So I had very little reviews for the last chapter...

Sigh...

But as it happens, this fic continues to rattle around in my head and I have many new ideas. I can't seem to give it up. Still, If you read please review.

As you can see, I've changed the title of this fic. It used to be 'Isabella Swan and the Magic Within' but I felt that that title did not accurately portray what the story is about so I've now changed it to 'Whatever Happens'. I hope this change didn't cause any confusion.

Well, that's enough of that! Let's get on with it!

Chapter 11

Girl's Choice

"You need to tell someone!" Rosalie hissed angrily, "he can't be allowed to get away with this!"

"She's right Bella," Alice whispered anxiously, "What if he tries to hurt you again?"

Bella shook her head. "No, I just want to get over it," she said shakily, "pretend it never happened. I don't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing I was afraid. I just won't go anywhere on my own anymore...I'll avoid him."

Rosalie and Alice exchanged glances. All three girls sat cross-legged on Bella's bed, the curtains drawn around them. It was quite late and they could hear the gentle 'whooshing' of Jessica and Angela's breaths as they slept. Apart from their whispered conversation, those were the only sounds in the darkened room.

"Atleast, let's tell the boys," Alice suggested, "They can deal with James."

"No way!" Bella whisper shouted.

"Yeah that's a bad idea," Rosalie agreed softly, "They'll just start a fight and get themselves in trouble. Bella needs to take this to Professor Longbottom. You know just the use of...that word...gains you an instant suspension."

"Exactly, that'll just make him angry!" Bella said closing her eyes as she remembered James' cold expression, "I think he was just trying to scare me, maybe it's what he does for fun or something..."

"Then he's got a sick sense of humour," Alice said disgusted.

"Well we all know that," Rosalie stated. "Bella..." She started hesitantly, "If you're sure, then I won't say anything more about it, but I'll make sure to keep an eye on Hunt, sick bastard."

oOo

Almost two weeks had passed without further interference from James. Bella had gone back to wearing her old clothes, even less comfortable in the short skirts and tight blouses since her encounter with James. Alice, however, was still doing all she could to catch Jasper's eye, but while she now had a small following of male admirers, Jasper was not one of them. Infact, he and Maria seemed closer than ever.

"Is she his girlfriend?" Alice asked Emmett at breakfast one morning. She was once again watching Maria flirt and joke with Jasper.

"Nah," Emmett chuckled, "atleast, if she is, he hasn't said anything to us about it."

"And we're his best mates, so he would've," Edward added helpfully.

"But she's really keen on him isn't she?" Emmett said glancing over at the girl in question, "She's pretty fit too... I dunno though, Jasper hasn't been too clear on whether he likes he or not."

"Maybe he doesn't," Bella said smiling encouragingly at Alice, "maybe he's just being polite to her."

"Or maybe he just wants some of whatever she's offering," Rosalie said dryly.

"Rose!" Bella hissed, glaring at her.

"What, I'm just being realistic," Rosalie said, then turned to Emmett and Edward, "You two are his friends, don't you think that's what he's hoping to gain by talking to Villanueva?"

Edward looked uncomfortable as he glanced at his cousin but Emmett shrugged.

"I don't see why not," he said, "Jasper's not an idiot, why wouldn't he?"

"Well, that's all well and good!" Alice said in a falsely cheerful voice, "but we've got more important things to worry about today!"

"Oh no," Bella groaned, "I was hoping you had forgotten."

"Never!" Emmett and Alice chimed.

"Bella, it happens on the same day every year," Edward said smirking at her, "We're not likely to forget are we?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "I guess we better get this over with then..."

"Aw, look, she's blushing," Emmett snickered, leaning over the table to poke Bella's cheek. Giggling, she swatted his arm.

"Alright, shall I go first?" Alice said quickly. She seemingly pulled a sparkly silver package out of nowhere, "Here you go Bella!"

"Thank you Alice," Bella said genuinely.

"Don't thank me yet! Open it!"

