Chapter 12 - Preparations

JPOV

"Dude, where is he?" I was pacing around the garage, impatiently waiting for Embry to show up. Quil just sat there chugging a soda. "I thought you said he was better?"

"He said he was. He missed like two weeks of school. Maybe he's forgotten how to tell time." Quil shrugged his shoulders and started flipping through a car magazine I had left on my workbench. "Dude, chill out. We'll both help you out with Bella's party. It's not rocket science; it's a bonfire."

Quil was probably right. I was worrying more than necessary for a bonfire. Usually they were more spur of the moment things, as opposed to pre-planned events, but I wanted everything to be perfect for Bella. Even if she hadn't told her classmates it was a birthday party for her, I wanted her to know that I still thought her birth was worth celebrating.

I had extended my pacing to outside the garage, just as Embry came into view. He wasn't alone.

"Quil." I hissed. "Get over here. You're not going to believe this." Quil reluctantly got up and gave me a sceptical look, which quickly changed into disbelief when he saw Embry. Embry was casually walking to my place, and nonchalantly chatting up Mr. Tribe Protector himself, Sam Uley. Embry looked over to us and sheepishly waved when he saw Quil and I gawking.

"Hello, Jacob. Hello, Quil." Sam greeted us and extended out his hand. Since my brain hadn't quite caught up yet, I shook his hand, and nodded mutely. I noticed his hand was slightly warmer than mine, which was unusual because lately most people felt cold to me. Quil was looking at the ground, and said nothing.

"What brings you by, Sam?" I found my voice, and looked directly at him. He seemed to tense and it almost appeared as if his eyes changed when I spoke to him. For a second, I thought I was going crazy, but realised it must have been the sun reflecting or something.

"Very direct, Jacob. I like that." He smiled at me, and seemed to lose the tension he was carrying. "Embry here was mentioning that you were planning a bonfire for your girlfriend, and were planning on inviting some of the kids from town. Just thought I'd stop by to see if you needed any help." I took a few moments to compose myself before speaking again. I didn't buy his offer of help, but understood it to be him 'watching' to make sure we behaved. Sam had been slowly recruiting some of the older kids on the rez into almost policing some of the younger kids. Rumour had it they had even chased off some guy who can come down to try to sell drugs.

"Thanks, but no thanks, Sam. Don't worry; we're not planning some huge bender you need to protect the tribe from. It's a small birthday party for Bella. Quil, Embry and I can handle it. Bella's shy, so we'd like to keep it as small as possible." Quil nodded as I spoke. Sam took his time considering what I was saying. He exchanged a quick look with Embry, which was super bizarre and then addressed me again.

"I understand your concern, Jacob. Perhaps you could just let me know which of Bella's friends would be coming?" His tone and request were very polite, but I couldn't help but detect an underlying demand to the question.

"I don't know all their names, but I'm pretty sure they have all been to the beach before. I'd say probably not more than a dozen of us in total." I let some of my irritation leak through and turned to face Embry. "Dude, you met them all at the bonfire in the summer. You can tell Sam their names just as well as I can, so what the hell is going on here?" Embry sighed and looked at Sam. Sam nodded at him.

"I remember you saying that Bella had met the Cullens and dented their car. We were just wondering if Bella had made friends with them, and if they were also coming." Embry looked at the ground the whole time he spoke.

Quil scoffed and spoke for the first time since their arrival.

"Are you fucking kidding me? This whole ordeal has been to see if Bella's friends with the Cullens? Embry, don't tell me you now believe in the wacky old stories from the tribe?" Quil turned to face Embry, but Embry was still looking at the ground. I shook my head, still unsure as to what was going on here.

"This is ridiculous. Why are we even having this conversation?" I looked between Sam and Embry but neither said anything. Sam looked at me expectantly. It dawned on me that he was still waiting for an answer.

This is stupid. Just tell them, and maybe Sam will leave.

"Yes. Bella is friends with the Cullens, at least with two of them. Alice, I think her name is, is taking her shopping for a dress for the dance as we speak. No. They are not coming to the party. They were going camping or something." Sam and Embry exchanged a worried glance. In fact, Embry looked devastated.

What the hell is going on here?

"Jacob. Are you sure it's wise to let Bella be alone with her?" Sam folded his arms over his chest and looked down at me. "Are you able to reach Bella now?"

"Sam! What the fuck? I'm not some controlling boyfriend. Bella can hang out with whoever she wants. I don't really put much stock into your stupid legend. If Bella says they're alright, that's good enough for me." I threw my hands up in exasperation. This conversation had gone from awkward to bizarre. Embry's reaction was what worried me the most.

