“How did I get dragged into this?” Bella wondered aloud, feeling embarrassment and irritation battle inside her. Embarrassment because of what she had to wear, irritation because the guy in the donut shop across from the “North Pole” wouldn't stop staring at her.

Honestly, Rosalie and Alice looked much better than she did, or so she thought, but Rosalie had arrived on Emmet's arm. Just one look at the muscled-up man would be enough to turn any man away from her, and Alice was acting rather frightening right now. At least Rosalie still seemed normal.

As Christmas grew ever nearer, Bella discovered just how enthusiastic Alice could be. She wasn't acting anything like the composed young woman she had met what felt like ages ago, though it had been only slightly over a year. Instead, she was running around, dancing merrily, and wishing complete strangers a Merry Christmas, and Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Kwanza, and Happy Winter Solstice, and every other winter holiday in existence.

When word got around to Forks that the mall in Salem was in need of elves, Alice was the first to suggest they join up. Surprisingly enough, Bella and Rosalie said no at the exact same time. After sharing a brief look of surprise, they turned back to declining every pleading look Alice shot them. Eventually, however, the small woman managed to get her way, and Bella found herself wearing a tight, ridiculously revealing elf outfit with a stupid hat and stupid shoes.

She was pretty sure the dresses they had been given were smaller than necessary, but she didn't dwell on it too much. At least she wasn't alone in her suffering today, though that it was Rosalie she was suffering with surprised her greatly. While they had come to a sort of truce after she went to the Cullens to have the vote a month ago, neither had ever agreed on anything. They mostly kept to themselves and simply nodded in greeting should they see each other.

“I would've expected you to love this time of year,” Rosalie said quietly, startling Bella. She whipped around to face her temporary companion and scowled.

“I know, I should be all into the 'holiday spirit',” she made quotation marks as she said it, “but I've never loved this time of year. Well, I did once…when I was five.”