Bella gingerly unwrapped the present taking care to preserve the sparkly wrapping paper amid groans from the others and chants of 'Rip it!'. As the silver wrapping paper finally slipped away a sliver of shiny blue material was revealed. Bella pulled out the folded fabric and shook it out discretely infront of her. It was a dress, a beautiful flowing ball gown in blue silk.

"Alice," Bella said stunned, "This is too much, it's so beautiful..."

"Oh pish posh!" Alice said waving a hand dismissively, "I saw it and I thought of you. It's one of my mother's designs, do you like it?"

"Oh Alice, I love it," Bella said hugging her tiny friend, "I don't know if I'll ever go to any where posh enough for me to wear it, but it is gorgeous!"

"Oh don't worry about that," Alice said with a smirk, "I've got a feeling you'll be wearing that dress soon enough."

"Bella, someone else should go before me," Rosalie said calmly, "My gift for you is upstairs, I'll show you later, you'd be mortified if I whipped it out right now."

Bella stared at her speechlessly. She said, "Thanks Rose, that makes me feel much better."

"My turn!" Emmett said grinning, he thrust a badly wrapped parcel at her.

"Oh the suspense," Bella joked as she once again removed the wrapping paper slowly. It turned out that Emmett had bought her a Wizard's joke book. The only difference between this and a Muggle joke book was that it randomly shouted out rude jokes and insults when you least expected it.

"Erm, thanks Emmett," Bella laughed, always appreciating Emmett's gifts for their comedic value, "I'll use it well."

"Wait, did you lot start without me?" Jasper said as he slid into the seat next to Emmett.

"Forgive me if I'm right," Rosalie said raising her eyebrows at him, "but weren't you over there mentally shagging Villanueva a moment ago?"

Jasper raised his eyebrows. Rosalie raised hers even higher. He sighed.

"You could've called me."

"We didn't like to interupt," Rosalie said sweetly, "You looked like you were getting somewhere. And knowing Maria it'd be fast."

"Hey, now don't-" Jasper started in a slightly offended tone but Edward cleared his throat loudly.

"I think we're all here to celebrate Bella's birthday," He said cooly and gave both Rose and Jasper hard looks. Rosalie rolled her eyes at him but Jasper nodded and looked slightly embarrased.

"Sorry Bella," He said.

"No problem," Bella said awkwardly as Alice sat beside her in tense silence.

"Here's the present I got you," Jasper said smiling as he handed her a small square card board box, "Happy birthday Bell."

"No wrapping paper?" Bella asked, quirking an eyebrow at him in amusement.

Jasper smirked and the tension around the group was dissolved. "No, couldn't bear the thought of waiting here all day for you to tell me what an awesome gift I got you."

"Haha," Bella said sarcastically as she popped open the lid of the box. Inside was an even smaller wooden box with a wind up switch with small numbers running in a circle around it.

"It's a music box," Jasper explained, "but it's not just any music box. If you tap it with your wand and then let it, well...hear, any song you've got playing, like over the wireless or whatever, it immediately records it and then you can listen to it where ever you go."

"Jas, this is an awesome gift!" Bella squealed happily, "It's like the wizards version of an ipod!"

"A what?" Jasper asked confused.

"Don't worry about it mate," Emmett chuckled.

"I guess that just leaves me," Edward said, "although I must admit I'm a bit worried after seeing your reaction to Jas' gift, maybe I should've gone first after all."

"Yes, you should've," Jasper said smugly, "my gift is clearly the best."

"Well we haven't seen Edward's yet have we?" Alice said but a tiny smile on her face made Bella think that she had.

Edward smiled as he pulled a soft velvet puch out of his pocket and handed it to Bella. "Happy Birthday," he said softly and Bella couldn't help but blush.

She drew open the drawstring pouch excitedly. Inside, delicately coiled up was what looked like a silver chain. Bella carefully pulled it out. It was a necklace, with a heartshaped locket for a pendant. Bella gasped lightly, bringing it closer to her face. On the silver heart, written in curling font, were the words 'My Bestfriend'. Tears pricked in her eyes as she stared at the pendant.

