(Disclaimer)- I do not own Twilight. No copyright infringement is intended. I do, however, own the fact that I'm actually updating this chapter in a timely fashion. *Throwing myself a mental ticker tape parade*
When Life Gives You Lemons: Eat Them
Some days you're lookin' my way
Everyday I just can't get enough
A frantic clash of feelings
Every time we meet I get a rush
~I Get a Rush, Stellate
Chapter 14-Growing Pains and Board Games
"Okay, Rose…the bra I get, but what's wrong with the clothes I picked out to wear?"
I glared at the back of her head as I reluctantly shuffled my way down the sidewalk, clutching the bag that held my newly purchased "over the shoulder boulder holders" as Rose called them. I'd spent three hours the previous night planning out my date outfit. Suffice it to say I was slightly peeved at Rosalie's overly dramatic dismissal of my choice. She'd gone so far as to say that she'd sell her Jimmy Choos for five bucks online before she let me wear that outfit.
"Because," Rose replied as she ushered me into a well known plus size store, "the clothes you have at home are for a girl that likes to hide. You and I both know that Edward is not the kind of guy you want to hide from."
"I picked out a tank top…how is that hiding?" I argued. Rose dragged me to the nearest clothing rack. "Bella, that shirt is two sizes too big on you. The arm holes practically go down to your waist."
"That's how plus sized clothes are made," I grumbled, as I sulkily sifted through a rack of clearance tops.
If looks could kill, Rose's would have burned me to ash, brought me back to life, and then killed me again. "No. That's how the crappy, two sizes too big clothes you buy fit. Can you please just trust me?"
I sighed in resignation. "Fine, but no dresses or skirts, and please keep it casual." Rosalie beamed as if I'd just told her that she'd won a lifetime supply of designer shoes.
Fifteen minutes later, I was eyeing the pile of clothes I'd been sent into the dressing room with like it was a pile of hissing rattlesnakes. Closing my eyes, I took a breath and told myself not to be a coward.
I felt like a complete idiot as I hopped around trying to get into a pair of these disturbing Spanx contraptions which Rosalie swore by. Finally, after what felt like a century of attempts to straighten the tight material, I reached for whatever bottoms Rose had picked out, scared shitless that it was going to be some sort of short skirt. I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized that she had taken into account my hatred for shorts and skirts, instead picking out a pair of knee length, loose around the legs, black gaucho pants. Normally, pants were either too tight or left me with the crotch hanging to my knees, so I was pleasantly surprised at how nicely this pair fit. Feeling a little bit braver, I reached for the next article of clothing.
When it came to shirts, I almost never wore plain colors. Patterns or prints made me more comfortable because I felt they distracted from my actual body. Therefore I was rather disappointed when I saw the shirt that Rose had picked out for me. The fabric of the red, v-neck tee was soft against my skin, but I was underwhelmed when I looked into the mirror. The shirt fit perfectly along my arms and chest, but clung to my mid-section in a way that made me feel self conscious.
"I'm not sure, Rose," I said as I opened the door and stepped out to meet her eager eyes.
She drank me in for a moment and then frowned slightly. "Where's the belt?"
"Belt?" I popped back into the dressing room, and spotted the black material on the floor. It was thick, with four rows of woven material ending in a silver buckle. Emerging with a look of confusion, I held the belt up. "What am I supposed to do with this? These pants don't have a place for a belt."
"Close your eyes," Rose commanded. I obeyed, and felt her working the belt around, letting it sit over my shirt and high at my waist.
When I got the okay to open my eyes, my mouth dropped open in surprise. As if it had some sort of magical property, the belt seemed to pull the outfit together, providing a casual yet trendy vibe and adding interest to my otherwise plain shirt. One little accessory had completely changed the tenor of the outfit as a whole.
I had worn my fair share of pretty clothing. The mixture of a few semi-formal occasions, and instances where Rose insisted that I wear something other than printed tees, had filled my wardrobe with sprinklings of silky shirts with fancy patterns and cuts. Despite the sometimes brilliant plumage I had amassed, I still couldn't help but feel that putting a few swan feathers on an ugly duckling didn't make it feel any less ugly.
