Presents

June 2011

Bella's POV:

Well, this is it. The beginning to a new era in my life. Today, I just finished my last final and tomorrow, I will be walking down the aisle with my best friends as college graduates. Five long years and finally we will be done. I will have three weeks of freedom before starting up as a therapist for teen addiction down at the local YMCA. It's something that I have been wanting to do since I took my first psychology class. The teen mind just mesmerized me. But first there was a couple of loose ends to tie up. My best friends, and suite mates, were about to get the present of their lives. Not only were we moving to our new townhouse together, but I got them a graduation present that I am certain will make them just as ecstatic about it as I am. I looked at the time on the radio, and saw that I had exactly twenty minutes to make it to the dorm and lay the presents on their beds before they got home. I wanted it to be a surprise. And boy would it ever be! I had been working my ass off for this and we all needed it. Yet, as I pulled into the parking lot, I was surprised to find both of their cars already there. Crap! Oh well, I guess it will be plan B.

I guess I should catch you all up first. Since you do not know me or my friends, it would make sense to start at the beginning. Or at least tell you who we are.

My name is Isabella, but I like the shortened version - Bella - better. I am your average All American girl. You know the type: brown hair, brown eyes. My build is slender, with just a hint to curves. Did I mention I am average? Now onto my best friends, Alice and Rose are total opposites of me and each other. Alice is short, barely reaching five feet tall, with short cropped hair and eyes that dance and sparkle. She's very energetic and loves to shop. How a girl her size can carry that many bags is beyond me. She will be graduating with a degree in Fashion Marketing and already has a job lined up to work at the Vogue Magazine headquarters here in New York. Then there is Rosalie, or 'Rose' as she likes to be called. She's a vision of perfection: blond hair, blue eyes, tall, and tan. You get the picture. Now, here is a surprise. Not only is she gorgeous, but she is also incredibly smart. It took her a while to find her groove in college, since she had not a clue as to what she wanted to do, but tomorrow, she will be the first woman at our school to graduate with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. With her love of cars, this was a no brainer!

Now, you are probably wondering how we met and became such good friends. Well, we actually met during our freshman year of college. As fate would have it, we were randomly assigned to be dormmates and have never separated once in the last five years. None of us ever really dated, because we never seemed to find anyone that we wanted to date. For the longest time, people thought that we were lesbian lovers or something. Yes, we did love each other as more than friends: to each other, we were sisters. Don't get me wrong. We would have loved to date around, but there just didn't seem to be anyone who met our high expectations for each other. Instead of bringing a guy home to meet the parents, we would bring them home to meet all of us. If they did not past the friendship test, it was a see-ya!

I made my way up the steps to the apartment style dorm and could smell the Italian food cooking, letting me know that it was Alice's night to cook: she only knows how to make Italian food. No matter how many times she cooks spaghetti, it always smells awesome. I unlocked the door, kicking my shoes off into my bedroom, which was the first door you come across, and then went inside to grab the envelopes that were tucked inside my desk drawer. I held them to my chest for a moment, praying that Alice and Rose would love the gift. Walking towards the kitchen, I noticed Rose sitting on the sofa with the newest edition of Hot Rod Magazine. I sat down beside her, knowing full well that I probably had a big goofy smile on my face. Rose noticed, then put her magazine down and looked at me.

"Ok, Bells, spill it. You look like the cat who swallowed the canary," Rose said, looking at me, "You met someone didn't you?" I just shook my head no.

"Alice, can you come in here for a moment?" I called out and Alice came in to sit on the arm rest of the sofa. I handed them each their envelope.

"What is it?" Alice asked.

"Just open it and see! It is your graduation present from me!" I exclaimed, barely able to hold my excitement in.

"Oh. My. God," Rose said as she slid the papers out and really began to read them, "Bella, what in the world?"

