Life as I Know It

Chapter 7

Previously...

"So is Saturday good?"

"Yeah, perfect."

I hung up and flopped back on my bed, squealing and kicking like the teenage girl I am.

Only to look over and see him smirking back at me from his own window.

~oOo~

I could hardly concentrate on work and school after that phone call.

Naturally, Alice screamed when I'd told her, and she'd promised me to take me shopping for new clothes before the big date.

"But, Alice, it's just the movies and dinner. It's really not that special," I assured her.

"I don't care! This is your first date ever. It has to be special, and what you wear will set the bar for the rest of your dates."

"He's seen what I look like before."

"Not like this. This is different. This is for real, and I want it to be perfect."

I rolled my eyes. "You sound like you're the one who's going out with him."

"No, ew gross, he's not my type. But you really like him, so I just want you to look pretty."

"I'm already....pretty, Alice." I really didn't think of my appearance that much. The only time I ever got dressed up was for work, or a special party like a wedding or gathering. It's not like I was a slob or a hobo, I just didn't feel the need to get dressed up for simple things, like going to the mall.

"I know that," Alice sounded like she was rolling her eyes, "but you know, it's to get you out of your comfort zone a bit."

I groaned. "Just don't put me in, like, six-inch heels and a short skirt and tons of makeup, okay? Edward likes me just the way I am." I smiled. I still couldn't believe that he did.

"Aww, are you blushing as you say that? I can tell. I can feel the heat over the phone." She giggled.

"No, I'm not." I covered my boiling cheek with my other hand, trying to keep from smiling.

"Awww you are! But no seriously, this is gonna work out. I can feel it. I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks, but nothing has happened yet."

"Oh but it will!"

I rolled my eyes again. Alice was crazy, but she had a positivity about her that transcended into me.

~oOo~

Saturday night finally rolled around, and I was a bottle of nerves. My curtains were closed, so Edward couldn't see while Alice and I were getting ready for the movie date.

We'd went shopping for hours yesterday until I finally decided on this cute, navy blue dress with a brown belt to tie around the waist. My feet had on comfortable sandals with brown and blue designs on the foot. I'd also bought a cute, long, light pink necklace to offset the dark dress. My long, curly brown hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, and I did my own makeup, simple and easy.

I peeked out my window and gasped when I saw Edward walk around my window to my front door. "Alice, he's here! Oh my god, he's here! What do I do?" I could hear my heart pounding out of my ears. My ponytail felt too tight. I felt myself sweating in my makeup. Fanning myself to cool down, I breathed in and out.

"Okay, Bella, Bella, calm down." Alice put her hands on my shoulders, shaking me hard. "Edward already knows and cares for you. Otherwise he wouldn't have been your friend for so long and waited to ask you out. You'll be fine. The movie will probably be a bore, but who cares, right? Just be yourself, and if this doesn't work out, then you can go back to being friends. Eventually."

My eyes bugged out at the possibility of an awkward friendship with my friend.

"I'm kidding!" She laughed and threw my small brown bag to my chest. "You'll be fine. Great, even."

I sighed deeply, trying but failing at calming my nerves down, and gave my best girlfriend a hug. "Thanks, Alice. For everything." I smiled.

"No problem. Now go!" She pushed me out the door, making me trip on my own feet. Mom caught me just in time before I had a chance to hit the ground.

"Whoa, you okay, honey?" she asked, brushing the loose tendrils out of my hair.

"Yeah, sure, fine. It's just my first date, is all." My voice shook as the nerves took over.

"Honey, just be yourself. And loosen up. I can tell he already adores you. He even brought you flowers." She winked.

"He did?" I walked quietly downstairs and saw him. My breath caught in my throat as I took in his dark jeans, leather jacket, white T-shirt, and dark shoes. His hair looked shiny and spiked a bit―must have been hair gel. Maybe Jasper helped him with that. My eyes slid to his fingers twiddling a small bouquet of flowers on the table, and my love for him expanded.

"Bella," my mom hissed in my ear and I ducked back. "He's not going to bite. You can go now."

"Right. How do I look?" I asked.

"Beautiful." She smiled proudly, and Alice nodded as she came out of my room.

I nodded and smiled. I slowly walked around the wall.

Edward did a double-take on me. He grinned widely as he looked up and down at my dress and shoes. "Wow," he beamed.

I suddenly felt self-conscious. "What? Is it too much? I told Alice I didn't want to go with a dress for a movie, but she begged me."

"No I didn't, bitch, you begged me to buy it!" her voice shrieked from upstairs.

Edward snickered under his breath and covered his mouth. I blushed harshly. "Well, I don't think it's too much. I think you look beautiful," he said.

"That's what I told her!" my mom sang from upstairs.

I glared at the voices above me, rolling my eyes. I turned back to Edward, who was still silently laughing. "Sorry, they've been waiting their entire lives for this moment."

"I get it." He smiled. "My parents were on my case my first date, too."

I looked into his eyes and felt relief at his understanding. I felt this calming, magnetic pull between us as we stared at each other for who knows how long. He blinked himself out of the state and reached for the pink tulips. "I got you these. I didn't know if you liked tulips."

"No, I do. They're beautiful, thank you." I inhaled the sweet scent, and heard a camera flash behind us. I turned to see my mom holding her digital camera in her hands, beaming away like this was prom night.

"Mom, really?" I sighed.

"What? I can't have a memory for my second-born, one-pound baby girl going on her first date?" she gushed. Alice cried fake tears behind her.

I gagged. "Mom, please stop. No one needs to know that." I grabbed my jacket behind the front door and turned back to Edward. "Can we go, now?"

"Yeah, sure," he chortled, leading us out.

"You two have a great time watching Tom Cruise kill people!" Alice yelled back, and I almost ran to Edward's car, my face burning with total embarrassment.