Chapter One- In which Bella and Lucy become friends.
AN: I don't own squat.
Bella Swan hit the snooze button as she groaned. As usual, the brunette didn't get very much sleep, if she got any at all. She lifted herself with her arms to pull her legs beneath her. She then sat on her knees and stared at the headboard of her bed, distrustfully scanning the dream-catcher. Damn useless, if you asked her. Every night was haunted by nightmares ever since he left.
With the first thought of the day, Bella maneuvered herself out the bed. Her body already ached in protest of today as her feet touched the cool carpet and worked to gather her clothes. The ritual continued on, despite her disdain, just like she knew it would. Pick out today's outfit; carry it to the bathroom where she'd wash, brush her teeth, and change; carry sleep clothes (usually yesterday's outfit) to the hamper in the room; pick up school supplies; go downstairs to the kitchen; drink coffee; go to school. It was always the same and it never failed her- even if she hated it.
School was okay for the most part. It proved to be a good distraction. There were still reminders everywhere, but it wasn't as bad as being home with an idle mind. While at school, Bella usually did homework between classes and then avidly paid attention to her teachers; she no longer spoke unless she was spoken to and walked the halls half-dead. During lunch, Bella sat with her old friends, only to ignore them and be ignored. Afterwards, she'd go to her last two classes, and then head home. There, she did chores, cooked dinner, finished homework, and went to bed.
The morning went as usual and, before she knew it, she was pulling into her parking spot. Oblivious to everything but herself, Bella began briefly reviewing the lessons for today's classes in her truck. A few minutes before the final bell rung, she was almost there for the first period, English IV. She might have noticed Mike Newton talking to someone she didn't recognize, but she barely even recognized him.
The rest of the day carried on normally. Class, study, class, study, etc. Eventually, lunch time came and Bella shuffled her way to the cafeteria. This time of day was usually dreaded. She hated sitting with anyone. The noise frayed her nerves and she could still feel the awkwardness of having her there, unresponsive and depressing. Mostly, her friends did well to ignore her and, in return, Bella managed to remain aloof. She barely ate and stared off into the distance, making her mind stay shut down.
As she sat down at the circular table, however, she realized that something wasn't right. Instead of just Mike, Jessica, Eric, and Angela, there was another person with unnatural red hair peaking beneath a black beanie. Although she didn't want to notice the stranger, she couldn't help but look curiously at her as Jessica introduced the two.
"Lucy, this is Bella. She moved here last year. Bella, this is Lucy. She used to go to middle school with us." Jessica's expression was tight and awkward, like she wasn't sure how to act in this situation. Maybe she was afraid of being embarrassed by Bella's unresponsiveness. Maybe she had that look when dealing with Bella all the time now. Bella sure as hell didn't know.
She started to quietly tell her 'hello,' only to be interrupted by Lucy's boisterous, "Hey, how're you doing?" Bella blinked slowly at Lucy's grinning face. What did she have to be so happy about? Emotion was so sluggish to the brunette that she had to wonder how anyone felt anything at all. But there the new kid was, choppy red hair swooshing against her forehead and dark makeup smeared around her smiling eyes. She seemed undeterred by Bella's disinterest and didn't take offense to her lack of reaction. Instead, the new kid turned back to her old friends and began to animatedly chat. Several times, she'd turn to Bella and ask for input and, occasionally, Bella would respond, much to the shock of her friends.
The more Lucy talked to Bella, the more she felt like she was waking up. It seemed impossible to block the redhead out of her misery, and this resulted in Bella paying more attention to detail. Like how Angela had new glasses and Jessica's hair was shorter than she remembered; Mike's hair was still styled like Ed- him- and Eric was nowhere to be seen. It was like suddenly she was alive again- if barely.
This is why she immediately jumped to Lucy's name when Charlie threatened to send her to Jacksonville the next morning.
"Who's Lucy Mavrick?" he demanded with a puzzled expression. Of course, yesterday was her first day at school, so Charlie probably hadn't caught wind of the girl yet.
"She just started school here yesterday. We were going to go to Port Angeles tonight," she weakly lied. Sort of. After school ended, the new girl ran after Bella before she could leave to ask her if she had any plans. No plans were actually made, just a request to "call me!" and a phone number. She hoped that Lucy hadn't made any plans since then…
"Girl's night out… that's… that's good. Good," Charlie finally deflated. He was obviously suspicious but Bella couldn't help that and Charlie wasn't going to act on it. "Alright, well be safe. Nothing too crazy."
"'Course not, Dad."
Lucy Mavrick slid the beanie over her choppy hair and lightly smudged the kohl around her eyes in the rearview mirror of her pop's car. Well, it was her car now, she supposed, a beat up Ford Focus that resembled something like a hearse. Her pop had tossed her the keys this morning with a grumbled "happy birthday, Lu," before trudging back into his bedroom with a cold beer in his hand. Lucy had been ecstatic at the gift and happy that at least he had remembered. Her phone was blaringly blank with the lack of birthday calls or texts from her mom or friends, but that was to be expected. Once you moved away, you were already in the process of being forgotten.
