"Super sorry, Bella!" Rose sobbed into my shoulder when I reached them. I patted her back awkwardly. "I- I didn't mean it, you have to believe me!"
"Hey, Rose, I know you didn't mean it. You're not cruel. Well," I teased, and she smacked me lightly.
"I am not mean. Tell her, Emmett."
"I am staying out of this. Bella's already stabbed me once."
"You did what?" she asked, spinning towards me.
"He was dissing Edward," I pouted. She spun back to Emmett, a threatening look on her face.
"Why were you dissing Edward?" she asked.
"I only said that I was glad he found someone he liked!" he protested.
"Is that true, Bella?" she asked, turning back to me.
"In context," I said. "You're going to get sick if you spin around anymore," I chuckled, and she nodded, bending over with her hands on her knees. "Rose can't handle anything that goes around in circles," I explained. "We tried going to a NASCAR race, but she got sick on the second lap."
"Shut up, Bella," she muttered. "I didn't answer the door naked."
"That was an accident," I snapped.
"She woke up and forgot she was naked before answering the door. There was the package delivery guy, speechless. Then he made a comment-"
"And I kicked him," I said happily. "And he fell over." They were all looking at me like I was nuts, except for Rose, because she was used to me. "So, what to do now?"
"Ooh, Marc-"
"No," snapped the rest of us, cutting off Alice. "I say we eat," Emmett said. After a vote, we sat down outside a buffet and waited for our waitress. When she arrived, I couldn't help but stare in shock. It was a girl that I had gone to school with. Thankfully, she didn't recognize me, but I did notice that she gave all of our guys a once over.
"Bells," Rose hissed. "Is that Jessica?" I nodded, making a face.
"Who's Jessica?" asked Jasper.
"She's a girl that went to school with us. She was the one that picked on Bella the most. She was the "popular girl" and all the girls at school wanted to be like her. Well, except us," Rose explained. "The teachers only gave her the grades she got because her parents were on the school board. She hasn't changed much, has she?" We laughed.
"She looked almost exactly the same when we graduated, except her hair was shorter then."
"How much did you guys change, then?" asked Alice. Rose and I dug in our wallets and pulled out our pictures from our senior year. In mine, I had a short, cute, choppy bob, a pair of glasses, and a shy smile on my face. My shirt was a sapphire turtleneck, and there was a silver chain with a heart pendant around my neck. Rose, on the other hand, had brown hair (which she had dyed) pulled up in a ponytail, a t-shirt, a purple ribbon around her neck, and a nose piercing.
"You had your nose pierced?" asked Edward incredulously to my sister.
"Not the best decision I ever made," she laughed. "Bella came with me and I almost broke her hand I was holding it so hard. I felt like a wuss when she went and got her tattoo done and didn't need anything to hold on to."
"You have a tattoo? Where?" asked Alice. "I haven't seen one!" I swept my hair back from the right side of my head and showed them the tattoo on the back of my ear. 'Rose' it said in curling script.
"I cried when she finally took the bandages off," Rose admitted. "I didn't know what she got, and she wouldn't tell me. And there was my name."
"Cause you're the best sister in the world," I said, grinning at her. "It didn't hurt that bad, anyway." At that moment, Jessica came back and saw our photos on the table.
"Bella? Rosalie?" she gasped, then glanced at the boys before plastering a smile on her face. "It's so good to se you again! And who are you guys?"
Edward leaned over and whispered in my ear, wrapping an arm around my shoulders to pull me closer, "is she the plotting type?" I nodded, smiling at him. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jessica sneer.
I leaned back over to him and whispered back, "can I have a little fun?" He leaned back.
"Of course, Bella," he said, kissing my forehead. "I promised you a massage when we got back, didn't I?"
"In your bed?" I asked quietly, but loud enough for Jessica to hear. She was seething.
"Not the fur rug?" he asked back, still watching me.
"We did that last time," I whined. "Don't tell me you forgot."
"How could I forget that?" he asked, taking my hands in his. "I could never forget anything about you. Especially not that cute little spot on your hip," he said, caressing it. I smiled up at him.
"You always know just what to say to make me feel better, Edward." I hugged him from my chair, winking at the others over his shoulder. They gave me discrete thumbs up, and I leaned back. "Oh, are you guys done ordering?"
"I ordered the buffet for all of us," Alice said, bouncing out of her seat, "since I know you eat a lot." She eyed Emmett and I before taking off towards the line filled with food. As we were passing Jessica, her eyes glinted menacingly.
"You kl-" She didn't get the whole word out before Edward grabbed her by the arm and stormed towards the door marked manager. A portly man emerged, and I saw Edward gesturing to Jessica, then back at me. I made myself look hurt and dejected, while Alice and Rose put their arms around me, glaring at the girl. The manager nodded and Edward turned, grinning triumphantly. I ran and hugged him.
"Thank you thank you thank you!" He kissed me lightly before setting me down and taking my hand.
"Well, Bella, you're finally getting your revenge on that bitch, aren't you?"
"Finally," I said, rolling my eyes. "I still have a bone to pick with her, but I can handle it on my own, thank you very much."
