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Post by Amber Jefferson on Jan 4, 2009 20:28:42 GMT -5
(tag Mike but all are welcome ... apparently ) Amber bustled about the kitchen straightening everything for what seemed like the hundredth time. To say that she was nervous would be an understatement. Terrified would be a more accurate description. Terrified, and yet excited and proud at the same time. She had been saving ever since Dr Cullen had given her the idea to get her own place in Forks and now, months later, that dream had finally become a reality. Granted, she was only renting it, and it was barely even large enough to call a house, but it was all hers and she loved it. She hummed as she moved from room to room, making sure everything was exactly the way she wanted it to be. It was a short trip, since the little cottage had only four rooms, but it killed a few minutes, and it kept her mind off what was happening today. When she had decided it was time to get her own place, she had hardly dared dream that there would be anywhere in Forks that she could afford but, by some miracle, on the very first day of looking, she had come across the tiny little cottage on the edge of town, nestled among the trees as though it had been placed there specifically for her to find. The real estate agent had seemed relieved to have her look inside, saying that because it was so small, there had been no interest in it, but it was Amber's dream house. It had a cozy bedroom with a large window that looked out onto the trees that almost came right up to the back of the house. Beside the window, a small door opened onto the dainty porch that wrapped around the house, so that she could step outside and see the stars anytime she needed to, something she had always wanted. There was a medium-sized living room, large enough for what little company she would ever have, with a little room besides for the collection of books and music she intended to start, with another large window that faced the almost overgrown path that led to her front door. She had had no time yet to deal with the hedges and weeds that threatened to choke the stepping stones, but she knew that when she did, it would look just as perfect as the rest of her little home. The kitchen, just like the rest of the house, was as if it had been pulled straight from her imagination. It was by no means large, but it had everything she needed, plus a dining table large enough for four, which was something she had always insisted she must have 'because two is too small, and six is too big'. The only other room in the house, apart from a small utility room that also functioned as a cloak room and storage room, as well as a pantry, was the bathroom, which, although seeming drab at first, had quickly brightened up with the addition of some carefully placed ornaments. The whole place, once she had added a few personal touches, had easily become a charming, welcoming home, and she was proud to be able to call it her own. The only thing that remained was the one she was now dreading. As she had had nowhere to celebrate her 18th birthday, she had decided to put off the festivities until she had found her own house and now that she had, Mike had insisted that she hold a combination housewarming and 18th birthday party. She had never been to a party, and had only seen a few on tv, so she had no idea what she should be doing, so she had simply taken a guess. The kitchen counter was laid ready with snacks and drinks for when her guests arrived, and the small stereo she had bought from the local thrift store was already prepared with cds she had borrowed from the local library. As far as she knew, all that was missing were her guests. Despite her time in town, she still had few friends, though she no longer regretted the fact. She was comfortable with the ones she did have, and felt that there was nothing missing in the slightest. She had invited those two, Mike Newton and Dr Cullen, naturally offering an open invitation to any companions they might like to bring, knowing from what she had seen on tv that an invitation usually meant '... and guest'. She had no idea if they would come or not, since both had work to contend with, but it was time for the party to start, and now was the moment of truth. Dashing to the bathroom, she looked in the mirror again, eyeing the outfit she had chosen, hoping she wasn't over-, or under-dressed. She had celebrated her newfound independence by heading straight to Port Angeles as soon as she had paid her first month's rent. She had seen the perfect dress in the thrift store where she had found her little stereo, and by what seemed to be yet another miracle, it was still there. It was the ideal dress, or so she thought, for the party, her favourite colour, a pale peach that set off her dark hair and eyes, with spaghetti straps and forest green vines embroidered along the hem. She loved the earthiness of the design, and was ecstatic that, for the first time in her life, she didn't have to worry about hiding her arms. She glared at her reflection, suddenly unsatisfied with the general look of it. There was something not right and no matter how many times she had adjusted and readjusted her hair and what little makeup she wore, she couldn't figure it out. Finally, with an exasperated groan, she pulled her hair out of the ponytail she had arranged it into and pulled a brush through it, pushing it behind her ears. It would have to do. She headed back to the living room, sitting on the sofa and drumming her fingers on the little coffee table in nervousness as she waited for her guests to arrive.
