A/N: Sadly, I do not own the characters, but sometimes I think they own me.
Thank you to those of you who have read and reviewed this story! I'm glad you've enjoyed what you've read so far. I love reviews – they definitely make me write faster!
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BPOV
"Come on, Bella!" Even Alice's whine was a melodic trill. "You have to come with me to the spa! I'll get you a facial and a manicure – even a pedicure! And a chemical peel wouldn't hurt either…what are girl friends for?"
I glanced up from my monitor and stared at her blankly, trying to form a response when Jasper snorted at my expression. Somehow I didn't think Hell no would suffice, so I was thankful when he interceded. "Alice, honey, Bella isn't really into girls..."
He trailed off as Alice's eyes flew wide open, and her tiny hand covered the shocked 'o' of her mouth. A blush crept up her cheeks, and when she spoke, it was with the speed of a hummingbird's wings. ""
"Alice," I firmly interrupted, my amusement breaking through with a smirk. "Jasper knows what you mean. He's just trying to explain that I typically prefer the company of guys." I shrugged.
I watched as Alice's brow furrowed, and she even tilted her head to the side like I was a damn puzzle to be solved. I hated that look – the one that always stirred up the residual thirteen-year-old-girl-angst that made me wonder if I was normal, whatever the fuck that was. I sighed and returned my eyes to the screen, refusing to give in to the self-doubt that I didn't often feel...any more. And this is why I don't have girl friends, I thought with a sarcastic grin as I refocused on my game.
"What are you playing, anyway?" she finally asked when I didn't look back up from the screen.
"WoW," I answered.
"Wow?" she asked, confused.
I sighed, "World of Warcraft…this is the one Jasper and I play together, remember?"
"Oh, that one…the one Jasper had to go play Wednesday night, leaving me all alone," she pouted.
"That's the one," I said, unmoved.
The office sank back into silence, so I figured Alice and Jasper had slunk away to do whatever it is they occupied their time with. Alice had become something of a fixture in our apartment in the last couple of weeks. Normally, I enjoyed having her around, but occasionally she would decide that I needed to be more girly, and then things got…annoying. Really fucking quickly.
Shaking my head, I reread the quest text on my screen and pointed my character in the right direction. Suddenly, I felt something tug at the elastic band wrapped around the sloppy bun at the back of my head. Incredulously, I turned to see Alice running her fingers through my now-free hair, muttering to herself about colors and highlights and textures.
I spun around in my chair, wincing when several of the tangled strands stayed wrapped around Alice's fingers. "What the hell are you doing?!"
Jasper was watching with his eyebrows raised and a grin on his face that was really going to cost him later.
"You have such pretty hair, Bella," Alice cooed as she returned to finger-combing through it. "You really should wear it down more often. Oooh, and I know just the color shirt that would look great against your skin!"
I shot Jasper a look, wondering if she was being serious. He just grinned in response, letting me know quickly that he wasn't coming to my rescue this time. I took a deep breath, reminding myself that I really did like Alice. She was good for Jasper. I repeated it several times to myself, my new personal mantra to get me through these next few minutes.
"Look, Alice." I really do like Alice. "I…prefer…hanging out with my guy friends most of the time, mostly because they like the same things I do." She's good for Jasper. "They don't dress me up." I really do like Alice. "They don't make me shop or get facials or try on fifty different outfits before we go out." She's good for Jasper. "It's not that I have any aversion to you as a friend…of course not." I really do like Alice. "I just don't really have a lot in common with girls." I trailed off and bit my lip, an ancient pang of anguish taking my breath away as I silently added to myself, Plus, girls are mean.
What an emo drama queen I am. Fuck.
Annoyed more with myself than with Alice, I immediately felt guilty and sighed. "Look, why don't we start out…smaller? Maybe a movie with Jasper?"
I looked up at Jasper's head over Alice's shoulder to see a warm smile. He liked that I was trying, though he would never have asked me to. She really better deserve him.
Alice's little pixie nose wrinkled for a moment as she considered my words like a used car salesman considering a low-ball offer. "Okay," she concluded, "but I get to pick out your outfit!"
My eyes widened again as I looked at Jasper for support. "That seems reasonable," the traitor answered.
I stared at him in disbelief as I took in his expression, a mirror of hers. Pouty lips, downcast faces, big eyes staring up at me through their lashes. Jasper had gone over to the dark side. I knew I was done for. I could never resist Jasper when he begged. Toss in the pixie who looked like she'd lost her best friend, and it wasn't even close.
I sighed dramatically and growled, "Fine!"
A storm of silky fabric, ivory elbows, and a light jasmine fragrance suddenly assaulted my head along with a high-pitched squealing. It took me a moment to realize Alice had flung herself at me and was hugging me furiously. Releasing me, she bounced on the balls of her feet and clapped her hands like a toddler with a new toy.
"Hold on there, Tink," I said, torn between amusement and terror. "I said I'd go…and you can dress me like some fucking overgrown Barbie doll. But I've got a few ground rules for you."
