"Ok! Start talking!" Renesme parted the pink, dangling beads and entered Marietta's bedroom, shutting the door behind her door.
Marietta jumped, jerking her pen through the paper, "CRAP!"
"Oh my God, Marietta, REALLY? School's almost over, stop the homework."
She shoved her letter under a textbook on her desk and turned to the giddy ginger, "Well, what do you want to hear about?"
"The party! The one that I couldn't go to because…I'd be the life of the party! Get it?! HA!" She cracked up flopping back on her best friend's bed, "Y-you know because vampires are kinda dead."
Marietta dropped her head on her desk in defeat, "Comments like that make me rethink my 'you're too smart to date a dog' attitude-ERGH!" She got hit in the head with a decorative pillow. That prompted her to sit up, and spin around a couple of times in the pink office chair, "You wouldn't have been able to go anyway, you were at that tree hugger-"
"Hey! It was the Eco-politics Conference!"
"Same difference!" Nessie gave her a look, "Fine, where should I start?"
"The beginning!"
"Well, you saw my dress…The ball was at this underground castle place called Volterra in Italy. The entrance was through a clock-tower. Ummm," Her attempt at staying nonchalant was failing miserably, so she sighed and let loose, "It was a masquerade! Everyone was dressed to the nines amongst the gold and velvet and stone and flowers! Oh the music was great and the dance floor stayed packed with couples swirling like the ghosts in that kiddy scary movie." Mid-explanation, Nessie stood, closing her eyes and swaying trying to picture it. "Just the ambiance was magical; candlelit chandeliers," She closed her eyes trying to remember the party, so she didn't notice her friend picking up the black mask perched on a stack of papers.
"I thought your mask was purple."
Her eyes shot open as Nessie held the mask up to her face, "This is too big for you and looks kinda…" She looked it over, "MANly! Oh! OH OH!"
Marietta snatched the mask and threw her other hand over Renesme's mouth, "Shhhh!" Then she removed it and reset the mask on the stack.
"So HE has YOURS?!"
"Yes!"
"You met a HE?! AH! Tell me more, tell me more! Did he get very far?" She sang.
Marietta stopped, "Nice reference for a hippie. And only first base."
"FINALLY! I was worried that you were going to be one of those people who's so focused on success they never find love, hence, true happiness. Was he a good kisser?"
"I don't know considering I don't have anyone to compare him to! And when YOUR boyfriend sees you, he licks your face in hopes of getting a belly rub!"
"He's your BOYFR-OW!" She got the pillow back and squeezed the satin square, "Tell me ALL about him!"
"I mean…I COULD call him my boyfriend…if I had seen him since. He lives in Volterra actually. His name is Alec-"
"Hang on! ALEC?! HE'S mystery boy?! Renesme cut her off in shock.
"You know him?!" Marietta jumped back surprised.
"Yes! Well, I don't know him PERSONALLY or anything! I just know about his coven and what they do…"
"I mean I know he's in the Volturi coven but-" Marietta tried to rationalize.
"Uh oh…" Nessie bit her lip, "So you haven't been around for it, but every now and then his coven comes to check up on me."
"What? Why would-" She was beyond confused.
"Because they're like the vampire government! When I was little, they thought I would be an out of control immortal child and that would let the cat out of the bag, so they came to kill me, but our family convinced them otherwise. They send people every year or so to make sure I'm still cool. He's one of the one's the sent, so I'd only talked to him on a formal level. Our coven and his don't get along. But I'll stay open minded and get to know him. He IS cute too! I bet you two look HOT together!"
"Wait, so because they tried to KILL YOU, we aren't supposed to like them?"
"Not like, absolutely hate, whatever floats your boat. They're a little overdramatic and super creepy…and cruel I hear. Apparently there was this one time like a year before I was born, when this one coven tried to attack the Cullens and we, er, THEY took them out. But there was this one newborn about our age and they were going to keep her. Anyways, the Volturi came too late to break up the fight, but decided to clean up the mess instead. So the questioned the girl and Carlisle offered to take responsibility for her, but they said she was 'too much of a liability' so they killed her! Ripped her apart and set her on fire right there." She stopped, thinking, as Renesme continued, "Or this one time they tried to kill mom and dad while she was still human. Dad fought the big one and I think Alec was holding Alice back or something."
Marietta believed her, but did that change her opinion of her Romeo? No. "Aaaaand? Just because his coven's rough and he takes his work seriously doesn't mean he's a bad person."
"I never said he was. I don't judge. I just gave you facts." She justified.
"I just have a hard time believing he's the same person," Marietta leaned over and pulled a red envelope from the top drawer of her nightstand then handed it to Nessie, "Who wrote this."
Renesme looked wide eyed at her for approval, then yanked it out of her hand, reading avidly. She gave various expressions, gasps, and awhs as she read. Finally she looked back at her, "Oh. My. GOD! Marietta! That's…WOW! He's a poet! A GOOD one!.."
"I know," She smirked, twirling her hair and giving a little growl. They girls squealed.
"Well!"
"Well WHAT? Are there MORE?"
"Why are YOU so intrigued?"
"His writing is beautiful! He's beautiful! You make a beautiful couple! It's romantic ok?!"
"See? Ditch the dog for a creature that can hold a pen?"
Nessie stuck her tongue out, then jumped to the desk to grab another red envelope, "Ooooo! What do we have here hm?"
"Ness! I handed you ONE!" She jumped up and reached for the envelope.
Renesme blocked Marietta basketball style, "Nessie! Come one! You do NOT need to read everything!"
"Why?! Anything JUICY?!"
"Gimme that!" Marietta chased Nessie over the bed and lunged, but missed, so Renesme started reading aloud laughing, "My dearest Marietta," She cleared her throat and gave a deep voice, "Though it's only been two weeks-"
"Shut it!" Marietta sat on her and started smacking her with a pillow. Renesme threw her off back onto the floor with a smack, laughing too hard to breathe.
There was a knock at the door, "Girls? Everything ok in there?"
They both straightened up, "Yes Edward, we're cool." Marietta assured.
"Love you Daddy!" Nessie piped up.
"You too." His footsteps could be heard walking away.
Marietta and Renesme turned in slow motion to each other, and burst out laughing.
"Ooooon that note, maybe you should head to the cottage Ms. I have a bed time. It's getting late."
"Yeah, you're right." Renesme stood up, straightened up shirt and put her bag over her head, "This was fun…Except for you making me break my antiviolence thing."
"Oh shut up!" Marietta giggled.
"But I wish you luck with your schmexy new pen pal, let me know what happens, but as for now you have the Nessie seal of approval."
"Lovely." She answered sarcastically.
"See ya tomorrow!"
"Night!"
Renesme shut the door quietly on her way out. Marietta sighed and picked up the letter and the envelope, then put them back together and hid them away in her nightstand. Truth was, she was a little shaken after learning a little about his history with her family. That couldn't make her happier to have her best friend's support.