"See," Rose was saying, "I told you that you should…Bella? Why do you look like you're about to cry?"
Previously unnoticed tears began to collect on my eyelashes. I hastily wiped at my eyes as I mentally chastised myself. "I don't deserve to wear nice clothes like these," I sniffled. Hands on my shoulders whirled me around so that I faced Rosalie and the fierce look in her eyes.
"Isabella Swan, I love you dearly, but when you say untrue, fucked up shit like that it kinda makes me want to turn you into a human shake weight."
A new wave of tears threatened to jump ship, and Rose's gaze softened.
"I'm sorry," I mumbled thickly, "I don't even know why I said that. God, I must seem so pathetic right now."
"You're not pathetic, sweetie…just human. Remember when we were teens, how every time we had some unexplainable ache or pain your mom would tell us they were growing pains? What you're doing with trying to get healthy and learning to love yourself…that takes a mental kind of growth. Just think of this as your soul's version of growing pains."
In a strange way, her words made me feel better. "I'm starting to think you were a life coach in a past life," I declared with a small smile. Then I took a deep breath. "Okay. I'm getting the outfit. Just promise me we're done shopping for the day?"
Rose flashed me a triumphant grin as I headed into the dressing room. When I finished redressing, I took a look at my tags so that I could estimate the price of my purchases. I blinked a few times, rechecked my math, and then let out a heavy sigh. My bank account was about to go through some growing pains too, or more accurately...some shrinking pains.
Note for future reference. The search for health and self esteem is not cheap.
Later that night, I found myself glued to Rose's laptop as I sought out something to cook for Edward. I wanted dinner to be something mildly interesting, yet simple enough that I wouldn't burn the kitchen down while trying to make it. As I contemplated the lemon chicken dish my Google search had led me to, Rose walked by.
"Hey, Bella, you're on your own for dinner tonight. Don't wait up for me."
I think she was surprised at how fast I was off the couch and standing in front of the door. "Oh no you don't!" I declared, the heat of girlish intrigue spreading through me. "Where are you going in your 'my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard' top and your 'I want to have to stand on my tiptoes to kiss you' ballet flats?"
She raised a mildly amused eyebrow. "Do you have nicknames for everything in my wardrobe?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact I do. Stop trying to deflect."
Rosalie sniffed in disapproval, though there was excitement in her eyes. "If you must know, 'Nosy McNoserton', I happen to have a date with Emmett."
The "scandalized with delight" squeal that erupted from me may have been so high pitched that only dogs could hear it. My delight quickly morphed into accusation as I pointed a finger at my best friend. "You…and Emmett…and you weren't going to tell me? That breaks like five different codes of the best friend handbook! What gives?"
"You're going to laugh at me if I tell you."
"I'm going to slap you silly if you don't tell me."
Rose sighed in resignation. "I didn't say anything because I don't want to jinx it. Emmett is…unlike any other guy I've ever met. I suppose I didn't want to look like an idiot in your eyes if he turns out to be too good to be true."
I was taken aback by her confession, having been prepared for a snarkier reply. "You could never look like an idiot to me," I said softly, moving forward to wrap Rosalie in a gentle embrace. "You're all the things I wish I could be." Straightening, I stepped back before things got too mushy. "Now…go have fun with Emmett. I'd say 'don't do anything I wouldn't do' but it would be more like 'don't do anything I haven't done yet' and that would just be unnecessarily cruel." With a snicker at my own joke, I ushered my best friend out the door, and returned to my Google search of 'Bella-friendly-but-date-appropriate' meals.
One would think that the combination of terror and excitement regarding the upcoming dinner with Edward would have rendered me too hyper to sleep. On the contrary, my brain preferred to slip into the silky comfort of unconsciousness when I got overstressed. By ten o'clock I was climbing into bed, having finally decided what I'd be making for Edward. Mediterranean chicken with broccoli sounded easy enough, and I'd even found a recipe for healthy pseudo mashed potatoes that involved cauliflower. I drifted off to sleep while counting off the items on my mental to-do list.
