BPOV
Alice was really nice.
A bit too hyper for my tastes, but nice. I liked Jasper too, he seemed like a cool, laid back kind of guy.
The problem?
I shouldn't like these people. I can't. I couldn't get attached, or worse, let Nessie get attached.
So when Alice started talking to me like we were good friends, even though we'd just met, I was a little standoffish. Nessie had been running along the deck, giggling like crazy while I chased after her as a game, when she collided head on with Alice.
I apologized, but Alice brushed it off and we just started talking. I don't even know how it happened, I couldn't not talk to someone like Alice.
At least I kept enough sense to not tell her our full names, sticking to Bella and Nessie.
When Alice asked to join her and Jasper by the pool in while, I hesitated, but between Nessie's pouting over wanting to spend more time with our new found friends, and Alice's puppy-dog eyes, I relented.
I could play it cool… talk a little bit, laugh, have a drink or two… then in a day or two when we dock somewhere, we're gone.
What I wasn't expecting was the incredibly hot man sitting at the pool beside Alice.
I kept a smile on my face, trying to act nonchalant, but my eyes kept darting around nervously, a habit I had… looking for someone that would recognize me and start screaming 'murderer!'.
"Hello Alice." I greeted, smiling at her. I watched the strange man out of the corner of my eye, noticing how he stared at me with no shame.
Oh no. Not another one of those types…
"Hi Bella, sit down, sit down!" She trilled, reaching over to shove the guy off the chair. He gave Alice a disgruntled look, but walked off in search of another chair to drag over.
I sat down, looking around and spotted Nessie sitting on the side of the pool, kicking her feet in the water.
"I'm so glad you decided to come by." Alice gushed. I drew my attention back to her and saw that she was sitting on the edge of her chair, smiling brightly at me.
"Well why wouldn't I? You seem fun." I smiled.
"Oh I can tell we're going to get along amazingly." She grinned, winking at me.
"Hey, who's that guy you assaulted a minute ago?" I asked, half teasing.
"Oh, that's mine and Jaspers' best friend, Edward Cullen. It's just the three of us, hanging out together, taking a break from real life. I practically had to drag him along, but he totally likes it here." She whispered the last bit in a teasing, conspiring tone.
I laughed a little with her, before reminding myself that I had to keep my distance emotionally.
Don't get attached.
"Your hair is a funny color." I heard Nessie say.
Turning, I saw she was now standing in front of the guy Alice said was Edward, looking up at him with a curious expression on her face.
"Nessie! That's not nice to say!" I admonished. Though, his hair was an odd color; a copper color, reminding me of a penny, that stuck out all over the place. I wondered if he just rolled out of bed and came down to the pool.
"No, it's fine." Edward assured, smiling down at Nessie. He squatted down so he was eye level with her. "Yeah, my hair is kind of weird, isn't it? I got it from my mom." He said to her, tugging on a lock of his hair.
"Bella has our mommy's hair." Nessie said, pointing to me.
It was true, I had gotten Renee's dark brown color, but my curls were all from Charlie. Nessie was kind of the opposite, having Charlie's lighter brown color, but nearly straight hair, with a few waves, like Renee's hair.
"Well, it's very pretty hair." I heard Edward say as he looked over at me.
I frowned at his attempt at what I knew to be flirting, but didn't say anything, turning back to Alice instead.
We talked for a while, laughing and joking, having a couple drinks. Nessie played in the pool, I had to warn her a couple times to stay on the shallow side, but she was having too much fun with Jasper and Edward.
At first I was apprehensive about all that, but as I watched them, I saw how well they both acted around her, making her giggle and squeal as they played in the water.
Before I knew it, three hours had passed. Nessie was getting tired and came out of the pool to curl up on my lap, her eyes fluttering shut adorably.
"I should probably get her back to our room." I said to Alice.
"Of course! Are you planning on coming to dinner in the dining hall?" Alice asked.
Distance…
"I don't know. We'll probably just eat something up in my room." I told her, standing up with Nessie cradled in my arms. It's not like she was heavy or anything.
"Okay. Maybe we'll see each other at breakfast." She said, sounding a little put out I wouldn't be joining them.
"Maybe." I said, smiling as best I could, hating that I was practically lying to her.
"Bye Bella." Edward piped up suddenly.
It was the first thing he'd said directly to me in the four hours I'd been down here.
"Bye Edward…" I said slowly before walking off.
AN
Well? Do you think Bella's a bitch? Do you think she's not a bitch?