Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries

Extravagantly

extravagantly - ex·trav·a·gant·ly - /ikˈstravəɡəntlē/

1. with a lack of restraint in spending money or using resources

2. in an excessive or elaborate way

3. to a large degree and with extreme feeling

The Volturi rushed around as they got ready for the first arrivals of the ball. After his dramatic announcement, Aro had ordered the new human secretary - the last one had been killed in the ambush that started the fight between the Volturi and the opposition - to create and send out invitations to each clan and individual in the community. Printed in capitalized, bold letters were the words 'ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY. FAILURE TO ATTEND BARES MAJOR CONSEQUENCES'. Aro needed everyone to attend. Of course, he didn't know of every vampire in existence, which was something that was nearly impossible, but he knew of most.

Odessa smoothed a hand down her silver-accented dress, assessing it and making sure not a wrinkle was in sight. She messed with the elegant updo braided on top of her head. She added a red, silky band to her hair, tying it in the back and incorporating it into her braids. She looked in the mirror once, walked away confidently, then walked back to the mirror to assess once more. She was nervous, and she was nervous for several reasons: One, she was going to see Nahuel and Huilen again. The last time she had seen them, she had gotten into a fight with Serena and Alec killed her. They had split on bad terms, and Odessa wasn't sure if they even wanted to see her again. Add on the fact that she had killed Maysun and Jennifer, there was no telling if her relationship with the two was salvageable. Two, she was going to see the Cullens again. And again, the last time she had seen them, they ended on bad terms. Renesmee might be forgiving, seeing as how she wasn't mad when Odessa left and took everything in stride, but Bella and Edwards and the rest of the Cullens could easily forbid her from talking to Odessa. Odessa would respect their wishes, though, if that was the case. She had had enough fighting and simply wanted to only experience peace for the foreseeable future. She had been fighting and running and arguing all her life, it seemed. She wanted to eat, hunt, sleep, and live without worrying about someone acting on impulse or strong negative emotions. Third, and the last important and totally rational reason, she'd be by Alec all night. They'd get to dance together and talk and hang out. It'd been awhile since they got any semblance of time together. She missed him and hoped he felt the same. Realistically, she knew he did, but with how bad her other relationships were, she was feeling very insecure.

She fiddled with the necklace lying below her collarbones and the earrings dangling from her ears. She glanced down and kicked her foot out so she could observe her shoes and decided if they were the right ones. She hummed and contemplated replacing them with another pair when she felt a hand whisper across her shoulders.

She tensed and picked her head up. She calmed once she recognized the person as Alec.

"You look outstanding," Alec complimented as he leaned down to kiss her exposed neck. "Truly the most beautiful creature I've ever set my eyes on."

"Truly, or are you fishing for affection?" Odessa asked dubiously,

"Can't I do both?" he questioned quietly. He continued to travel the expanse of her exposed skin, running his teeth across her neck and her collarbones before peppering them with kisses. Odessa turned around and grabbed his hands lingering at her hips. She pulled them up to her face and closed her eyes. She reveled in the contact and rubbed her face against his hands like a cat begging for attention. Alec huffed affectionately and grabbed her face lightly with both of his hands. He gave her a kiss on her forehead, on her left cheek, her right cheek, her chin, nose, and finally her lips. He looked her in the eyes and reassured her, "All will be well tonight, cuore mio. Do not fret too much."