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Post by Mike Newton on Jan 5, 2009 14:19:36 GMT -5
Mike usually found himself at some sort of event on weekends. This one was no different. Another party, but this one was more important than most other ones Mike had ever been to. It was Amber's, one of his good girl friends. It was a housewarming and belated birthday party. Mike was happy about it, she was finally out of the god-awful place she was in before, and he didn't have to worry so much about her getting hurt now. Now he just worried about her being alone, in a house, in the middle of nowhere.
He pulled up to the front of the small, quaint house. Parking his car he glanced out the passenger door window, taking a real look at Amber's new place. It was...very Amber. It was a small place, perfect for her since she'd be the only one living there. He pulled the handle of his truck, opening the door and stepping out. He slammed the door shut, walking around the front of the vehicle. Glancing around the area he didn't notice any cars, he must be the first to arrive. Mike had invited a couple people, but was unsure if they were going to make an appearance or not.
He paused as he reached the front door, reaching a hand out he tapped the door lightly. Not waiting, he turned the door knob, welcoming himself in. He looked around the room and immediately spotted Amber sitting on the couch. "Shouldn't you keep that door locked?" he asked her with a smile. He stepped through the front door, shutting it behind him.
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Post by Amber Jefferson on Jan 5, 2009 19:54:11 GMT -5
Hearing a car door slam, Amber jumped, biting her lip nervously. She had no idea who would arrive first, if indeed this was one of her guests, and the suspense of not knowing who it was was almost as bad as waiting for them to arrive. She threaded her fingers together, her toe tapping impatiently as she alternated between staring out the window and carefully avoiding looking through it. It was during one of the latter phases that she heard a light tap at the door and looked up as it opened. She was ecstatic that Mike had decided to come, although she hadn't had much doubt he would miss it. He was probably the most trustworthy person she knew, and after all, he was her best friend.
Jumping from the couch, she almost danced to the door, grinning at his question. "Well if I kept it locked, you wouldn't have been able to get in, now would you? Anyway, who would be prowling around here? It's not like there's anything to steal, and I'm hardly an important target." She couldn't contain her happiness anymore and threw her arms around him in the biggest hug she could manage before letting go almost as quickly, twirling away from him, spreading her arms to gesture around the room.
"Isn't it perfect?" she asked excitedly, beaming with delight. "And it's so quiet Mike! Quiet! With no noise, no shouting, no thudding, no nothing, just calm, blissful silence." She sighed, her grin softening into a contented smile. "It's heaven here, really it is. You wouldn't believe how happy I am. There's not one single thing that could be more perfect."
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Post by Mike Newton on Jan 5, 2009 21:23:23 GMT -5
Mike's eyes popped in shock at Amber's excitement. He wrapped his arms around her as she surprised him with a hug. "Gee, if I knew you were this excited I would have been over here first thing this morning," he teased, letting her go. He glanced around the place, taking everything in. It was definitely perfect for her, but he figured he'd play with her a little bit.
He raised his eyebrows, his face expressing a look of disgust. "Hmm," he said, letting his light eyes roam around. "It's...," he paused, turning his grimace into a smile, "Perfect for you." He reached one of hands into his pocket, pulling out a small rectangular piece of plastic. "Here," he told her, handing her the gift card, "It's from my mom. It's too some furniture home store."
He took a few steps further into the front room of the house, still looking everywhere. "So, do I get the first tour?" he asked with a smirk.
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Post by Amber Jefferson on Jan 5, 2009 21:56:28 GMT -5
Amber giggled at the surprise on Mike's face as she hugged him. She was sure he would've been used to her overtly friendly nature, loving to hug anyone anytime she had reason to, and sometimes even when there was no reason, but this was the first time she had ever been quite so enthusiastic. It was comical to think that despite this being the true Amber, Mike still wasn't used to it.
"If you'd known this morning, I wouldn't have had time to dress...and re-dress....and dress again...and, well, you get the picture! What can I say? I'm paranoid!" Her face dropped as Mike's expression faded from his cheerful grin to the exact look she had dreaded, her eyes wide with horror. He hated it? How could he hate such a perfect little house? Was she so happy to be out on her own that she had overlooked some glaring fault?
She was about to speak when Mike's face changed again, finally looking more the way she had hoped, the smile she had been praying for emerging where a frown had been. Ecstatic with his praise, she clapped her hands with joy as he handed her the gift card.
"I know exactly what I'm going to get with this" she chirped, sticking it carefully to her refrigerator, the very first thing to be placed there. It was only a tiny thing but it made the house seem like home.