There were no dreams of darkness or falling…only blissful unawareness and the velvet blanket of sleep.
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I awoke to tantalizing scents making their acquaintance with my nose. Still half asleep, I headed down the hallway with a zombie-like stagger. My brain was suddenly jolted to full alertness when I passed Rose's open bedroom door and got an eyeful of a very naked Emmett sprawled across her bed, the sheets a tangled mess held hostage by his feet. My stunned mind allowed my eyes to linger with inappropriate curiosity for a second or two before I let out a tiny yelp, covered my eyes with one hand, and felt my way out into the living room with the other.
Rosalie was found at the kitchen stove, humming as she poked at something within a pan, a plate and a bowl with yet to be cracked eggs sitting to her right. She was dressed in a pair of sweats and her favorite t-shirt, but the evidence of her evening was found in the nest of tangled blonde hair atop her head, and the languid way she swayed to and fro on her toes.
I eyed what she was cooking, and let my hip rest against the counter as I gave her my best 'you're in trouble' look. "Oh, Emmett gets sausage and I get veggie juice and cereal that tastes like tree bark? I see how it is."
Rose rolled her eyes at me, and shot me a look of feigned hurt. "I'll have you know that I originally bought this turkey sausage for you, Miss Bella Swan. If you want, I can just give it all to Emmett."
"Speaking of Emmett…next time you leave him butt naked in your bed, could you have the foresight to cover his junk so that your best friend doesn't get an unexpected peep show? That's not the kind of sausage I wanna see this early in the morning."
I received an unapologetic shrug as she plated the sausage and began to crack the eggs. "A few more dates with Edward and you'll be whistling a different tune about morning sausage."
With a glare, I snuck a piece of sausage off the plate. "Can we not talk about 'more dates' when I'm not even sure I'm going to survive this one?"
"Bella, what are you so worried about? The guy's been watching you nearly kill yourself on gym equipment for weeks now…he knows you're a socially awkward klutz. What do you think is going to happen?"
Rose was right; I knew that. Unfortunately, knowing that your feelings are unfounded and overdramatic doesn't just make them disappear. If only it were that easy.
I was saved from further self-analysis by the emergence of Emmett, thankfully clothed, and looking like a big teddy bear as he rubbed at his eyes.
"Do I smell sausage?" he asked hopefully.
"Don't get too excited," I advised, "it's the healthy, fake version."
Rose pointed at me with the spatula. "Your heart is gonna thank me for the healthy version."
"Yeah but my taste buds aren't. They're already declaring mutiny."
The plight of my taste buds gained me no sympathy from Rosalie. In truth, I ended up enjoying the turkey sausage, though I ate so fast I barely tasted it. I was happy for Emmett and Rosalie. She glowed around him and I knew he'd treat her with the respect she deserved. That didn't mean, however, that I wanted to watch them make googly eyes at each other all through breakfast. They were starting to look like the plastic stick on eyes people used for arts and crafts. I cleaned up my plate, and moved to the couch, distracting myself from the mushy love-fest going on at the table.
Just as I was starting to get into some godawful sci-fi movie, I felt the couch move beside me, and heard Emmett clear his throat. "So Bella…what are your intentions with Edward?"
"Um…excuse me?"
He crossed his thick arms, his eyes lit with amusement but his face composed into a serious expression. "I'm just looking out for my best friend. I want to make sure you aren't out to compromise his virtue or anything."
I held up my hands in mock admission. "You caught me. I'm out to corrupt him with my wicked and wily ways."
"That's what I like to hear," Emmett said with a throaty chuckle. "In all seriousness…he's one of the best guys I know. You be nice to him…or I'll have to revoke your gym membership." He added a finger waggle in front of my face for added measure.
