[Thursday Afternoon, just after school let's out.]
"Hey, Dad, have you ever actually been to the Cullen's house, seen where it actually is?" Bella popped the question like one would a proposal. Smack dab in the middle of the Diner the following day.
"Hmm? Yeah, couple o' times since they moved. Dr. Cullen and I got to know each other. Nice kids, they stay outta' trouble. Why?" Already several bites in, Charlie balanced a piece of his steak on the fork while watching his daughter.
"Alice invited me, well, all of us I guess, to a party at their house this weekend. I just wanted to give you the heads up, and figure out how to actually get there." She asked nervously while watching Charlie closely. The tiniest part of her wishing he would actually say no. A few chews proceeded him before he gestured towards the window.
"Yup. Just head south like you're gonna leave town. Then go left right after you hit the bookstore. Dirt road out that way will take you right to it."
"You're uh... you're okay with me going and everything? Mr. and Mrs. Cullen won't be around..." Again with the same inflection to her voice. Prodding the question and seeing what he'd say.
"Like I said, they're good kids. Plenty of parties go on out there, never had to drive out once with the sirens on. Just keep your phone on and be careful comin' home. The roads are probably gonna ice over a bit." Quick to the point, almost as if he was expecting this. But of course, as he was all too familiar with the Cullen kid's social activities in town.
"Oh! Well... uhm, thanks, that's great. Yeah i'll just go when Jess and everyone else does to make sure I take the right road. I'll text you before I leave their place. Cool?"
And with another nod as the steak slid apart with the knife, Bella's mind continued to run a mile a minute. People, party, clothes, music, only a handful of topics she'd be wondering about until it was time to go.
[Saturday Afternnoon – Pre-Party]
This had to be right out of every high school movie playbook. New girl gets invited to the wealthy and attractive families party. Probably gonna see some drama, fights, or something getting broken. Then again... probably not now that it comes to mind. If anything, the Cullen clan sure had a handle on their social circles. And there was no way someone would be stupid enough to trash anything in that house, let alone cause some kind of problem. So then, what the hell would a party be like at their house? Should I even bother going? I'm sure i'll be in the hot seat for all of two minutes before everyone gets bored of me, save for my friends. Actually, that would be perfect for the night. I'd be happy to at least meet the Cullens and say hi. But after that, i'll fade right into the background and just enjoy the music. If Edward and Jasper are as creative as Angela claimed, they'll have great taste for a party playlist. So I guess it just comes down to which pair of jeans fit best and what hoodie I can cling to when the sun goes down. Shower, hair, all that fun stuff. Might as well get to it!
[Saturday Night – Cullen Household ]
Now i'm actually glad I didn't ask Charlie about the house. This place is pretty indescribable, especially when you see it for the first time. I'm never one to judge based on money, but Dr. Cullen must have some side project going on to afford a place like this. Not to mention the land, cars, and raising five foster teenagers under one roof. It's probably a miracle that they don't have any pets, at least from what I was told. You'd think a dog or two would be living the good life in this place. Alice was perched at the front door with Jasper. Making sure everyone saw that warm, and admittedly way to happy, smile as they came inside. Not to stroke my own ego but i'm pretty sure I got the biggest smile out of anyone. I'll ride that high all night if I can. I'd almost hate to call it mood lighting, because that sounds extremely inappropriate. But it looks like they did a fair amount of decorating for their party. But again, Angela told me that was only the basics for any event at the house.
"You guys were totally right, by the way. Everytime one of us walked by Jasper, I swear his entire face tightened up. Like, his jaw could probably crack the wall if he ran into it." Bella offered her observation while attempting to steal a glance back at the odd couple.
"Right?! God, I hope Dr. Cullen has him in some kind of therapy or something for whatever bugs him. Kind of sucks that he probably goes through it every time there's a party." Mike was actually first to draw this time. Not that he'd admit it, but the Cullen "men" intimated him a bit. So he kept a close eye on them when he could.
Taking a quick look around, Bella's eyebrow quirked itself in a nearly permanent inquisitive position. Not getting the proper head count on the Cullens. Double checking herself, she nudged closer to Jess and Angela as they continued inside. Music already thumping against the walls of what was basically a living room. Although considering it's size, it had no problem housing most everyone invited. Jasper and Alice were accounted for, but the others...?
"Hey, guys, where are Emmett, Rosalie, and Edward at? I wasn't expecting them to play door greeter with Alice, but it is their party."