"Of course you do! It wouldn't be the same if anyone else did!" she exclaimed. Hooking an arm through his, she led him a few steps further forward to the little hallway that divided the various rooms from each other. Pushing the doors ajar, she motioned like an air hostess to each room in turn.
"Through this door, you have the bedroom. Warm and cheerful, with just a hint of old-world charm. Add the lovely patchwork throw and you have a room fit for any king, queen, or foster daughter" she said, giving her best Price Is Right announcer impression. Turning to her right, she indicated the bathroom. "Annnnd, that's just the bathroom, you don't wanna see that" she said hurriedly, pulling the door closed, hoping she had managed to do so before he had seen the comical ornaments she had placed here and there and the small bouquet of daisies that had been carefully arranged on the counter.
"And of course, you've seen the living room, and the kitchen's pretty much a kitchen. Other than that, the only thing left is the porch, which you saw as you came in." She glanced around her, suddenly realising how small her house was in comparison to those she had seen on her few travels around Forks. It seemed almost miniature, and she hoped it would still meet with his approval now that he knew the true extent of its scale.
"So? What do you think?"
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Post by Bella Swan on Jan 6, 2009 22:54:28 GMT -5
All the way from her house to Amber’s new place, Bella had a satisfied smirk on her face, driving even more carefully and slower than she usually did. She had somehow managed to persuade him that she should drive the two of them to Amber’s party and she was definitely milking it. She kept both her hands on the wheel the whole way, kept at least five miles per hour under the speed limit and tried to keep her eyes on the road at all times. It was very difficult not to flick her eyes just to see Edward’s expression every now and then though. Finally, a full thirty minutes later she carefully pulled up to the front of Amber’s house and sat back from the wheel.
“There now,” she said, lightly, unbuckling her seatbelt and leaning over to give her boyfriend a kiss. “That wasn’t so bad was it?”
She grinned at him and sat back in her own seat, pulling the door handle and kicking her door open. She cast her eyes up to the pretty little cottage and jumped out of her truck, slamming the door shut behind her. It was nice, from the outside at least, it seemed to suit her. She twisted to see if Edward was coming, and began to picture their first house together, a grin playing on her face as she did so.
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Post by Mike Newton on Jan 7, 2009 2:25:26 GMT -5
"You worry to much," he commented as she explained that she had played dress-up most of the morning. He could picture her doing it too, trying to please everyone else. Typical Amber.
His smile widened as Amber's excitement only seemed to grow as he approved of the place. He wondered if his thoughts really mattered that much, certainly seemed that they did. Watching as she placed the gift card on the fridge he wondered what she would get with it. "What're you going to get with it?" Mike asked. "Oh, mom said there was..." he paused, biting his lip as he tried to remember how much his mom had said was on it. "...One hundred dollars," he remembered.
Mike followed the enthusiastic Amber through the small place as she pulled him along, giving him a tour. He laughed as she described everything as if she were some sort of game show announcer announcing the prizes. He didn't think anything of Amber's hesitance at showing him the bathroom, he wasn't interested in seeing it, they were all the same; toilet, bathtub, sink, nothing overly interesting.
"It's perfect for you, like I said earlier," Mike told her as they returned back to the front room of her house. He grinned at her, and turned toward the front door as heard a familiar sounding truck pull up to the front of the house. Taking the couple steps to get to the window he peered through the blinds. Yep, Bella Swan. And from the looks of it...Edward Cullen. Oh great, Mike thought to himself. Letting the blinds close again he turned to Amber. "Looks like more guests have arrived," he told her, "Bella Swan and Edward Cullen."
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sarah
Settled in Forks
Human
"Tell me everything!"
Posts: 71
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Post by sarah on Jan 7, 2009 15:54:58 GMT -5
Jessica was driving in her car up to Amber's apparantly amazing house because she was having a party. She wasn't specifically invited but she never missed a party. Word traveled through Forks High pretty fast and she knew alot of people were probably going to be there. Not to mention that Amber had become quite close with Mike. She knew she couldn't force him to not be friends with someone, but at least she could be there to see how he acted with her outside school. Though she didn't want to admit it, it sort of made her jealous. Her and Mike used to have that sort of relationship..before they dated and things got..awkward.
She pulled up and noticed Mike's car outfront and also the car that she had numerously seen Bella and Edward drive to school in. "This is going to be majorly awkward," she said quietly to herself but maybe this party would be able to patch up once and for all whatever awkwardness still laid between her and Mike. Though being in the same room as Bella and Edward almost made her want to gag. She checked herself in the mirror and hoped out of the car, decked out in her mini skirt and shirt. She walked up to the door and rang the bell.