It was sweet, the undertone of genuine protectiveness in his voice. "And what happens if he's not nice to me?" I asked.
Emmett thought that one over for a minute. "Then he gives you a refund on all your training sessions."
"I'm gonna hold you to that," I said, teasingly.
Emmett leaned over and ruffled my hair. He then made his way into the kitchen where Rose was washing dishes and smacking her ass shamelessly. I couldn't tell whether I thought of him as a big brother…or a pervy uncle.
Eventually, Emmett had to leave for work. Rose watched him go with a big goofy grin on her face.
"I guess I don't need to ask how your date went last night," I observed.
A distinctive shade of red crept along her cheekbones. I had never in my whole life seen Rosalie Hale blush. "At least now I have somewhere to go tonight so that you and Edward can have the house to yourself."
"Ah the sacrifices you make simply for the benefit of your best friend."
"It'll be hard…but I'll manage."
We shared a snicker and then Rose set about helping me plan out my night, helping me gather the dinner supplies and prepare what I could beforehand. She made me rub lemon slices dipped in baking soda over my face, for exfoliation. I was forced to sit still while she gave me a mani/pedi, and against my better judgment I was talked into letting her tweeze my eyebrows.
If beauty was pain, then this date better be the sweetest healing salve known to man.
By the time six o'clock came around I was dressed with a light touch of makeup and gently tousled hair. Rosalie had left an hour ago, and I'd been alternating between making dinner and trying not to nervously sweat off all my makeup. The cauliflower was lumpier than I wanted…the broccoli had been overcooked, and the chicken was dry. Maybe Edward would give me an A for effort?
I did not jump when the doorbell rang.
Okay…maybe I jumped a little.
Just the tiniest little jump, really.
My toes barely even left the floor.
Somehow I managed to walk to the door like a normal person, and my hands only trembled slightly as I turned the handle. As the door opened to reveal a ravishing looking Edward, he held my gaze like a magnet while my eyes desperately tried to take inventory.
Perfectly tousled auburn hair that I was dying to run my fingers through?
Check.
Green eyes that set of a chain reaction of laser tag throughout my body?
Check.
Tight fighting green shirt that matched his eyes and showed his lean musculature in a way that made me want to roar like a lion and pounce?
Ohhh CheckCheckDoubleCheck.
A Monopoly game supported in his sexy fingered hands?
Wait a minute…
"You know," I observed softly, "most people bring flowers to a date."
Edward smirked, distracting me with the far too tempting curve of his sexy lips. "Flowers smell nice…but I've always thought they were kind of passive. You learn a lot about a person by playing a board game with them. Are they a sore loser…a sore winner? Do they cheat? Are they too competitive to make the game enjoyable? Besides…Monopoly is a classic childhood pastime."
Sweet lord in heaven, did you create this man just to turn me into a puddle of quivering Jello?
"Bella, are you going to invite me in?"
I attempted to pick my jaw up off the floor and get my head together. "Yes…sorry. Please come in."
"You look very pretty," Edward said as I shut the door behind him.
Dropping my head, I attempted to hide the blush as I took the game from him and placed it on the couch.
"I don't think I've ever met anyone who looks as cute when blushing as you do," he continued. Clearly he was attempting to kill me with sweetness before we actually got to the dinner part of the date. With knowledge of the dinner I had waiting for him, it was probably for the best.
Ever the gentleman, Edward ate the meal with nary a complaint. The conversation however, flowed in a much more appealing manner. He was funny, and when he made me laugh his eyes crinkled at the corners as he grinned in satisfaction. When I asked him a question that he had to think about, his tongue would dart out and caress his bottom lip ever so subtly. I found myself drawn to him as if by a magnetic pull. When he moved, I shifted in return. When he shifted back in his seat, I leaned forward. When he smiled, I felt like the sun had taken up residence in my heart. He even volunteered to help me clean up after dinner.