"Jake." Embry started quietly. "Can you call her now and see where she is?"I stared at him, not quite sure I could believe my ears.

"Are you joking? She's in Port Angeles. Where else would she be?" This was so out of character for Embry. I could tell Quil was put off by his question as well. "No, I'm not going to call her. This is so stupid. What the hell is wrong with you two?"

What had Sam done to Embry? Embry, who used to get just as irritated as Quil and I whenever we saw Sam and his cronies 'protecting the peace'. I needed to get Embry alone.

"Sam, if I call Bella, will you leave? I mean, this is all you wanted to know right? So if I call her and confirm the Cullens aren't coming to the party, will you leave, and let Embry stay here?" I felt a little rude asking him to leave, but at this point, I was way outside of my comfort zone to care.

Sam chuckled.

"Embry is free to stay with his friends of course. I simply happened to run into him on the way over here. And yes, I will leave after you call Bella." I felt like he was lying, but also that he was somehow telling the truth. Or rather there was a double meaning behind his words. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I was getting the craziest vibe from Sam. I was not usually a big 'feelings' guy.

I fished my cell out of my pocket and hit the speed dial. Bella picked up on the third ring.

"Jake, you need to rescue me. I'm being tortured."

My head shot up and I looked Sam in the eyes. He seemed to have heard what Bella said, and gave Embry a sharp nod.

"Alice has taken me..." she began. Embry now looked full on panicked, and started pacing. "...shoe shopping!" Bella exclaimed dramatically. Embry stopped dead in his tracks. "Ugh! I'm never going to a dance again!" I laughed. Of course that would be her logical conclusion.

"Hey, baby. Sorry I bothered you. I'll let you get back to your girl time."

"You'd better like what I'll be wearing. It's been quite a day of shopping. I can't believe she convinced me to do this with her." I could hear how tired she was in her voice. And then I tried not to think about the possibility of Bella in a dress. The last thing I needed was to sprout wood in front of everyone here.

"I know you'll look beautiful. Hey, is Alice still not coming to the party?" I heard a muffled whisper then Bella came back.

"No, she's still going camping."

"Ok, well have fun. Later, honey." I hung up the phone and let myself feel relieved before I felt thoroughly ludicrous for having called her in the first place. I turned on Sam.

"There. No Cullens. Your stupid prejudices almost made me over react to nothing, thinking something was wrong when it clearly wasn't. And while we're on that, are you going to explain why it seems like you can hear people on my phone?" I tried giving Sam the same look he had given me earlier. I didn't really have much success with that.

"Jacob, you're imagining things. I didn't hear anything. And as promised, I'll be on my way now. Quil, Embry." He gave Embry a stern look, and then left, as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened. Quil just about exploded.

"Embry...what the FUCK!" Quil got right up in Embry's face, and Embry backed up two big steps. He took a deep breath and looked at both of us.

"Just like Sam said. He ran into me on the way over and we got to talking. He just wanted to be sure that the Cullens weren't coming onto our land." Embry recited. It sounded rehearsed. In fact it sounded over rehearsed. Quil wasn't buying it either.

"Whatever, dude. That was fucked up." Quil went back inside the garage, and grabbed the magazine he had previously abandoned when this whole disaster started. "Now, onto more important matters. Which of Bella's friends do you want, because I think I'm going to try my luck with the blonde."

BPOV

I hate shopping. I'm more of a 'it's comfy, so I'll wear it for six years' kind of girl. So when Alice asked what I would be wearing to the dance, I didn't have an answer for her. Having never gone to a dance, I clearly was out of my element and had no idea what was dance appropriate. Alice, it seemed, loved any excuse for shopping and demanded we go to Port Angeles this weekend.

"Please, Bella! Let me help you shop for the dance. I know I could totally find you something amazing!" She was literally begging me at this point.

"Just so you know, Bella. No one in our family argues with Alice. It's generally best to let her have her way." Edward joked. Alice elbowed him in the ribs. "I would be happy to drive you both there this weekend if you like."

"No fair." I complained. "You guys are ganging up on me."

"Don't you want to get something to catch Jacob's eye, Bella?" Alice asked, not so innocently. I couldn't help but notice Edward grimace when Alice said Jake's name.