At once, Alice grew serious, her tiny face taking on a shrewd expression. "Ground rules?" she said flatly.
"No skirts or dresses, no heels, and no makeup."
Just the mention of skirts and heels had me wincing internally. Rough hands. Pain. Anger. Helplessness. Desperation. Blue eyes. Blood. Loss. I wrenched myself back before the real memories could surface, leading my breathing to accelerate and tip me off to Jasper. I didn't want to have that conversation. Again.
I couldn't allow myself to think about him.
I wanted to kick myself. Instead, I turned my attention back to Alice.
Again, Alice's eyes were shrewd as she considered my offer. There was a slight pout to the set of her lips before she finally made her counteroffer. "How about no skirts or dresses, no heels, and you can wear your hair however you like?"
I felt my eyes bugging out as I realized that she really planned to go all out. No way would I let her touch my hair. "Definitely those…but no makeup either." I grinned, and it only felt a little bit forced.
"Bel-la!" She made my name two distinct, annoyed syllables, stamping her foot. "You didn't mention the hair before, so if you aren't going to let me do your makeup, then I get to do your hair. That wasn't in your ground rules."
I blinked.
"You're quite the little rules lawyer, aren't you?"
She rolled her eyes at me.
Why did this matter so much to her anyway? Frowning, I tilted my head and studied the determined gleam in her gray eyes. Finally, I decided I would have to concede something…I knew I didn't want to spend the evening with hair pins and who knows what else digging into my scalp. And donning heels and a skirt would send me into full blown panic mode, so…resolved, I tried again.
"Fine…how about no dresses or skirts, no heels, nothing pink or pastel, I do my hair, and I'll wear mascara and lip gloss?"
She pursed her lips, considering. A dazzling smile lit up her face, and she bounded toward me with her petite hand outstretched. "Deal!"
She giggled as I shook her hand doubtfully. "Yay!! Come on, let's get started!" She tugged on my arm, trying to get me to stand.
"Wait a second - we can't go tonight," I told her.
Alice frowned, "Why not? Sunday's perfect for a movie!"
"Maybe so," I answered, "but Jazz and I have a raid in…" I glanced at the clock on the wall. "Thirty minutes, so there's no way we can go tonight."
Furrowing her brow, Alice said, "That game? But can't you just…not go?"
I laughed. "Hardly, Alice. I'm leading tonight. Plus I'd leave them without a main tank. Now, Jasper's pretty much worthless, so feel free to take him." I grinned up at Jazz, arching an eyebrow at his grumpy expression when I called him worthless. He was very proud of his rogue prowess.
"Leading? Tank?" Alice blinked in confusion.
"Never mind, Alice," Jasper stepped in. "Bella just means that a lot of our friends are counting on us to be there, so we really shouldn't back out." He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, causing a goofy grin to spread on her face as she went up on her toes. Even stretched up, she was several inches too short to reach his face, so Jasper bent his head and kissed her gently. I bit back a smile, still annoyed. I really did like seeing him so happy - it had been a long time.
Alice interrupted my internal seething by proclaiming brightly, "Oh, that's even better actually! We'll go Friday, and I'll bring Edward!"
I scowled up at Jasper, and this time it was my voice that was flat. "Edward?"
"Edward - my brother! I guess I haven't mentioned him…oh, you'll just love him! He's smart and funny and handsome and sweet."
"Alice, I don't date." I left it at that. This, at least, was not negotiable. I prepared myself for a fight.
To my surprise, Alice trilled a giggle. "Oh, don't worry. Edward doesn't either."
Smart, funny, handsome, sweet, and he doesn't date? Sounds like me, I couldn't help thinking wryly with a snort. Yes, I fucking snorted.
Jasper raised his eyebrows at me, a look of amusement on his face. I swear…he always knows what I'm thinking.
Shaking my head at Jasper, I directed my question to Alice. "He doesn't date?"
She grinned and shook her head before growing more thoughtful. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly before she began. "He's…well…he's sort of…umm…asexual?"
I tilted my head slightly to the right, unsure what she meant or how to respond to it. "What do you mean? Is he gay?"
"No, no…well, at least, he says he's not," Alice shrugged her slender shoulders. She wandered over to Jasper's desk and flopped gracefully into his chair, folding one leg under her and pulling the other up. She wrapped her arms around her leg and propped her chin on her knee.
"I don't understand, Alice. What do you mean?" I turned my chair so I was facing her, pulling one of my legs up and mirroring her pose.
Alice exhaled in an almost-sigh. "He had a girlfriend in high school. They were pretty serious – my mom and dad were even worried that they were going to get married or something, and he wouldn't go to college. He was way too smart for that, but my parents worry too much." She shrugged again, tiny creases appearing on her brow as she thought. "When they were seniors, Tanya umm…ended things. Quickly and sort of brutally." She bit her bottom lip before deciding that is all she would say.