"If you say the word, Windchime, I'll bust her face up," Emmett said, cracking his knuckles. "I know how to do it without leaving trace, so the police will never catch me!" he said happily.
"Really, Emmett, I don't think that that will be necessary," Alice said. "I have a plan." We all leaned and Alice explained.
"No more shopping, Alice," Rose begged, being pulled along by the pixie-like girl. "My feet are killing me!"
"Emmett, carry Rose," she demanded, turning into Chanel. He looked down at her and she scowled.
"I am not that tired," she sneered, following her new-found friend into the store. Emmett looked back at me dejectedly and I gave him a hug.
"Don't worry, Emmybear, she'll come around soon enough. She's a little wary around men sometimes." I patted him on the back, and he nodded, following the girls and Jasper into the boutique. I turned to Edward and he lifted me onto his back before entering as well.
Four hours later, we were standing outside the mall, watching as the rain poured down and people ran to their cars. I groaned, as did Alice and Rose. Me, just because I didn't want to get wet, and the other two, because they didn't want their hair or clothes to get ruined. I rolled my eyes, grabbed Edward's hand, and ran. We heard them yelling behind us, and I threw my head back, laughing all the way to Edward's Volvo. He soon surged forward and spun me around, holding my hand above my head like a ballerina. I turned my head and saw Alice tucked under Jasper's arm like a football while he sprinted towards us, and Emmett holding his coat over Rosalie's head so she didn't get wet as she walked. Alice pointed at me meaningfully, and I rolled my eyes again.
When we reached the house, Rose followed Alice into the driveway and gaped at the house. We stepped out and she latched onto my arm. "You weren't kidding, Bells! This place is huge!"
"I told you so," I said, smug.
"Was she bragging about our house?" Alice asked, getting out and avoiding stepping in a puddle.
"She said it was big, but I didn't think it's be this grand!"
"Who uses the word 'grand'?" asked, Jasper, narrowly avoiding Rose's foot. "It's just a question."
"She's stuck in a romance novel, don't mind her," I said, making my way up the giant marble staircase to the double doors.
"Just my luck," he muttered behind me.
"This is my studio," Alice said, pulling Rose behind her on a tour of the house. "Don't you just love the way the light comes in the windows? Isn't it grand?"
"Shut up," Rose snapped, only half serious. "It's just a word."
"Yeah, yeah. And this is Edward's room-"
"Don't show off my room!" Edward bellowed from the bottom of the stairs.
"Everyone will see it anyway!" Alice screamed back. "This is- so far- where all of their paintings have been done. Except one that I did in the dining room. That's this way, come on!"
Hearing Alice bouncing down the stairs with Rose in tow, Edward grabbed my arm and hauled me into a room off the hall, looking frantic.
"What now?" I hissed.
"Alice will want us to re-enact the pose," he explained. I shrugged, then turned to look at the room we were in. It seemed to be a music room of sorts. There was a grand piano next to a large window, a harp in a corner, and a set of shelves that held all sorts of cased instruments. There were filing cabinets that I guessed held folders of sheet music, and a computer at a desk hooked up to recording equipment.
"Whoa, this is so cool!"
"Do you really think so?"
"Geeze, Edward. This is a gorgeous room. Do you play anything?"
"The piano. And the harp. And the guitar. And-"
"Basically everything," I cut in. "I'm not too bad with the guitar, myself, but piano is definitely out."
"Would you like to play something? Together, maybe?" he asked hopefully.
"Sure, I guess. I usually use Charlie's guitar, but…"
"Who's Charlie?" Edward asked, looking at me sideways.
"He's my dad. He doesn't play anymore." All of a sudden, he looked stricken. "What's wrong with you?"
"Your parents aren't coming to Alice's exhibition, are they?" I burst into laughter, laughing so hard that I had to sit, clutching my sides, silent sobs wracking my body. I was struggling to breathe, but one look at Edward's puzzled face made me break down again. The door swung open, and all of the others piled in.
"What is going on here?" Rose asked, hands on her hips.
"Parents- exhibition- paintings- see- kill- ha ha ha ha!" I gasped out, confusing the others further. "Help- Rose!" I begged. Whenever I had a laughing fit like this one, Rose knew exactly what to do.
"Do I have to, Bella?" she whined. "I don't want to do that with everyone watching!"
"…Can't… breathe!"
"You owe me!" she spat before coming over and kneeling next to me. She grabbed my face and leaned forward.
"Don't kiss Bella!" Emmett exclaimed, reaching forward. I snorted loudly, disrupting the others. Rose glared at him.
"I can kiss whomever I want, but it definitely won't be Bella." With that, she leaned forward and licked my eyebrow.
"What the Hell?" asked Jasper, voicing the thoughts of everyone present.
"It stops my laughing fit," I said, completely sober. "Don't know why, it just does."
"Guess what you two?" chirped Alice. "Edward, you get to lick Bella's eyebrow!"
"Ooh, that's romantic," I snickered.
"Oh, darling," Rose mocked, taking me into her arms. "I love you to death, let me lick your eyebrow!"
"I'm not ready for that yet, my love. Start slow, start with my ear!" We broke off into giggles, and Alice followed suit. The boys just looked at us like we were crazy. I didn't mind. Not one bit.