Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

A Good Thing

By Momma2Fan

Chapter 02:

BPOV

I finally closed my books and stretched, I had been at it for a while. I looked at the clock and realized that four hours had passed since I asked Emmett for two hours of silence. He is gonna kill me. I quickly got up and ran down the steps. Everyone was sitting in the living room in what looked to be a strategy session.

“Sorry, guys, I didn’t mean to take so long.” I said as I entered the room. Four heads popped up to look in my direction. I giggled because it didn’t look like they knew how much time had passed.

“No problem, Bells. Are you gonna start dinner now?” Jasper asked.

“Yeah,” I said. “Did you guys decide what you wanted?”

“I’m good with whatever,” Edward said. A chorus of agreement went through the group. 

I simply nodded and went into the kitchen. I turned on the radio we kept under the cabinet and turned up the volume. I opened the freezer as I hummed to Sara Evans, taking out the ingredients for spaghetti and meatballs. I preheated the oven for the bread and retrieved everything I would need for my homemade sauce. While doing this my favorite song came on the radio.

If I die young bury me in satin

Lay me down on a bed of roses

Sink me in the river at dawn

Send me away with the words of a love song

uh oh uh oh

I didn’t notice the four heads that popped around the corner of the living room.

Lord make me a rainbow, I’ll shine down on my mother

She’ll know I’m safe with you when she stands under my colors, oh and

Life ain’t always what you think it ought to be, no

ain’t even grey, but she buries her baby

The sharp knife of a short life, well

I’ve had just enough time

I was busy chopping the vegetables and preparing the meatballs to simmer in the sauce. If I had seen the looks that were passing on the faces of my brother and his friends, I would have been very nervous. It was a good thing I was focused.

If I die young bury me in satin

Lay me down on a bed of roses

Sink me in the river at dawn

Send me away with the words of a love song

The sharp knife of a short life, well

I’ve had just enough time

And I’ll be wearing white when I come into your kingdom

I’m as green as the ring on my little cold finger

I’ve never known the lovin’ of a man

But it sure felt nice when he was holding my hand

There’s a boy here in town says he’ll love me forever

Who would have thought forever could be severed by

The sharp knife of a short life, well

I’ve had just enough time

I placed the meatballs in the sauce as it simmered and got out another pot to start the water boiling for the pasta. I was so busy getting the cutting board and a large bowl out, I didn’t notice when I was joined in the kitchen.

So put on your best boys and I’ll wear my pearls

What I never did is done

A penny for my thoughts, oh no I’ll sell them for a dollar

They’re worth so much more after I’m a goner

And maybe then you’ll hear the words I’ve been singin’

Funny when you’re dead how people start listenin’

If I die young bury me in satin

Lay me down on a bed of roses

Sink me in the river at dawn

Send me away with the words of a love song

oh oh

The ballad of a dove

Go with peace and love

Gather up your tears; keep them in your pocket

Save them for a time when you’re really gonna need them oh

The sharp knife of a short life, well

I’ve had just enough time

So put on your best boys and I’ll wear my pearls

I turned to the refrigerator to get vegetables for a salad and squealed, realizing for the first time I wasn’t alone. Placing my hand over my heart, “What the fuck guys? You scared the shit out of me.” I went over and turned down the volume on the radio. “What’s up?”

Before anyone could answer me, a little voice came from the living room toward the kitchen. “I’m all done, I’m all finished, college is over for me. Ooh, do I smell spaghetti?” Alice skipped into the kitchen. She smiled as she saw us all congregated around the table. “What’s going on people?” She walked over to Jasper and gave him a kiss before sitting on his lap.

“I was just asking the same thing, Tink.” I called her ‘Tink’ short for tinkerbell because she was a pixie little thing. “Anyone want to explain?”

Everyone looked at Edward. He rolled his eyes and looked at me. “Okay, here’s the deal. I’ve finished writing two new songs and after practicing them we’ve realized that Rose’s voice is all wrong for them. We were wondering if you would sing them with us?”

I just stared at the faces of the people who had become my family. “You want me to what? I don’t sing.”

“Bullshit! We all heard you. You can belt out a song better than any female vocalist I’ve heard in a while. No offense, Rose.”

“None taken. Listen, Bella, we know that you’re getting ready to graduate and you wanna start your career. We aren’t trying to diminish that, but we would like you to sing the songs, and then decide. You have a very strong voice, sweetie, and I think you would blend really well with Edward.” Rose wasn’t one to dole out the compliments but when she did they were usually pretty good.

Her last words caught my attention, blend with Edward. “Wait! You want me to sing a duet with Edward. Now I know you’re all nuts.” I turned to stir the sauce and start chopping the vegetable for the salad.

“Come on, Bella. What’s so bad about singing with me?” Edward appeared at my side.