With dishes washed and leftovers in the fridge (though I doubted anyone would be eating them) I meandered over to the couch and picked up the Monopoly box. You could tell he'd had it for a while. The box was bent at the edges, discolored with age, worn with love and use. I had borne a passionate love for the game in my youth, at one time playing it every day for about three weeks straight. As I got older, people started declining my requests to play. Why bother with board games when there were cell phones, computers, and video games?
Just laying eyes on the box filled me with the desire to feel the dice in my hands, feel the joy of getting all the properties in a respective color, and watch the pain on my opponents face when they landed on a property that was decked with a hotel.
This was going to be the best first date ever.
Edward opted for the car as his token. Typical choice for a male. He was surprised when I picked the wheelbarrow as mine. "Surprising…most girls pick the dog or the horse."
I shook my head with a smirk. "No sir, I consider the wheelbarrow to be a metaphor for all of the loads of money I'm going to get."
My confession earned me a laugh and my favorite crooked smile. "Oh it's on!" he declared.
We talked a little in the early leg of the game. Edward was the banker, so all I had to focus on were my moves, my cash, and my property. He had what looked like an early lead when he landed on Park Place, the second most expensive property, on his second lap around the board. I learned that his favorite animals were elephants, his favorite color was blue, and his favorite greasy food was cheese steak.
His questions to me were much less predictable. He asked me things like "What's the first thing you can remember wanting to be as a child?" or "What's the weirdest dream you've ever had?" or "Have you ever actually tried to find out exactly how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie roll pop, and ended up quitting because your tongue got really sore?" The last question made me laugh so hard, that I almost forget it was my turn to roll.
After landing on Edward's Park Place a couple of times, I gained an advantage when I landed on Boardwalk, effectively ruining his chance at having the most expensive colored properties under his belt. Edward began a desperate attempt to get me to trade with him, offering me his railroads, and even going so far as to bribe me with $1,000. I turned him down every time, because really….any payment he could give me once wouldn't be worth the innumerable amount of times I might land on his property and lose money. Plus I'd begun to pull ahead as I acquired all of the purple, orange, and red properties, giving me an entire side of the board and a corner on the other side.
It was pretty much death row for Edward. He couldn't get past that strip without landing on something, unless he got lucky and wound up on Chance, Community Chest, or a railroad. Once I got some houses up on my properties, I really started to drain him.
The culmination of the game occurred when he landed on New York Ave and owned me $1,000 for my hotel, and then on his next turn landed on Illinois avenue and owed me $1,100 for my hotel. He managed to pay for the first property, but he only had $500 on him when he hit Illinois Ave. Which meant he was gonna have to start selling the few houses he had on his property, and maybe even mortgage some stuff. He raked his hand through his hair in horror as I hooted with glee.
"Wait! I think I made a mistake. Yeah…I rolled a six, not a seven."
"Edward you liar, the dice are right in front of me."
He lurched forward and attempted to turn one of the dice over. I grabbed his arm and tried to hold him back, giggling hysterically at his desperation. "I didn't peg you for a cheater! You landed on my property fair and square mister! Pay up!"
"I refuse!" he roared playfully. "I smell a conspiracy. You've somehow smuggled trick dice onto this board that are programmed to do your bidding!"
"You wish! Gimme my rent Edward!" I squealed, attempting to free my arm from his hold.
The tenor of our little game changed suddenly. Edward's mouth drooped into a little pout, but his eyes gained a fiery intensity to them that sent shivers down my spine. "Maybe I can pay your rent in a non-monetary fashion?" He leaned forward and pressed a kiss on the inside of my wrist
I tried to keep the nerves out of my voice. "That…that's not how you play Monopoly."
The green fire burned hotter. "Maybe I don't want to play anymore."
"Oh…" the word was a hypnotized whisper; hypnotized because Edward's eyes had locked onto my own and frozen me, as he leaned forward across the game board, cupped my face gently in one hand, and urged my lips forward to meet his halfway.