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Post by Amber Jefferson on Jan 7, 2009 20:35:34 GMT -5
Amber thought she would nearly pass out when Mike told her how much money was on the gift card.
"A hundred dollars?!" she asked, her voice a hoarse whisper from shock. "Wow. Ummmm, thank you! And your mom too!" She wasn't used to presents at all, and the most money she had ever been given was enough to buy a snack after school. She could hardly believe Mrs Newton had been so generous. "Well" she began sheepishly, feeling a bit embarassed at having thought so small, "I was thinking about a bedside table, but I might have to rethink that, I wasn't expecting so much!"
She turned toward the window at the same time as Mike, hearing the truck doors slam. She was glad he went to the window, leaving her to fidget as she waited to find out who it was. It seemed less nerve-wracking to let him tell her who was arriving than to actually have to look herself. Nevertheless, it was no less shocking to find out that Bella and Edward had arrived for her party.
"What?" she asked, dashing to the window and peering past him through the blinds. "But how? I only invited you and Dr Cullen, and surely he would've come with them if he invited them." She glanced out again as she heard another door slam and saw Jessica walking to the door as well.
"Jessica too? Okay there's no way Dr Cullen invited her. Mike?" Amber turned to Mike, raising an eyebrow at him, giving him her best glare. "I know I said to feel free to bring someone, and I'm going to regret asking this, but how many people did you actually invite?" She had been looking forward to a quiet get-together and already her best guesses at the number of guests she would have were looking as though they were far short of the mark.
She was just trying to calculate how many people were likely to arrive, thanks to what she suspected might be overenthusiasm on Mike's part, when the doorbell rang. Jumping slightly, she leaned against Mike's shoulder, hiding her face as she took a deep breath to calm herself at the thought of having to deal with more people.
"Just kill me now" she muttered, her words muffled by his shoulder, before lifting her head and quickly adjusting her hair. "Okay. How do I look?" she asked hurriedly, hoping she looked remotely presentable, turning toward the door and grabbing the handle. One last deep breath, and the party was finally underway as she pulled the door open and let in her guests.
"Hey guys!" she said cheerfully, waving them into the living room. "Thanks for coming! Make yourselves at home."
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sarah
Settled in Forks
Human
"Tell me everything!"
Posts: 71
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Post by sarah on Jan 7, 2009 21:05:14 GMT -5
Jessica noticed Bella and Edward walking to the door behind them but she somewhat ignored them. The way they walked together she couldn't even stand it. She stood at the door and a few seconds later Amber opened the door. "Hey!" she said giving a somewhat false smile, but hoping it didn't look so. Well how was she supposed to be genuinely nice to someone who was practically all over her ex? Sure, Mike was her ex but she still cared about who he hung out with...
She walked through the door. "Oh Mike told a few people that you were having a party and you know how word travels at Forks High. I knew it was going to be alot of fun and Mike said it was okay so I figured I'd stop by.." she said. "It's a great place you have here.." she added.
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Post by Amber Jefferson on Jan 8, 2009 18:09:13 GMT -5
As Jessica entered her house, Amber could almost feel the frostiness in the girl's smile. It seemed she still wasn't happy about her being friends with Mike. It made her a little nervous. It was bad enough being on such cold terms with her, but to have that at her party was enough to scare Amber witless. She loved Forks, and the thought of having anything near an enemy here made her stomach do flip flops. Almost automatically, she reached behind her and grabbed Mike's hand, desperately needing the comfort, despite his having invited Jessica in the first place. Plastering a smile on her face, she tried her best to be chipper as she welcomed her.
"Of course it's fine! The more the merrier!" She knew her voice sounded considerably less confident than she had hoped, but it couldn't be helped. The smile softened a little, the sharpness in it calming as Jessica complimented her home. It was her favourite subject right now, and no matter what Jessica thought of her, if the girl was willing to be pleasant, Amber was happy to go along. "Thanks, I love it."
Glancing past Jessica, she waved to Edward and Bella, gesturing for them to come in, not letting go of Mike's hand. She knew things still weren't exactly friendly between him and Edward and although she knew he resented Edward for having, as he saw it, stolen Bella from him, she hoped their coming wouldn't dampen his mood. She squeezed his fingers lightly, turning to smile at him. She knew she was hardly a substitute for Bella, but she wanted to make sure he knew that at least in her house, he still had priority, despite her friendship with the Cullens.
