"We haven't even been on the road an hour and you need to stop already?" I complained. Rosalie's lack of bladder control really bugged me sometimes.
"I'm sorry, Alice! I really gotta go!" Rosalie exclaimed back to me. She was holding her crotch and dancing around in the backseat.
"Maybe it's the three cups of coffee you had before we left, Rose" Bella giggled, "Or the two glasses of orange juice you had at McDonalds."
"Shut it, Bells. I didn't have to go then but I really gotta go now. Alice, will you please stop? I don't care if you pull off on the shoulder of the road, just please let me pee!" Rosalie's face was half pained and half humorous. I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. I followed the signs to nearest rest stop and pulled into a parking space.
Before I could even get my seatbelt unbuckled, Rosalie was halfway to the bathrooms. I smiled to myself as I got out to stretch my legs. Bella got out to get a drink out of the cooler in the trunk. We didn't pack many snacks knowing from last year's experience that we wouldn't be able to take any past the front gates.
" I'm gonna go to the bathroom while we're stopped, alright Al?" Bella said as she came around the car.
"Yeah, good idea." I followed Bella to the bathrooms and noticed Rosalie standing by the vending machines.
"Hey Rose, we have plenty of snacks for the trip. Save your money for merch at the show." Bella started to remind her of the trunk full of junk food they had packed but quickly caught onto the fact that Rosalie wasn't paying attention to Bella or the vending machine.
"Hey guys! You're never going to believe this," Rosalie squealed as the other two girls got closer, "but Emmet and his two friends are headed to the same place we are!" Rosalie grabbed my hand and bounced in place with an ear to ear smile.
"Who's Emmet?" Bella asked, unimpressed by Rosalie's news.
The stocky guy next to Rosalie cleared his throat and said "That would be me. Nice to meet you." He extended his hand towards me and I shook it while introducing myself. "I'm Alice. This is Bella." I gestured towards our not so welcoming friend.
Bella didn't extend her hand but gave a head nod towards him and replied with a simple "what's up".' Bella didn't take to strangers well. Especially ones Rosalie seems to attract. As we stood there chatting (well, we were chatting. Bella stood back, brooding) two more guys came out of the bathrooms. One a little taller than the other, around the same size. Both very attractive, but one catching my attention more so than the other.
His hair was cut short, bleached blonde and gelled into a very, very adorable faux hawk. He wore a fitted black v-neck t-shirt with white surf shorts and black slip-on shoes. What caught my attention most was his deep blue eyes. I couldn't help but to stare and almost get lost in his ocean eyes. He must have noticed me staring because he laughed awkwardly and introduced himself.
"Hi, I'm James." His voice was like satin sheets tucking me in on a hot summer night. I was getting carried away by thoughts of being tucked in satin sheets when Bella nudged me in the side and cleared her throat.
"Oh, hello. I, uh...I'm Alice. Nice to meet you." I couldn't help but be embarrassed. He must have known I was four seconds from drooling all down the front of my shirt.
I turned to yell at Bella with my eyes but she was no longer beside me. I looked around, and neither was Rosalie. Neither of them or their new friends were around. It was just me and James.
I laughed nervously. "I guess they went to the bathroom?" I wasn't sure what else to say to make the situation that I was practically salivating any less awakward.
He switched weight to his other foot and said "No, they went back to the cars. They thought you needed to use the bathroom. I was waiting here for you to ensure no creepy truck drivers tried to take you away." He flashed me an award winning smile and my knees almost gave out.
"Get it together, Alice, before this guy thinks you're a creep!" I told myself on the inside. "Oh! No, I was just, uh..." I quickly scanned the bulletin board behind him looking for an easy way out. I said the first thing my eyes saw. "I was gonna ask if you knew that Washington state produces more apples than any other state?" I was cringing in my head at the stupidity of that statement but it was the first thing I saw.
He laughed slightly and said "No, I didn't know that. But I think you're friends are waiting for you." He turned me around and pointed to Bella and Rosalie waving their hands at me to come back to the car.
"Yea, I guess we need to get going," I said in defeat at we walked back towards our cars. Rosalie was in the drivers side and Bella was in the backseat. Before I got into the passenger seat I turned back to James and asked for his number.
"You know," I hurriedly explained, trying not to sound like a creep, "since we're all going to the same show. Maybe we could meet up or something after we get there."
He smiled and reached into his car, looking for something to write on. I couldn't help but notice when his shirt rose up his back, just a little. The band of his boxers barely showing and the joints of my knees barely holding my small frame up. He turned back and took my hand in his as he scribbled his number on my arm.
"See you girls later," James said as he shut his car door and sped out of the resting area parking lot.
I just stood there. Stunned
"Well, Alice, get your ass in the car. Come on. We're gonna be late!" Bella scolded.
I lowered myself into the car and after putting my seatbelt on, I pulled my phone out to program his number into it...
"I'm sorry..." I said, "I shouldn't be relaying every thought I had."
"It's okay. This is good. I'm glad you remember all that, but do you remember anything weird about any of them? What they said, how they said something? Anything?" Jasper rubbed the back of my hand with his thumb.
I shook my head. Jasper and I had met at the party. The party we all three went to. The party that I can't remember anything about. The party that I'm sure has everything to do with the fact that I'm missing my two best friends...
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