“No later than Saturday.” Edward answered my question as to when he would return from his hunting trip.
I squinted against the heavy drizzle. It might have looked as if I were scowling.
“Don’t give Alice a hard time.” He continued. “She’s doing this as a favor for me.”
Now I did scowl for real.
“You mean as a bribe.”
Edward’s eyebrows pulled down along with his mouth in a frown. He turned to hoist a backpack into the back of Emmett’s monster jeep (props, no doubt), mumbling something about owing Alice a yellow Porsche.
I sighed heavily.
“Alice won’t primp me up into a life-size Disney princess gown, I assume.”
Edward turned back to me with that irresistible crooked smile.
“Not that that wouldn’t be cute to see.” He mused.
Emmett crowed at the idea. “I hope Alice takes a few shots of that!”
“Shut up.” I muttered.
Edward scowled at Emmett before turning back to me.
“Trust me.” He pressed while unleashing all the force of his golden eyes until I had to nod.
His gorgeous vermilion lips approached mine very briefly before he flashed his crooked smile and jumped into the jeep beside Emmett.
Emmett waved as he pulled out.
“Have fun, Bella! I’ll take care of him for you!”

So I stood there in the driveway of the Cullen’s mansion like, “Okay, I can trust Edward. Alice Cullen is another matter.”
And as if proving my point, the little perky fairy bounded to my side, her pale cheeks glowing as we both stared off down the overgrown road that the jeep had disappeared down.
“Want to se what I can put together for you on my designer computer program?”

For someone totally uninterested and avert to anything related to fashion and makeovers, I thought I was doing a good job trying to be polite. Alice’s opinion, however, was opposed to mine.
She held a petulant scowl on her pixie like face while driving me to work the next afternoon.
From time to time she would glare at me from the corner of her eye.
On one such occasion I scowled back. “What? Part of the plan wasn’t that I would have fun.” Yet, as soon as I saw her responding grimace I took back my words. She had a way of looking irritated and utterly offended at the same time that totally melted away any harshness present in my tone.
I sighed, turning away from her. That was the problem with the Cullens. They were too overtly gorgeous to stay mad at for too long. All of them. Even Emmett. It didn’t take long for Emmett to drag a smile out of me, even when he was making fun of me.
“Are too.” Alice muttered under her breath.
Not to hurt Alice’s feelings, (and that was why I didn’t say it aloud), but fun to me was not having my nails and hair done, combed out then redone in four different hairstyles. And as if that hadn’t been enough, she’d barred my way out of the house when I’d tried to brush out her extreme hairstyle into something more casual for school this morning.
Thanks to her, Mike Newton, Eric Yorkie and Tyler Crowley had complimented the plaited pin-up hairstyle encrusted with glittering butterflies.
“For crying out loud, this is a normal school day not the prom.” I’d complained as we’d gotten out of her Porsche.
Alice shrugged, (her usual response to my complaints).
Ugh. So annoying!
“You dress so raggedy every stinking day.” She had retorted at lunch. “Don’t your friends deserve a little highlight into the real Bella Swan?”
I flicked the leather crop jacket that she had thrown over my shoulders with distaste. “And this is the real Bella Swan?” I questioned, skeptically.
“Yes.” Alice interjected. “The one who doesn’t look like a beggar.”
I sighed to keep my temper in check.