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Post by Edward Cullen on Jan 8, 2009 22:24:14 GMT -5
The drive over to Amber's new home was almost painful for Edward. He felt as though Bella was driving at almost a snail's pace. He fidgeted a little over in the passenger side seat, not out of any human pent up energy but because it would seem a normal response to Bella, who he knew was tempted to see how he was reacting to her driving.
"No, it wasn't horrible, although there's a good chance she's already sold her new home and is moving somewhere else now" Edward teased her about the length of time her slow speed had taken them to get there.
It seemed they weren't late however when Jessica pulled up shortly after them. Edward walked around the front of the car to join Bella who had already out of the car. He took her hand in his, while the other hand held a small gift bag that they had brought as a housewarming gift (and belated birthday gift) for Amber. Edward walked with Bella inside the home as Amber invited them in. He walked close enough to allow him to hand the bag to Amber.
"We brought this for you...a housewarming gift" He told her, enjoying being able to give a gift as part of a couple. It was a new experience for him. He had gotten her a brass door knocker, and had engraved on it: Ms. Amber Jefferson. He hoped that she would like it and not think it was a stupid gift. It seemed fitting for her first home, a way of establishing her independence from the torments of foster care that he had seen in her mind.
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alex
New to Town
Human
voice of an angel
Posts: 4
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Post by alex on Jan 8, 2009 22:38:30 GMT -5
Alex looked at the invitation once more as he was driving his truck through Forks. He had been a little surprised when he had gotten one since he didn't know Amber that well. Alex was amicable though and he had been nice to her the few times they had talked over the years, so he supposed that had been enough to get invited to this huge party. In fact most of their class had heard about it and were probably going to show up.
The rumor tree said that Mike Newton had planned the thing for her, and that it was going to be huge. Alex was usually shy around a lot of people, but it was junior year and he figured he should live it up while he had the chance. The whole socializing aspect would be good and he was sure there would be girls there and maybe some of his friends from school. Alex had decided earlier he was going to try and be more outgoing tonight and get to know people better. He had dressed in a nice blue button down shirt and jeans with sneakers.
Alex parked in front of the cottage and grabbed the card for Amber from the passenger seat. He had put fifty dollars in there for her since he wasn't sure what to get a girl for her eighteenth birthday. Alex didn't spend a lot of his money and his parents had a lot of it, so he didn't mind giving some of it to Amber for her birthday. There were a few other cars parked outside and he noticed Edward Cullen's. The Cullens gave Alex the creeps personally, but they were never hostile or anything, just really quiet and close knit at school.
Alex shut off the engine and got out, closing the door behind him. He walked to the door and took a breath before ringing the door bell. Alex waited patiently outside with the card in hand for someone to answer the door of the small cottage. He was nervous about the whole thing, but still felt like he should get to know everyone better. Tonight was going to be fun, he could just feel it.
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Post by Mike Newton on Jan 9, 2009 5:20:26 GMT -5
Smirking as Amber asked him about who he had invited he simply shrugged his shoulders. "Just a couple people," he told her quietly. He hoped she wouldn't mind. She had told him he was free to invite some people. It wasn't his fault that Forks High was such a small school and that word passed through it like a wildfire.
He felt guilty as Amber leaned her head against him. He didn't mean to cause her any stress. He patted her on the shoulder. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "But you worry to much, you look absolutely wonderful," he complimented as his eyes scanned up and down her form, taking in her outfit. What he said definitely wasn't a lie.
With amusement he watched as Amber's previous worried words transformed into confident greetings at the flick of a switch. Jessica Stanley was the first to enter through the door to Mike's disappointment. That was going to be awkward. Though he had been the one to invite her...he now wished he could take that invitation back. He wasn't sure what he had been thinking when he had opened his mouth, clearly he wasn't. But he was sure with his invite or not the word of a part would have reached her and she would have made an appearance.
To his surprise he found his hand suddenly in Amber's, though as he turned to look at Jessica he could see why. Jess was failing miserably at putting on a fake smile and her bitterness was shining through the fake. Mike stifled a laugh, for some reason he found her bitter mood amusing. She had no right to be jealous of any other girl Mike associated himself with, especially since they were no longer dating. Mike had never shown any form of jealousy when Jessica had taken to dating other guys after they had broken up. "Hey Jess," he greeted her with a smirk.