"Look inside," Edward urged donning his crooked smile.

Bella unlatched the locket with almost trembling fingers. Inside was picture she almost couldn't remember having been taken. It was of her and Edward, but they were only about twelve years old. It had been taken the first summer that Bella had stayed over at Alice's house. She, Alice and Edward had been playing a game of exploding snap and when the cards suddenly exploded Bella had jumped so hard that she fell over into Edward and the two them erupted into hysterical laughter, that was when Edward's mum, who had apparently been watching , snapped the picture.

"Wow Edward," Bella said softly as she touched the picture with the tip of her finger, "thank you, this is great."

"Really?" He asked almost uncertainly as he took in her expression, "do you like it?"

"I love it," Bella said quickly plastering a happy smile on her face, "actually, I'll never take it off." She fastened the necklace around her neck, the chain was long enough that the pendant was hidden by the collar of her robes so she knew that it would be alright for her to wear it in school.

"It looks good on you Bells," Emmett said, then he ruffled Edward's hair, "Who knew Eddie here would be so good at picking out jewellery?"

"Oh yeah Ed, on the turn are we?" Jasper snickered.

Edward glared at the both of them and it was apparent that some sort of fight was about to start so the girls quickly excused themselves by saying Bella had to put her presents away. Up in the empty dormitory Alice and Rosalie turned to face her concernedly.
"What's wrong?" Alice asked as a tear slipped from Bella's eye, "I saw how you looked when he gave you that necklace."

"Look," Bella said, lifting the chain so that the light hit the locket and illuminated the words on it for her friends to see.

"That's what I am to him," Bella sighed sadly, "Maybe that's all I'll ever be. I mean, how can I change how he feels right?" She took a deep breath, "Sorry guys, I'm totally over reacting, I know. It's just, to see it written there so plainly...not that I don't like it. I mean, he is my bestfriend, I mean, aside from you two obviously, and I love that, but I also love him! And he doesn't know and-"

"Bella!" Rosalie shouted cutting her off as she shook her shoulders roughly. Bella stopped hyperventilating.

"Sorry," Bella whispered, "I just feel a bit off today, I guess."

"PMS, your period's going to come in two days," Alice supplied helpfully.

"Thanks Al," Bella sniffled.

Rosalie took out her handkerchief and used it to dry Bella's eyes in one of her rare tender moments. "It'll be alright Bella, one day he'll see you as something more," She promised, "and if he doesn't then he's even more of a bloody idiot than I thought."

Bella chuckled weakly through her tears. "Thanks Rose," she said fanning her face with one hand, "Merlin, I feel a fool for crying like that."

"Don't," Alice said sitting next to her on the bed, "I feel like crying everytime I see Jasper with Maria. It's like he just doesn't see me. Not how I see him..."

Bella nodded dabbing her eyes again with Rose's handkerchief. "Maybe we should just, you know, accept being...just friends..."

"What, give up?" Alice said jumping up, "No way! I never give up Bella Swan. And as one of my bestest pals neither do you! Now we're going to get our men if-"

Alice stopped talking abruptly and her eyes glazed over.

"Didn't she give up on our homework Potions essay last night?" Rosalie took the moment to ask dryly and Bella laughed.

Alice's eyes brightened as she came out of her vision. "I've just seen our chance," She said excitedly, "You know how you told me that the Head Boy and Girl have been trying to convince McGonagall to allow us to have a dance?"

"Yeah, but she's been really tough about it, why?" Bella asked confused.

"Well I've just seen that next month, she'll agree to it!" Alice revealed happily, "She must've made the decision already but hasn't let them know yet. It'll be a masquerade ball for Halloween, and Bella...?"

"Yeah."

"It's going to be Girls choice."

"Oh crap..."

...

"Hey, atleast you know where you can wear that dress now right? Good one Ali."

"I know right? I am the business!"

Here's to hoping and praying there'll be more reviews this time...

*Pouts and widens eyes to puppy dog size* Pretty please!

Til the next Mon Amies!

Er... that's how you spell that right? Sorry...I didn't take French...