Silence Is a Virtue

At this point, I was fuming.

"Alice, no! I don't want to parade around like this just for my stupid big brother! I want to go back to bed, I want to just curl up and- and-" I began to cry. Alice handed me a tissue, probably not wanting me to smudge my make up. "I don't want to go outside, I don't want to face everyone, I don't want to- to try and be a normal person!"

"Bella." she said calmly, her eyes softening.

"Don't look at me like that!" I choked, pointing at her accusingly. Her expression didn't change. She took my hand and pushed it back down to my side, tucking my hair behind my ear with her other hand.

"Bella, listen to me." she sighed. I choked back a few more sobs, looking down at my feet. "Help is coming. I don't approve of it, personally, but if it'll make you happier then... Well, what can I do?"

"What help? I don't need help!" I shouted, stepping away from her. She rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Bella. Grow up." she said, her hands on her hips. I scowled, but took a deep breath, calming myself down. She stepped closer to me again.

"I'm scared, Alice." I whispered.

"There's no reason to be scared. Emmett and I have planned everything." she told me, her tone smug. I looked up at her hopelessly. "Someone important is on their way, someone that is going to find you waiting downstairs like the good hostess you are."

"I thought you were the hostess." I grumbled.

"It's your house, right?" she sighed. I tried to argue, but she grabbed my hand and guided me out of the door.

As we walked down the stairs, a million thoughts were drifting through my head, both terrifying and appealing.

What if it was Edward? Would he actually come, if Emmett asked him to? I sighed. Of course he wouldn't. He despised me.

Alice's dainty hand slipped from my grasp and she walked gracefully into the kitchen, leaving me staring into space in the hall. Should I run, or face my fate? Both seemed impossible at that moment.

Emmett appeared infront of me, a confident smile on his face.

"You look great, Bells. What's wrong?" he didn't wait for my answer. "Come and sit down. I'm just waiting for the twins and- and the other guest to get here before we get this party started." he took my hand and lead me into the kitchen, pushing me down to sit at the kitchen table.

The noise in the kitchen sounded distant, as if I was hearing it from across a large room. The voices around me were faint, hard to hear. I was staring at nothing, and I couldn't stop. Alice sat down opposite me and suddenly all I could see was her face, the worry and fear etched into her angelic features. My heart began pounding. Alice had a bad feeling about tonight. To be honest, so did I.

There was a knock at the door and my head snapped towards Emmett.

"That'll be Rose and Jazz. Be right back, guys." he grinned at me and loped out of the kitchen into the hallway. I heard him open the door. "Oh!"

Alice and I froze in our seats. Her eyes were fixed on the doorway, and mine on nothing in particular. Emmett laughed loudly, seemingly at nothing. I heard two sets of footsteps enter the kitchen.

"Alice, come with me in the living room for a moment? I need to talk to you about something." Emmett's voice came to my ears, once again sounding faint and distant. Alice stood up silently, following him out of the room. My heart was in my mouth.

I looked down determinedly at my hands as someone sat down in the chair opposite me. I struggled to breathe.

I could hear someone breathing unevenly, as if they were nervous, too.

A notepad slid across the table to me.