"Emmett's probably out behind the house with like, half of the school's teams. He always fires up the big grill out on the patio when they throw parties, even when it's freezing, it's really weird! I swear they're all from Alaska or something. The cold doesn't bother any of them at all. Rosalie is probably still getting ready. She's never seen down here until her hair and makeup are perfect. Plus the longer she waits the more people she can show off too. Edward... okay so, like, he never actually shows up? He's the one controlling the music right now. I guess all the audio stuff is in his room or something like that. He's not exactly the most sociable out of all of them." Again like a walking encyclopedia regarding anything and everything about their classmates. Angela pulled Bella along further into the house with everyone else.
Of course she was right, after all. From the enormous windows in the living room, I could get a view of the never ending treeline. As well as the rest of the Cullen's property. Emmett was hard at work serving up a ridiculous amount of food for the kids crowded around him. Anyone inside who wanted something was free to venture out and wait, but there was plenty in the kitchen. Oddly enough, the kitchen itself looked WAY too clean for how many people lived in the house. Especially with the vast majority being teenagers. Maybe their parents are ultra strict on cleaning? I guess it would make sense. Who would want to leave a place like this dirty? So I guess it's time to pick a poison. Music, food, oooorrr talking to everyone? Yikes. Food it is. I'm not about to stand outside in the cold, though. Emmett probably knows what he's doing out there, but even a good burger isn't worth it. I guess small talk wouldn't really kill me so long as I hang around the kitchen and hallway. Sure. Let's start there.
Gritting her teeth through what felt like an eternity, Bella managed to squeak out a few decent conversations with anyone who came in to eat. Most of the food was organic or imported. What a weird thought to her, imported chips? Likely a health-nut thing among the family since Mr. Cullen is a doctor. But it sure wasn't stopping the party guests from swallowing handfuls at a time before moving on for a drink and back into the living room to dance and enjoy the music. After an hour or so as the sun set, powerful spot lights kicked on all across the house's exterior. Inside, however, colored lights began to change and shift around as more people came in. Bella just stared a bit bewildered at the whole thing. Sure, they clearly liked to entertain and all. But custom neon strobe lights and insanely expensive audio equipment hanging on the walls? Wow. Just wow. But the stupor couldn't last for long. Popping into the kitchen, Alice had finally surrendered her door duties and had come looking for Bella.
"Bella, i'm so glad you came! We're always excited to have new guests at the house, especially for a party. So, what do you think so far?" Alice's voice was unbelievably chipper, even for someone like her.
"Hmm? Oh! Oh yeah, it's pretty awesome. You guys sure go all out apparently. The food is great, by the way. I was gonna head outside and steal something off the grill from Emmett, buuut it looks like the line is still pretty long."
"No problem, i'll make sure he delivers one to you personally before you leave! Trust me, it's worth the wait. Emmett loves to go through way too much meat when he has his friends over."
"I'm sure they have no problem getting it down. So, I was told Rosalie likes to make her own grand entrance. But what about Edward? Angela said he pretty much just sticks to DJ duty in another room or something?" Bella quickly went for the throat on that subject. She had a million questions as it was, but first things first. Alice's brow furrowed for maybe a millisecond before the perky attitude returned.
"Despite how much I protest, and it's A LOT, sadly yes he turns into a recluse and refuses to come out until way later. And even then it's just to make sure the speakers and lights are still working. I swear one of these times i'll make Emmett and Jasper drag him out and actually mingle with everyone!" Giving her voice some bass on the last few words. Seemingly telling at her absentee brother from across the noisy household.
"It'd be cool to meet all of you tonight, but no need to force the poor guy out of hiding if he's uncomfortable. I should know, no offense of course, you guys throw an amazing party. But I was so nervous about coming here tonight?"
"Well, i'll admit I was pretty pushy about inviting you. And i'm sorry for that if I scared you. But it's not very often new kids move to Forks, let alone Chief Swan's own daughter!"
"Honestly I was half expecting a banner with my name on it or something, the way everyone talks about your parties." Less nervous, more jovial now. Bella's mood was improving by leaps and bounds thanks to Alice. "Wow, that sounded REALLY conceded, didn't it?"
"Not at all! I'd have probably done that, but I figured you were more of the low profile type, so I threw aside my plans for balloons, the banner, and entrance music for you."
