metanoia《twilight oc》

birthday parties

The end of summer came quickly and the beginning of the semester was in full swing. I have been back on campus since the end of our trip to Alaska. I missed the Cullens, but I would be going back this weekend since they were throwing a birthday party for Bella's 18th birthday. Well, more like Alice was throwing a birthday party against Bella's will. I don't know why she was so against celebrating her birthday. Personally, I always loved my birthday. I spent my birthday this year alone. It was in July and I didn't tell the Cullens, but I did talk to Amber, Hayden, and my parents for a couple hours. We had a small celebration while on our trip since they knew they wouldn't be there for the actual day. If Alice found out I knew she would go overboard, but she can't blame me, I was busy with my summer class anyway, it's not like I was actually getting older.

I had gotten a present for Bella that I was excited to give her. She may not enjoy celebrating her birthday, but it was my goal to give her a present that she would actually appreciate and enjoy. Sure, I didn't know her that well; however, I wanted to befriend her. Bella seemed like a good friend once you got closer to her; she was just shy. I am too believe it or not. It takes a while for me to warm up to people because I'd prefer to know what kind of a person someone was before getting close to them.

During my time away from the Cullens I took some time to reflect on how I felt about Edward, away from his mind reading. I couldn't lie to myself anymore or ignore my feelings; I liked Edward...romantically. Did that mean I was going to act upon my feelings? Absolutely not. Just like I told Sky, I was not a homewrecker. If Edward was happy with Bella who was I to stand in the way of his happiness. From what I've heard he has never been in love before, I didn't want to ruin that for him. All I would allow myself to do was embrace his relationship with Bella and that begun with Bella's birthday.

I had also reached out to Ricky 2 weeks after our conversation. As much as I cared about him, I couldn't get back together with him. He was understanding and we were rekindling our friendship instead, texting regularly. Everything was completely platonic on my end and he respected that, never bringing up mention of our romantic relationship again. It was nice to have him as a friend again. There was something comforting about being able to share my thoughts with someone that no longer lived anywhere near me. It was an unbiased view to give advice on everyday problems.

***

I arrived in Forks a couple hours before the party that would start at 7 PM. The entire house was beautifully decorated with lanterns, crystal bowls filled with pink roses, and pink candles that were yet to be lit. If I was honest, I was absolutely in love with the aesthetic that Alice had come up with. The pink she had chosen was a subtle, baby pink. The roses were this same shade with undertones of a golden yellow that would barely be visible to the human eye. The entire house had a whimsical vibe to it, like I had stepped into a fantasy novel. 

I had tried to help them decorate; however, Alice wouldn't let me touch anything, insisting that she had to get everything perfect herself. This was weird, it's not like I was someone who would sabotage her design plans on purpose. Nevertheless, I knew better than to try to argue with Alice: less work for me. 

The hours felt like they dragged on, Emmett, Jasper and I were sitting together playing rock, paper, scissors in exile. The three of us were not allowed near our usual hang out spot in the living room so instead we were upstairs sitting on the ground next to the staircase, awaiting our release while Alice, Rosalie, and Esme decorated.

"I'm convinced that the two of you are cheating!" Emmett exclaimed, throwing his arms up in frustration.

So far, he had only won a handful of times and I had lost count of how many rounds we had gone through.