It was times like this when I found Edward a little...peculiar. During the last two weeks, I observed that he would have bizarre reactions to things. Like when I told Jessica that Jacob and the guys would be coming to the dance. Edward looked irritated and then pleased. Or when I informed everyone about the bonfire, he looked excited and then unhappy when I told him where it was. No one else seemed to notice his strange behaviour, or the fact that sometimes it looked like he was talking to Alice, but I couldn't hear anything. Alice never said anything in response. It was...odd. In any event, they had both become good friends, and I was a little disappointed they wouldn't be able to come to my birthday bonfire.

In the end I accepted both the ride and the shopping advice, since I had to return Jacob's Rabbit to him anyway, and I wasn't sure the truck would make it lengthy distances. And Alice was right, there was a small part of me that wanted to 'wow' Jake at the dance.

Edward and Alice came to pick me up bright and early Saturday morning so we could get a "head start" on the shopping, as Alice put it. I met them outside, but when I got to the car, I noticed Alice sitting in the back, leaving me the shotgun seat. I opened the front door and popped only my head in.

"Alice, are you sure you don't want to sit in the front? I don't want to make you sit in the back of your brothers' car." I frowned, and looked between her and Edward, who was in the process of rolling down all four windows.

"No, no, Bella, don't be silly. I'm not going to invite you to go shopping, and then stick you in the back seat! Please go ahead and sit down!" She motioned for me to get all the way in the car. I settled myself into the car, and started to do up my seat belt, when Edward tore out of my driveway, driving towards Port Angeles at breakneck speed. I felt all the blood rush out of my face as I gripped the seat.

"Good morning, Bella." Edward offered.

"Um...good morning?" I couldn't think of anything else to say since all my mind could process was how quickly we were going.

"What's wrong, Bella? You seem...afraid?" Edward asked sadly.

"Um...you drive like a maniac and I'm afraid for my life?" I asked. I couldn't figure out why he was sad, but also didn't really care as trees zoomed by as a blur of green. Apparently my answer was funny because both Edward and Alice started laughing.

"You're afraid for your life from my driving?" He asked, somewhat shocked.

"Hello! Police chief's daughter. I have a healthy respect for the law." I shot back. Edward just shook his head.

"Sometimes I don't get you, Bella." He slowed the car down to thirty over the limit and smiled at me. "Better?" He took a look at me still clutching me seat, and slowed down even more. When he reached twenty over the limit I released my death clutch of his seat. He sighed. "I hate driving slow."

"Yes, well, I'd hate to be wrapped around a tree, so we'll just have to compromise." I added. Alice just laughed. Unsurprisingly we reached Port Angeles in record time, and Edward pulled into the only department store in town.

Alice was a force of nature. I had gone on some shopping trips with my mom back in Arizona, but clearly I'd never had the 'Alice Cullen Shopping Experience'. She guided Edward and I immediately to the dress section, and was a flurry of limbs and fabric gathering up various dresses for me to try on. I hadn't even told her what size I was.

"It's best to just roll with it, Bella." Edward gave me a half crooked smile. "Alice knows what's she's doing. You're in good hands."

"Yes, yes. I'm a fashion guru." Alice interrupted. "No boys in the change room. Shoo." Alice made a flicking motion with her hands, and then followed me into the change room.

"I'll just sit down here...with your purse...awkwardly then." Edward called from outside the room. I stifled a giggle. He was actually pretty funny sometimes.

I thought I would be self-conscious having Alice in the dressing room with me, but turns out it's damn near impossible to zip up dresses by yourself, so in the end I was grateful for her presence. She also had an uncanny eye for clothes. Everything she picked out for me looked complimentary on my pale skin, and created curves I didn't know I had. Alice had just finished helping me into the last dress, and as I turned to face her, I heard an audible gasp from outside the room.

"Edward? Was that you? Are you okay?" I called out. Alice seemed oblivious to the noise I heard, and was analysing my outfit.

"Bella. This is THE dress. The one that's going to wow people." Alice had me turn in front of her to see all the angles.

"Really?" I analysed myself in the mirror. The dress had a deep V neck top creating the illusion of more cleavage than I actually had. The rest of the dress was fitted very tightly to my body in layers of dark blue. It reminded me of how a mummy would be bandaged up. I felt somewhat exposed as it left very little to the imagination, but what did I know about fashion? I popped my head out of the dressing room.

"Edward?" He had been pacing down by the mirror. "Edward, I need a guys' opinion. What do you think?" I tentatively walked towards him. He stopped to look up at me.

"I think you look stunning, Bella. Truly lovely." He gave me that half crooked smile again.

"Do you think Jacob will like it?" I asked. Edward paused before answering me.