"They are round-trip tickets to Miami, where we will board the Carnival Destiny and take a one-week cruise. Then there is a plane ticket from Miami to Orlando, where we will spend a week at Disney World. This is something that I 

have always wanted to do and I could not think of a better time then now and with my best friends. The plane leaves tomorrow night. So...what do you think?" The room became very quiet and I began to worry that they did not like the gift. It wasn't exactly something that I could just take back to a store. I bit my lip, feeling a tear forming in the corner of my eye.

"Bella, this is awesome...but how?" Rose finally asked.

"Please, Rose, just accept it. I have been working on saving for this trip for over a year. We all have three weeks off to be free and I thought that this would be the best thing in the world. And because I love you!" I said.

"Well, then," Alice jumped up, beginning to get a bounce going on her toes, "There is just one thing that we need to do."

"Um, eat dinner," I said.

"No, you silly! We leave in less than twenty-four hours and we have nothing packed! We need to go shopping big time! Let's see," she stopped to go grab a pen and paper, "Luggage, bathing suits, outfits, hats, and sunglasses. Oh my, there is so much to do! Bella, why didn't you give these to us sooner?"

"They were graduation presents," I said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Alright ladies, lets go. We do not have much time. Oh and Bella, leave your cards at home. Rose and I will cover this shopping spree."

We came together in the middle of the living room. One last group hug, then the squeals of joy began to erupt.

"Do you all know what this means?" Rose asked excitedly. Alice and I just shook our heads. "Fourteen days in the sun and plenty of guys for us to look at! Florida is not going to know what hit them!"

And so our trip begins. Saturday we will be walking down the aisle to accept our diplomas and then heading to Kennedy Airport to fly south. Two weeks of nothing but relaxation. Two weeks just being girls before we hit the big working world. After all girls just wanna have fun!

Edward's POV:

Well, I did it. I am finally graduating from medical school, my parent's dream of my being a doctor coming true.

It was so stifling today, I began to pull on my shirt collar. I still could not believe that they put us outside for the ceremony. I suddenly felt something hit the back of my head and rolled my eyes. Only my best friends would be flicking pieces of paper at each other on graduation day. My best friends, two of the greatest guys that I have ever met. We hit it off the very first day of our freshmen year and instantly became great buddies. We did everything together, even date. First there is Emmett; he just looks like a troublemaker, with his dark hair and eyes. Always wearing a goofy grin on his face and plotting some of the greatest stunts and pranks alive! Then there's Jasper, who just about wears his emotions on his sleeve; bright eyes and blonde hair. And finally, there is me, Edward. I am average, so I think, but for some reason, girls are always swooning after me. I have this hair that seems to do whatever it wants and deep green eyes. We may look like an bunch idiots, but we are best friends and nothing could ever separate us.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the class of 2011," the Dean of Students announced. Everyone jumped up and began to throw their hats up in the air. Immediately, I felt myself being lifted into a massive hug which I knew only Emmett could do. I turned around and gave him a brotherly hug just as Jasper showed up.

"Well, son," my dad said from behind me, "I am very proud of you. Of all of you boys. Your mother and I have a present for each of you." He proceeded to pull out three large envelopes and handed one to each of us.

"Holy shit, Mr. Masen," Emmett exclaimed, being the first to see what was inside.

"Dad, this is incredible. But how and why?" I asked.

"You three deserve this trip. The plane leaves in five hours from Kennedy Airport, so I suggest you all get a move on. The car is already packed full of what clothing your mothers thought would be necessary. All of your papers and passports are in each of your envelopes. Along with all the tickets."

I just looked at Jasper and Emmett, eyes sparkling, "Well, boys, I think Florida is going to be in for a big surprise."

"Screw Florida, dude. What about the cruise? Just think of all those hot chicks," Emmett, being the hormonal sex machine, of course was thinking of that.

"Well, we better leave, if we want to make it to the airport on time," Jasper said, he was the sensitive one in the bunch, always thinking ahead.

We ran for the car, excitement brewing. The next two weeks were going to be the best two weeks of my life, I just knew it. And so our trip begins. But little did we know that it would be a trip that would turn our lives upside down.