He felt the squeeze of his hand from Amber and he turned back toward the front door to see the reason behind it. He watched as Edward and Bella approached the threshold of the small cottage that belonged to Amber. Mike greeted Edward with a fake grin for Amber's sake, but it quickly turned into a genuine smile as he saw Bella. "Hey Bella," he greeted. For a moment he let his mind wander with thoughts of Bella Swan, but those quickly disappeared as he heard the approach of yet another vehicle. "Who's that?" Mike questioned curiously.
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Post by Amber Jefferson on Jan 9, 2009 7:59:52 GMT -5
Amber couldn’t help rolling her eyes at Mike’s admission of guilt. If his words were as accurate as most of his estimates were, the few he had invited was more likely to be the entire school. She was grateful now that she had insisted on choosing a house with a wraparound deck, at least it meant that there would be extra room outside, and even in the little garden if there turned out to be too many for the house to cope with. She couldn’t possibly be angry at him though, she knew he had only done what he thought would be best to make her party better, and despite the butterflies in her stomach, she was still grateful to him for that. She was glad to have turned away so quickly to answer the door as she felt her face growing warm at his compliment. She had been concerned she would look ridiculous at her own party, and it made her feel far better to know that at least Mike thought she looked good, even if no one else did.
She was almost too engrossed in greeting her guests to notice the faint laughter from behind her, followed by Mike’s greeting to Amber. She couldn’t help wondering why he should find Jessica’s arrival so amusing. It was hardly the highlight of the day, and it would certainly put a damper on her mood, no matter how slight. She was glad though when his humour stayed at least partially present when he greeted Edward and Bella, although it surprised her that she felt a slight twinge of something when she saw his face light up at the sight of Bella. It wasn’t quite jealousy, and not quite sadness, but something in between. She knew it was ridiculous to feel that way. There were so many reasons not to: Bella blatantly saw Mike as a friend, and nothing more; she was with Edward, and likely always would be, judging from the way they acted together; but most of all, she knew that Mike thought of her as just a friend, and no matter what she thought of him, she doubted that would ever change.
Amber gasped in delight as she opened the gift bag Edward handed her, pulling out the brass doorknocker and running a finger over the engraving. Before she could stop it, a tear ran down her cheek, and she wiped it away quickly, hoping it hadn’t been noticed. She had no doubt that it had been Edward’s idea to choose the present, and it brought home to her just how real the day was, how real everything was. She was finally free of everything she had dealt with all her life, free to be her own person. Turning, she held the gift out to Mike to show him, unable to word how much it had touched her. Edward never ceased to surprise her. They barely knew each other and yet in a sense he knew her better than anyone. He understood what it was like for her to have never had a place to call home and she was grateful for that. Coughing a little to hide her reaction, she looked up at him and Bella, smiling broadly.
“Thank you so much, it’s perfect” she said simply, unable to find any other way to express her thanks. Instead of trying, she stepped forward, wrapping her arms round him for a moment before stepping back quickly. She knew he wasn’t nearly as much a fan of contact as she was, always avoiding it when possible, but it seemed the only way she could give any indication of how much it meant to her. Turning to Bella, she repeated the gesture, feeling slightly less comfortable with the girl she hardly knew, but no less grateful. Taking another step back, she made way for them to move into the room, the movement bringing her back to stand next to Mike. She hooked an arm back through his, hoping to reassure him that his gift, and presence, were no less appreciated than Edward’s. Besides, she thought to herself, in a sense, he was her fellow host for the day, and she wasn’t about to let him feel upstaged. She was distracted when he spoke, turning away from the growing crowd to listen to him.
Following his eyes, Amber glanced out the door. She had come to know the sounds of most of the student’s cars and this one was unfamiliar to her. It made her nervous again, wondering who could be arriving that she didn’t know. She knew from experience that, even though she was now out on her own, her foster parents in Forks could still make life hard for her, and she hoped they hadn’t heard about her party and decided to crash it. When she saw who was in the car though, she smiled and relaxed, heading for the door again and opening it to admit the new guest. She knew Mike hadn’t yet met Alex, an unusual occurrence in their town, and quickly introduced them. She barely knew him, though he had always been pleasant to her, and wondered how he had come to be invited, but quickly pushed it to the back of her mind. So far, things seemed to be turning out well, and there seemed to be no reason to expect otherwise.
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