Holiday Bazaar

Summary: Bella attends an Art Bazaar every year. It was the same old story until she saw the boy at the piano. Now she's spent a year thinking of no one else. What will happen when Alice decides it's time for Bella to meet the man of her dreams? Short Story, Cannon Couples, AU/AH

This is my first venture into writing fan fiction, and I'm a bit nervous. This story is currently only three chapters long, and I have no plans yet to expand it. Please read and let me know what you think! (The next two chapters are both twice as long, and will be up as soon as I edit them, so maybe tonight or tomorrow.)

Now, on to the story!

It is freezing. I am freezing. But it doesn't matter because he is here. He is here.

It's my favorite time of the year—when fall changes into winter, when all the leaves have fallen and your breath comes out like smoke with every exhale. My mother Renee went to school here—here being the Art School that graces the center of the city. Every year students, alumni, and teachers enter their work to be sold for a weekend in the two-story lobby of the school in a winter bazaar. The lobby is always packed that Friday night at the opening with everyone from the poorest students to the richest patrons of the city.

Anxiety flushes the room from the art students struggling to make rent with a nice mix of self-righteousness oozing out of the rich patrons as they 'appreciate' the lower class.

Ah, Christmas in the city.

While I enjoy a good art opening as much as the next person, my mother is an artist after all, I have to admit this particular event didn't excite me until last year. That's when I saw him. Who is he? Well, I don't actually know apart from the man of my dreams, the most gorgeous man to ever set foot on earth, and most certainly the most talented man to ever attend this gathering.

"Bella, art school was the best time of my life," Renee would always say to me.

Sometimes I wish I had listened to Renee when she told me art school was the best decision she ever made. Not that I'm any good at art; I much prefer my literature major. However, was I to attend school with this man—god, Adonis—I think I could find some love of art buried deep within me.

I was walking up the stairs from the lower exhibits, quite a feat for me in the three-inch heels and floor-length dress my best friend Rosalie dressed me in. It's surprising to go without tripping in flats and a pair of shorts, let alone these monster contraptions Rose insists are a must. Keeping my eyes on my feet, though sensible, was obviously not the best course as I ran into the man in front of me on the stairs, slipped on my dress and, bam, I was down. Along with the man's five-dollar glass of wine that spilled rather unfashionably on his much younger date and her very expensive dress. Figures, I'd ruin the one dress in the room that would cost me two months rent.

Fuck.

"I'm so sorry! I can't believe I did that." I frantically apologized, though they were not taken very well. The girl huffed as she made a beeline for the restrooms while her father-aged date gave me an once-over and a wink that hardly could have been considered appropriate before following in his date's direction.

Mortified, I looked around to see if anyone else caught my moment of humiliation only to be met by a pair of the most gorgeous green eyes looking straight at me. My breath caught in my throat. I couldn't make myself look away. Too soon, he tore his gaze away. I then noticed he was chuckling, I assume at me, as he resumed playing the piano for the guests. Stupid, pretty boy with his pretty piano and his ability to walk over flat surfaces.

I went off to find Rose, what I was trying to do before the 'May-December Romance Ruined by Bella Pulling a Bella' episode, only to find her snuggled into the corner with her new boy-toy, Emmett. She is gorgeous which comes with the bonus of having every male's attention, but I know she really wants someone to love what he can't see, regardless of her man-a-week existence.

This is the first year Renee has let me invite Rose and her twin brother Jasper. Their parents have attended for years, but Renee insisted that she needed me by her side all evening in past years. Luckily, after much begging, she finally caved this year.

I've known Rose and Jasper for as long as I can remember. They are my next-door neighbors and my first friends. They happen to be a year older than I, but the three of us could always be found together. No one expects us to be friends. Rosalie, the blonde-bombshell who is actually incredibly smart and got a full-ride to the private college in town, Jasper, the nerd who always had his head in a history book or was engaged in a very important game of chess—as all games of chess inherently are to Jasper, and me, the girl who always had her head stuck in a book and preferred a quieter and more subdued group of friends. We are the three; we balance each other out.

"I hope you don't need Rose anytime soon. I don't even think she's come up for air in, uh, maybe thirty minutes," Jasper said while checking his watch for emphasis. "So have you met 'hunk-of-man of the week' or whatever it is she calls them?"

"Oh you mean the 'Hey Bella, this is Emmett. Emmett, Bella. We're going to go over here now.' Yes, if the one-second introduction of his name and personage is what you are referring to, than I have met him."

