do a pole dance on the security light pole right there," she ordered, pointing to a green lamp-like pole ten feet away.
"What? Al-"
"Do. It."
With extreme embarrassment, I went over to the pole and spun around it once, curling my calf around the metal and hanging by one hand. I shuffled quickly back to the circle. How perfectly awkward.
"Lame," Alice pronounced. "Whatever, it's your turn." That was just the warm up, her eyes warned me.
I vented my feelings at Lauren. "Lauren. Truth or dare."
She shook her cornsilk hair scornfully at me. "Truth."
"What is your biggest regret?"
"Hooking up with a French exchange student that was staying with me," she said after some thought. "My French isn't fluent, and due to the language barrier, he didn't understand that we were just friends with benefits. He thought I was his girlfriend, and that I was going to see him in France. God, I love the Atlantic Ocean," she finished smugly.
Well.
"Bella, truth or dare?"
"Hey," I protested. "I just went!"
"There's no rule that says she can't pick you," Alice said unhappily, eyeing Lauren with suspicion.
"Dare," I snapped. What could she possibly -
"Kiss Edward."
OH NO SHE DIDN'T
"No," I said firmly, hating the cat-smile smirk on her face. As much as I would love to do just that, I wouldn't do it here, in a game of truth or dare, on her command.
"Then sit in his lap for the rest of the game," she shot back.
I truly hated her. She must have found out. She wasn't letting this go.
"Do you mind?" I muttered to Edward, without looking at him.
"A dare's a dare," he said kindly.
I clambered onto his lap, feeling stupid as anything. I didn't chance a glance at him, I couldn't even enjoy being so close to him - not with her watching. I felt utterly furious and humiliated.
I didn't want to let her win by quitting the game right away. I waited for three more dares to go by before I insisted that I needed to get ready for the dance, and stood up to walk away without looking back at any of them.
"You look lovely," Alice assured me, as we took pre-dance pictures on the quad.
I was tired of trying to deal with so much interference; I wore my own, simple floral dress, and did my own make-up - a little mascara and lipgloss, nothing else. This was me, and he could take it or leave it.
"Thanks. You look gorgeous," I told her. "And you, Rose." They were stunning. In elegant silver and deep red, they clearly stood out, and I felt so plain next to them. But I had stopped caring. There was only one night left.
I didn't let the scope of my eyesight wander far in either direction past their faces, lest I inadvertently spot Edward. Emmett and Jasper came over to take pictures with my wingwomen, and I played photographer for them for a little while, before drifting to the shelter of the doorway. Alice saw me on the edge of moping, so she grabbed my arm and towed me toward the dance, apologizing once again for the ill-fated game of truth or dare.
"He would never think badly of you," she promised me. "He thinks you're Belle, remember? He knows Lauren was being a pill."
I said nothing, and watched my group of four dance to the beat of a song I barely heard. Alice threw me a pleading look. DANCE. I swayed a little to appease her and convince her that I wasn't wallowing. The next song was slow, though, so she became distracted when Jasper wrapped his arms tightly around her. Emmett and Rosalie were making out in the middle of the dance floor, and a little moat of space formed around them as people looked on in surprise.
Good for them, I thought dully as I moved away from the floor. I stared at the drink table, trying to discern which red plastic cup of Coke had once been mine, as a voice sounded right beside me.
"Bella," I turned to find Edward standing less than a foot away from me, his hand held out to me in a silent request. Wordlessly, I placed my palm in his and let him lead me back to the floor, where we swayed, my hands on his shoulders, his hands on my waist.
My head was spinning. I didn't know what to think; Edward was dancing with me, slow dancing. He must not hate me for my confession, but that didn't mean he loved me. What if this was a pity dance? I couldn't bear that.
The song ended and he didn't pull away immediately.
"Thanks," I muttered. Whatever his intentions were, I was grateful.
He smiled and we effortlessly found ourselves a part of Alice's circle as a thumping beat pounded from the speakers. I found myself more confident. It was my last night at camp, and I was going to enjoy it. Edward at least liked me enough that he didn't want me to feel rejected. And that was something.
I swayed and showed off a little, having fun with Alice and earning more disapproving mutters from Emmett for my dancing skills.
I was surprised when the last song rolled around and Edward asked to dance with me again. We stood as before, serious, and with space between us, but I felt peaceful.
"Edward danced with you twice!" Alice whispered excitedly as we walked arm-in-arm back to the dorm in the dark. "Aren't you happy?"
"Yeah."
She scrutinized my expression, but I simply yawned, hoping she would just assume I was tired.
She was right; I should be happy. He cared about me, and I couldn't expect more than that.