Kissing Edward was like kissing sugar, spice, and pure electricity all at once. Tiny jolts flew from every place where a part of him was touching me and began to bounce around my insides like ping pong balls. There was heat…and desire, but then there was so much more. The feeling of peace and comfort that comes from being touched in a tender fashion by another person was one that I had not felt since I was small and my mother used to brush my hair before bed. A soft moan rustled deep in my throat, and my right hand came up to finally make it's acquaintance with the auburn strands my fingers had been daydreaming about for weeks.
I don't know if he was waiting to see if I'd slap him like I had at Emmett's party. But when I grabbed at his hair he gave an encouraging groan, and his kisses became more fervent. Suddenly the world was moving strangely around me, and I was on my back against the plastic of the game board. I could feel the money, and the dice, and maybe even some tokens beneath me, but none of that mattered, because Edward's hands were firm against my waist and the pressure of his lips against my own made everything else around me absolutely insignificant.
There was no sense of time, as he wreaked a sweet, heady havoc upon my brain. We could have been tangled up together for hours…days…and I wouldn't have known the difference. The only thing that brought the term 'sense' back into my mental understanding was when he began to kiss his way down my neck.
Suddenly images of my pudgy parts being touched by him brought my self-conscious nerves to a screaming high. Embarrassed, I stiffened beneath Edward's touch, and he immediately reacted to the change. Hastily sitting up, he helped me do the same, keeping a respectful distance while we both sought to catch our breath.
"I'm sorry…I didn't mean for things to get that intense."
I shook my head. "Don't apologize…it's fine. I just…I'm not really used to any of this and it was just a lot at once."
"The last thing I want to do is make you feel uncomfortable, Bella."
"You didn't Edward. I made myself uncomfortable," I insisted, hating the look of concern and guilt in his eyes. "God this is so embarrassing. It's just…there's a lot of emotional baggage…and certain ways of thinking about things that I have to work through. They make me a little weird about the whole 'physical contact thing'. Those are my issues that I have to take care of. Please don't feel bad. I um…"the blush reappeared on my cheeks, "I liked most of it."
He relaxed, and a boyish grin of self-pleasure snuck across his face. "Does this mean I don't owe you any money for Illinois?"
"I never agreed to those terms," I replied mischievously, making him groan in disappointment.
We did end up finishing the game. It only took about five more turns until he'd run out of money and properties to mortgage. After we cleaned the game up, we moved to the couch, where some nameless movie played in the background while we kissed and talked some more.
Edward didn't say anything about my earlier discomfort, but his touches were gentle, his kisses soft and giving, instead of hard and demanding. I melted into him, leaning my head on his shoulder, letting him stroke my hair as we conversed about dreams, fears, family and friends.
When I yawned into his shoulder for the third time in less than twenty minutes, he sat up with a warm smile. "It's late. You should get some sleep."
I walked him to the door and his goodnight kiss was soft and long, leaving me breathless by the time he stepped away. When you've never ever taken the time to think you'd ever be in a romantic relationship, the littlest things make your stomach dissolve into butterflies. When Edward brushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear, I was filled with the most complex, hard to describe, mass of quivering emotions.
"Goodnight, Bella," he whispered huskily.
"Goodnight, Edward," I answered in a soft daze, teetering slightly on my feet.
I stood on the porch and watched him leave, not retreating inside until I saw his tail-lights disappear. As I passed the couch I realized he'd forgotten to take his Monopoly with him. I considered calling him to come back and get it, but decided I'd rather use it as an excuse for an eventual second date.
There were still a few residual butterflies dancing inside of me as I changed my clothes and washed my face, but I didn't mind. It was with a happy sigh that I took my mass of quivering emotions to bed. As I pulled the covers up to my chin, and buried my head against the cool pillow, I drifted off to sleep with one final thought.
I'd gained a whole new love for Monopoly.
(AN)- My story is up for fic of the week on The Lemondade Stand blog. This blog is fabulous, and gives out so much love to amazing authors. Go check out the poll, and vote for your four favorites, even if it's not me. www (.) tehlemonadestand (.) blogspot (.) com *Remove spaces and parentheses*