"Hey, it's more than I got, and she's my sister. At least you got a 'Hey Bella.'" Jasper pushed himself off the wall to come stand next to me.

"Would you like me to say 'Hey Bella' to you then?" I pointed my finger at his chest for emphasis.

He chuckled at me. "Funny, Bella, so funny."

"Whatever. I have to find some way to entertain myself." I was seriously sick of this place already.

"Sure. What is this, like you're fiftieth time at this shindig?"

"Haha, Jasper. No, it's my eighteenth, I suppose. I have been every year."

"I don't want to know what you did to your mother to deserve being forced into a room with these starving artists and rich buffoons once a year." Good. At least someone else was having no fun.

I sighed. "Renee loves this. It's like reconnecting with her younger self or something."

"Sounds like a mid-life crisis situation." He knew Renee almost as well as I did. We both knew she has always had the emotional range of a teenager. No mid-life crisis, more like life crisis.

I played along. "For eighteen-plus years?"

"Touche." He leaned back onto the wall, and pointed at something, or someone. Renee was stumbling toward me.

"Bellaaaaa!" Oh no, Renee and alcohol do not mix well.

"Yes, Re—Mom?"

"Come meet some of my friends. Can you believe that people I went to school with are teaching here now? " We went through this every year.

"Yes, Mom, I can. I've met all these people before, you know." I was getting frustrated.

"But not when you're about to go off to college!"

Jasper couldn't help but burst into hysterics at this point. Renee was looking especially silly with her glass of wine and inability to remember that I already know all of her friends, regardless of whether or not I am applying to college.

"You know I am planning on going to the City University with Jasper next year," I said to Renee. It's a good school; I've resigned myself to my future as an English teacher.

"A few conversations won't hurt. You really are so stubborn; you could really enjoy art school." She put her hands on her hips, which was quite a feat considering the glass in her hand.

"A, we can't afford it. B, I can't get a scholarship because art and I don't exactly mix. C, well, what am I going to do with an art degree? Can't I just stand here with Jasper and away from the hordes of drunken art enthusiasts?"

Instead of honoring me with a response, Renee dragged me off from laughing Jasper, not even looking back to see the look of disdain I was now giving her.

And so this was how two hours passed. Renee and I must have talked to every professor at this school. Every time I excused myself from a conversation, Renee would as well and would lead me to another group of drunken adults. I may be stubborn all the time, but Renee certainly beats me at the trait when she's drunk.

Near the end of the night, I finally got away from Renee and her rather large group of friends, using the bathroom as an excuse. As I was walking most discreetly back into the top floor of the lobby, I heard the most beautiful song begin on the piano. I suppose I hadn't noticed the plethora of Christmas tunes that had been supplying false cheer to my holiday-nightmare evening, but this stood out. It certainly wasn't a Christmas song, or anything I had ever heard before for that matter. It was the most beautiful piece of music I had ever heard.

I decided to push my way through the crowd, eager to see where this music was coming from only to find Mr. Green Eyes himself playing. That's not exactly right though. He was more than playing; he was pouring his entire self into this piece. I was captivated, enthralled, dazzled. I must have looked strange just staring at this gorgeous guy play himself to pieces as the crowd worked it's way around me.

After what felt like too much and too little time, he ended the song and looked up at me. I don't think I could have moved if I wanted to, but I really didn't want to move anyway. Suddenly his eyes flashed behind me, and his mood seemed to darken.

"Bella! My mom said we should probably help Renee get home now. It's getting late, and she does have that Saturday morning art class to teach tomorrow."

Of course. Thanks Jasper for interrupting staring time with my perfect man. I looked back at Green Eyes only to find him pointedly looking in the opposite direction. Huh.

Jasper and I then found Renee, and he and his dad decided to help me lead her to the car. By the time we reached the front entrance. I still couldn't get over the moment with the piano player so I looked back to find him staring at us from across the room.

I don't know who wouldn't be staring. We were quite the group. My drunken middle-aged mother being talked to like a toddler learning to walk and led out of the door by my nineteen-year old 6'3" movie-star-esque best guy friend and his equally tall and as movie-star-esque father. What a sight, indeed. I was stunned that his mood had changed back to a much lighter one as he winked and gave me the most stunning crooked smile I'd ever seen. He laughed and turned to the person next to him. He gave me a second glance and a slight wave, as Jasper grabbed my arm dragging me out the front door.

Rose would be disappointed to have to hear about this tomorrow and not get to see the face of my mystery guy. Then again, I don't know if I'd be able to handle mystery guy's inevitable choice of Rose over me.