I looked up into his emerald eyes. I’d always had a little crush in him, but he was my brother’s best friend. Who looks at their best friend’s little sister? “I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant that you are so talented and I would totally be in your shadow.”

EPOV

Seriously, she thought she would be in my shadow. I couldn’t help it when my jaw fell open in surprise and the laugh that followed. “You wouldn’t be in my shadow. You would be sharing the spotlight with me.” I watched her face as she took in that new information. I could almost see the wheels turning in her head.

“Do I have to decide tonight? How soon do you want to add these songs to your repertoire?” She asked as she finished making the salad for dinner. She handed it to me to put on the table.

I walked over and sat the salad bowl down as everyone else got up to help set the table and get dressings for the salad. “You don’t have to decide tonight. Get through your finals, we’ll get through this gig, and then talk about again. If you wouldn’t mind though, can you rehearse with us tonight just to see how it sounds? That way if you decide to go for it, I can make the necessary changes to the music.”

Bella turned toward the table with rest of our dinner and set it down. “Okay, I’ll sing them with you tonight and then see what happens in the next week or so. Does that work for everyone?”

A chorus of agreement went around the table.

We all sat down and dug into the dinner that Bella had prepared. It was delicious. I’m not sure what we did before she moved in, lots of takeout and frozen pizza. After dinner was done, Bella left the kitchen so that we could clean up. The unspoken rule of the house was Bella never had to wash the dishes because she always cooked.

“Do you think she’ll actually sing with us?” Jasper asked. He was the most sensitive of our group, always in tune with how everyone was feeling.

“I’m not sure. What do you think, Em?” Emmett was putting the leftovers in plastic containers and looked at me.

He shrugged, “I really don’t know. She was never really one for the spotlight. I guess she’ll have to get used to it if she ever wants to write a novel. Public appearances and all that. How would that really be any different from singing on stage with us?”

“Good point. Let’s just see after she rehearses with us. Do you think Alice will come in and listen with a critical ear?” I asked Jazz.

“Sure. You know Alice is always ready to give her opinion.” We laughed, she was an opinionated little pixie.

Once the kitchen was cleaned up and everything put away, we walked into the living room and grabbed the girls. We made our way to the garage and I handed Bella the sheet music. I knew that she could read it because she had taught Emmett. He was great on the drums, but the buffoon had only ever picked up the beats, he’d never actually read them. I strapped on my guitar and plugged it into my amp as Jasper did the same. 

“You’ll sing the second verse and harmonize with me on the chorus, okay?” I asked.

She nodded her head as she read the papers I had handed her. Rose was plugging in the extra microphone while the rest of us warmed up a little and tuned our instruments. Once Rose was in position behind her keyboards, I looked at Bella to see if she was ready. She looked up at me and I could see the nerves in her eyes.

“Relax, there’s no audience. It’s just us and Alice, you’ll be fine. Ready?” I tried to soothe her nerves. She finally nodded her head. I looked at Em and he counted it off.

“1, 2, 3…” Rose and Jasper began playing.

(Edward)

I really hate to let this moment go

Touching your skin and your hair falling slow

When a goodbye kiss, feels like this

(Both)

Don’t you wanna stay here a little while

Don’t you wanna hold each other tight

Don’t you wanna fall asleep with me tonight

Don’t you wanna stay here a little while

We can make forever feel this way

Don’t you wanna stay

(Bella)

Let’s take it slow I don’t want to move to fast

I don’t wanna just make love, I wanna make love last

When you’re up this high, it’s a sad goodbye

(Both)

Don’t you wanna stay here a little while

Don’t you wanna hold each other tight

Don’t you wanna fall asleep with me tonight

Don’t you wanna stay here a little while

We can make forever feel this way

Don’t you wanna stay

Oh yeah!

Oh it feels so perfect baby. (That it feels so perfect baby)

Don’t you wanna stay here a little while…

Don’t you wanna stay here a little while

Don’t you wanna hold each other tight

Don’t you wanna fall asleep with me tonight

Don’t you wanna stay here a little while

We can make forever feel this way

Don’t you wanna stay

Don’t you wanna stay…

yeah yeah yeahhh

yeah yeah yeahhh

Once the last notes faded away we all looked at each other, and then over at Bella. That was exactly how I had wanted the song to sound when I had written it.

“WOW!”Alice jumped down from her perch. “That was awesome! Bella, I didn’t know you could sing like that, you’re so good. Why didn’t you choose music as your profession?”

“Yeah, Bells. I never knew you could sing like that and I’ve known you your whole life.” 

Bella’s face was a shade of crimson I’ve never seen before. “Thanks. That was a really good song, Edward. I uh…I gotta go get some rest before my finals tomorrow. See you guys.” She fled from the room quickly.

“Damn! I never knew my music could sound like that. We are so going to have to talk her into performing with us guys. We would kick ass.” I wasn’t sure what we were going to do to convince her, but I knew we had to try.