"I think he won't know what hit him." He replied. He then sat down, and looked lost in thought. Alice reappeared, and had brought several pairs of shoes with her.

"No way, Alice. There's no way I can walk around in those death traps. I'll break my ankle!" I slowly back up until I realised I was right up against Edward's chair. My butt brushed up against his arm. I heard him gasp again.

"C'mon, Bella. You can't wear your Chucks to the dance." I gazed at the shoes in horror, when I heard my cell phone go off. I ran as fast as I could in my bandage dress, and grabbed the phone – I saw it was Jake on the caller id.

"Jake, you need to rescue me. I'm being tortured." I began. "Alice has taken me..." I paused for what I thought was dramatic effect. "...shoe shopping!" It was so easy to be silly be with Jacob. "Ugh! I'm never going to a dance again!" I feigned dismay.

"Hey, baby. Sorry I bothered you. I'll let you get back to your girl time." Aww, he's so sweet.

"You'd better like what I'll be wearing. It's been quite a day of shopping. I can't believe she convinced me to do this with her." I still couldn't believe how un-me this was. Going to a dance, shopping for dresses, worrying about how I'd look in front of Jake, I was a like a new person.

"I know you'll look beautiful. Hey, is Alice still not coming to the party?" I put the phone to my chest and turned to Alice.

"Hey, are you still going camping later? You can't make the bonfire?"

"Sorry, Bella. Our family leaves later this afternoon." She frowned at me, and looked disappointed.

"No, she's still going camping." I told Jake.

"Ok, well have fun. Later, honey." He replied and hung up the phone. That was a little more abrupt than our usuall calls, but maybe he was busy.

"Jacob?" She asked.

"Yeah, he wanted to double check to see if you'd changed your mind." Alice looked...surprised?

"Oh." I think she misunderstood his call. I tried to explain further to her.

"I think he's just trying to make sure everything's perfect because the bonfire's for my birthd..." I cut myself off and used my hands to cover my mouth. I had promised myself not to tell anyone at school that this was for my birthday.

"Bella! Is this party for your birthday?" Alice exclaimed. There was no use in denying it, I had basically just told her anyways.

"Yeah." I added sheepishly. "I turn eighteen tomorrow. So the party tonight is for my birthday." Alice pulled me into a big hug.

"Oh, Bella. I'm so sorry that we can't come." Alice was pouting.

"Alice! Please don't worry about it. I hate people making a fuss over my birthday, that's why I didn't tell anyone. I completely understand that your family goes camping." I felt awful. This is exactly why I hadn't told anyone, I didn't want them to feel obligated to come. Alice looked like someone had just killed her cat.

She helped me out of the dress in silence. After I had the dress off, and was mostly dressed back into my regular clothes, Alice had gathered up the blue dress and a scary pair of shoes, and flew out of the dressing room.

"These are on me, Bella! Happy Birthday!" she called out, now sounding pretty far away.

"What? Alice, no!" I hopped around the change room trying to put my shoe back on so I could chase her down. I charged out of the dressing room, only to run right into Edward...again. He steadied me by the waist, and prevented me from falling on my butt this time.

"She's already at the register." He gently set me back on my feet.

"I didn't tell her so she'd do that." I tried to explain. This was a ridiculously extravagant gift.

"Bella, consenting to Alice giving you this gift would make her truly happy. She loves fashion and shopping, and being able to share that with you would please her greatly. Please allow her to do this for you." He ran his hand through his hair and looked at me pleadingly.

"Oh, alright." I allowed. "But please nothing else. I feel terrible."

"You won't let me get you something as well?" He asked softly. I looked up and his golden eyes were sad.

Oh boy, here comes the guilt.

"Edward." I whined. "Please don't buy me anything. I really only told Alice by accident. No one coming even knows." He seemed cheered by my request.

"I agree to your terms." He led me out of the change room towards Alice bouncing by a cashier.

"Um...sorry. What terms?" I was confused.

"You'll see. Now let's get you back to Forks for your birthday party." He laughed as I rolled my eyes.

The three of us left the store with Alice and I arm in arm as she was talking a mile a minute about the dress and the dance, and plans for my hair and makeup.

Chapter End Notes:

So - what's up with Embry? First he was sick, and now he's hanging out with Sam. Weird right? I'm sure most of you have figured it out by now. ;)

So - next chappie - bonfire and if I can swing it - the long awaited dance!

Here's a pic of Bella's dress, but her's is in dark blue of course: . ?main_page=popup_image&pID=865