"Anyway, after that, he didn't date again. He went to U Dub, and I kept waiting for him to bring someone home. Every time I talked to him, though, he said there was no one he was interested in. After awhile, I started wondering…you know…if he was gay. When I brought it up, he laughed at me. I told him that I would always love him, no matter what, and he just kissed the top of my head, said 'Thanks', and that was that."
"So I don't think he's gay, but I do know that he's just…not interested. In anyone. I hope that he's just waiting until he finishes med school to look, but I worry sometimes." Alice trailed off, frowning at the floor as she bit her lip. At once, she glanced up again, and her familiar grin was in place. "Regardless, that's for me to worry about. All you need to know is that you don't have to worry. Edward will be a perfect gentleman, and it won't be a date."
I studied Alice for a moment. She was tiny, but there was a quiet perfection about her features despite her crazy spiked black hair. Her eyes were the most beautiful, unusual shade of gray, almost silver. Her chin and cheekbones were delicate, and the height of those cheekbones truly made her look like a fairy at times. I wondered idly if her brother shared any of these features. I would think it would look strange on a guy.
"So is your brother as short as you?" I blurted without thinking, cursing myself internally. Why would that matter, anyway?
Alice looked confused. "Umm…no, he's like 6' 2"?" She glanced at Jasper curiously. He shrugged in response.
I shook my head, trying to clear it. I don't know why I was suddenly wondering what Alice's brother looked like. It didn't matter, anyway. I didn't date, and he was asexual, maybe gay. Still…better be safe.
"Okay, here's the deal. I'll go, and it's fine if you invite Edward, but you and Jazz will sit in the middle. I'll sit beside Jasper, and your brother can sit on the other side beside you."
Alice's eyes widened. "Bella, that is sooo not necessary! I told you - asexual. How weird will that look, anyway? People will think you're on a date with Jasper, and I'm on a date with my brother!" She shuddered at the thought. Delicately.
"It'll just have to look weird, Tink. We all know the truth, so it shouldn't matter what some random people in a movie theater think. That's the deal – take it or leave it," I arched my eyebrow at her in challenge. At worst, she would have to agree. At best, I'd get out of the damn outing altogether.
She rolled her eyes again. "Fine, but I think you're being ridiculous. How am I going to explain this little 'condition' to Edward?"
I shrugged. "That's your problem. Of course, you could just insist that he sit by you, and then I'll quietly go sit by Jazz."
I glanced at the clock again. "Fifteen minutes 'til start time, Hale." I turned back to my computer, putting on my headphones and ending the conversation – at least as far as my involvement. I went to pandora and started up my favorite raiding soundtrack, my Freak on a Leash station.
As the dulcet tones of "Eaten Up Inside" filled my ears, I started sending out invites. Guess I missed out on my dailies today. Stupid little pixie.
I saw Jasper log on and realized Alice must have gone home. I hadn't heard him come back in the office. I started to send him a tell giving him shit about making me go out on Friday – and having Alice's single brother there as well – but decided not to get into it right now.
Then I sighed, realizing that going out on Friday meant that I'd have to get someone else to lead the heroic 10-man that night. Might as well get that over with. I checked signups on our website before asking one of our guys to cover it.
[Raid] [Coriandar]: Hey guys, I can't be there this Friday, so I need one of you who signed up to lead the raid. Spirit, you up for it?
[Raid] [Spiritwolfe]: Sure, Cori – no problem. Everything okay?
[Raid] [Coriandar]: Yeah, just found out today that I have to be somewhere. Nothing big.
I watched as the predictable comments began pouring over the line, simply because a girl happened to say the word "big". I swear they are all twelve.
I rolled my eyes and pushed away from the desk, going to grab a drink before the raid. I couldn't stop the silly, indulgent smile that spread across my face. I really did like our guys. Even their immaturity was endearing.
I grabbed two Modelos and a couple of lime slices, sticking one in the top of each bottle. Heading back into the office, I started to put one on Jasper's desk when I noticed he was turning red and trying not to laugh. I know that look. I narrowed my eyes and took both beers to my desk, slipping on my headphones.
I logged on to our voice server, and as soon as the robotic voice announced my presence, I was greeted with real catcalls, whistles, and endless versions of the same question about my "hot date" for Friday. I pressed my push-to-talk button and said, "You're a fucking dead man, Hale."
"That's hot."
"Shit, I wouldn't mind being Hale right now!"
"Guess we know he's stiff."
"He's fucking a dead man?"
"Eww, Cori, that's necrophilia!" One of our few girls said that one, naturally.
I barely heard the jokes pouring through my headphones. I didn't listen. I didn't care. I looked over my shoulder to see Jasper with his eyes wide, the amused smirk gone from his face. Staring into his eyes, I lifted one beer to my lips and took a deep pull before lifting the other and doing the same. I smacked my lips and turned around, putting both beers back on my desk.
"You look thirsty, Jazz. Maybe you should get yourself something to drink."
I smiled to myself and settled in for a long night of staring at the computer screen – one of my favorite places to be.
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