Over the next hour or so, Bella really opened up while talking to Alice. Her jokes and quips eased the tension that had followed their new guest around since arriving. Managing a few good laughs as well from both of them as Alice regaled her with stories about Forks and past parties since the Cullens had moved in. Despite her overwhelming curiosity, Bella kept her questions more general than personal. She could have probed deeper about their parents or Edward, but why ruin the fun. Rosalie did infact make herself known before long. Garnering the attention of at least half the party guests. The boys especially as she descended the stairwell into the living room.
Okay, i'll admit it to myself and no one else, Rosalie really is completely gorgeous! Still, the boys could control their tongues for at least half a second and pick them up off the floor. Jasper and Emmett aren't too shabby either but at least no one drools over them. Well... okay not no one, but I can hold my head high on that one for now. But now we have everyone except Edward. You'd think throwing a party like this, he'd want to enjoy it for a little while? Hell, who knows, maybe the Cullens have little nanny cams all over the place. Can you see me now? Or now? How about now? Weird conspiracy theorist thoughts aside, guess i'll give dancing one pathetic attempt before the night is over. And on a stomach full of organic snacks, fantastic.
Jess and Angela were happy to have Bella join them to dance. A hilarious mixture of awkward teenage dancing and moves no one had ever seen. Which was great because no one deserved to see this much horrible dancing in one place. Even Bella's own mild steps and moves went completely unnoticed as guys like Eric and Mike could proverbial center stage with what they brought to the table. All in all it was pretty fun! Emmett eventually wandered inside after exhausting his food supply for the night. Joining Rosalie among the party goers like a King coming to his Queen's side. Sadly that made way too much sense considering how many students flocked around them on a daily basis.
Alice and Jasper joined in eventually too, Jasper himself looking far more accepting of the big crowd. Bella actually chose the lesser of two evils in her mind, and stuck close to Alice. Asking her a few more questions, and eventually, the topic of Edward managed to pop up once again on Alice's behest.
"It'll be okay, I promise. Besides it would be incredibly rude of him to ignore everyone here, and especially our newest friend. Trust me, he'll be happy to say hello." Alice was already out of her seat and up the stairs with Bella in toe. Hardly giving her time to even think about saying no.
"Are you sure? If he's doing something with were down here, it'd be just as rude to interrupt him."
"Nope! Besides, he's outranked here as far as i'm concerned. It's right over here." Just two doors down the hall, at the very end. Not a single scratch or mark on it, or any of the doors for that matter, So pristine, it was actually kind of eerie in Bella's mind. Alice reached up to tap against it with her knuckles several times before stepping back. "Edward, get out here! You're not playing hermit again for another party. Besides, you need to say hello to Bella before she goes home."
Nothing. Not a word or sound, or at least, nothing Bella could pick up. Either Alice did have a hidden camera in there, or her hearing was insane. Calling back after getting an answer from nowhere apparently.
"Alright, well hurry up! You can't fool me with 'sound checks' this time. Don't think I won't have Emmett break do-" Cut short in her threats, Alice was called away downstairs by a few confused shouts. Something glass had shattered, something very expensive most likely. So rare an occurrence, it managed to shock even someone like her. Completely abandoning Bella in the hallway infront of Edward's door and rushing down.
"H-hey, Alice, wait! What about.." Bella stopped herself short as the doorknob behind her clicked and turned. Ominously so as she turned to see the light begin to birth itself through the crack as the door opened. Were the house any quieter, that knob turning would have sounded like a gun shot.
Allowing the door to fully swing open, Edward Cullen had finally shown himself at the party, technically. Bella was afforded a more generous look at him, and much like the others, there was a family resemblance in terms of out beauty. About as tall as Emmett, a bit lankier though. Hair an absolute mess, but the dark hue was a nice touch. She had been right before, his eyes really were amber colored! It had to be some kind of defect or something. All the Cullen kids had eyes like that. Their diet maybe? Hard to tell, but she'd ponder over it later. Thankfully Edward had the presence of mind to save Bella or himself from rambling awkwardly while trying to say hello.
"I''d like to be the first of my siblings to apologize for Alice's way of pushing things along far too quickly. She means well, I promise, but when she's set on something, there's really no stopping her." Calm. Smooth. Confident. A sharpness to the way he spoke that captivated Bella for a moment or two. "But, that glaring fact aside, i'm Edward. It's wonderful to finally meet you, Bella."
…... Oh, shit.