The bottle-redhead picked up her burning cigarette from the car's ashtray to take in its last few hits- just to steady her nerves. Truth be told, Lucy knew there wasn't anything to be nervous about. The first day was already out of the way- and she had been stoned for most of the bullshit anyway. She was sober now, having smoked the rest of her stash in celebration of completing her first day back at Forks, and that was probably why she was so nervous. Hell, what if she fucked up everything because she was sober? She made a face at the thought. She'd have to make "good friends" real quick.
When she was finished smoking, she put out the cigarette butt in the overflowing ashtray and opened her car door, grinning when the smoke wafted out like a dark cloud. Unfortunately, the light drizzle prevented the smoke from being easily seen. Perhaps that'd have been for the best. No reason for everyone to realize just how much she had changed
"Hey, whoa, was that smoke, Luce?"
Lucy grinned at the nickname as well as the observation and looked at the person approaching her- Eric Yorkie. He hadn't been at school yesterday to see her return and hear her new (very lame) jokes, but obviously heard about it. Not even Angela, who used to be her best friend, recognized Lucy at first. After eighth grade, she changed and changed a lot. She was no longer the blonde chubby kid with floral-headbands and braces with yellow rubber-bands. The baby-doll dresses were replaced with band-tees and ripped-up jeans; black nail polish stood out on her fingers when it used to be pink and white; and, finally, her hair was no longer blonde and flowing down her back. Instead, it was bright red and chopped in a disarray beneath the dark beanie. She was the complete opposite of the Lucy they used to know.
"Yeah, I guess you could say I'm smoking," she greeted with a goofy laugh, slamming her door closed. She slung her backpack over her shoulder and placed a hand on her hip. "But look at you, Eric- damn!"
"You're telling me!" he returned, looking her over as he got closer. "What the hell happened to you? Only reason I knew it was you was 'cause Mike warned me yesterday!"
Lucy shrugged and grinned wider. "I guess I changed a little, huh?" Her button nose crinkled slightly, as if she couldn't even stand the understatement. She was the complete opposite of who she used to be and she had a feeling that everyone from her childhood was catching on. Hopefully, they'd like this new her.
"Yeah, just a bit, except for your lame sense of humor," Eric chuckled before finally pulling the short girl into a hug. Lucy returned it wholeheartedly. One thing that didn't change was her love of affection. She loved dishing it out and loved receiving it. She wouldn't think twice about brushing someone's hair out of their eyes or kissing their cheeks goodbye.
He walked her to class after they shortly separated and they talked like Lucy hadn't been gone for three and a half years. In fact, it began to get easier to talk with each of her new/old friends. Angela accepted Lucy in stride, as though she hadn't changed at all; Jessica mostly ignored it, though Lucy caught a couple of "what the fuck" looks; Mike seemed amused by it; and Eric loved it. No matter the reaction, though, Lucy was still "Luce."
But the thing was- she wanted that ease with Bella Swan. It was almost pathetic how desperate she felt about getting the brunette's attention, constantly waving her down and calling her name in the hallways and pulling her into hugs. Each time, Bella looked more and more startled out of her zombie-like state and, well, Lucy couldn't help but enjoy that.
From the time she first met Bella Swan, she felt this pull. Maybe it was because Bella looked so damn sad that Lucy felt obliged to glance at Bella's arms upon meeting her. Seeing her so broken, even though she was a stranger, really bothered the redhead for reasons she had a hard time putting into words. She just knew how devastating heartbreak could be. Hell, her own father hadn't quite gotten over her mother. There were times when she was younger that he'd call just to ask Gen back into his life. Obviously, her parents never got back together again and Lu was forced to move to Oregon with her mother. But that was another tale for another time.
By the time lunch came around, Bella was remarkably less zombified than she was yesterday. She was becoming more and more aware of her constant surroundings instead of just aimlessly carrying on her day- and she wasn't sure if she liked it or not. One thing was for sure: Lucy Mavrick was the reason. All day long, she called out to Bella and pulled her into hugs. If Bella didn't respond, Lucy would continue chattering senselessly as they walked to class. As the day continued, Bella grew to expect Lucy's presence.
But it wasn't until lunch that she realized people were staring at her, especially when Lucy was around. It wasn't hard to guess why, considering Bella was unresponsive for a good part of the year. Suddenly coming to life because of the new girl must have appeared strange. Even her friends looked at her oddly when she talked back to Lucy and asserted her opinion (or at least tried to) when the group was talking.
Lucy grinned at the brunette, pleased to see Bella trying to be a part of the discussion. She was slow with the communication and almost culture-shocked at what was going on. She hadn't been aware of the movies playing- in fact thought movies that were out three months ago were still on the big screen. That wasn't so bad itself, but when Bella complimented Jessica's new hairstyle, she had to find out it was all grown back from a month ago. Things like this kept happening as Bella tried, usually ending in pink cheeks and embarrassment. The only thing keeping Bella from giving up and retreating was the new girl sitting beside her, occasionally give a light nudge with her elbow. Somehow, this made Bella feel a lot better.
The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Lucy was still very much feeling pleased with herself and Bella's inclusion. By now, she hoped that it was clear she wanted to be friends with the brunette and that she could continue her last half-year of high school in pleasure. The hope was enforced when Bella called Lucy's name shyly while everyone else started to leave. The others shot curious glances at the two, embarrassing Bella further, but Lucy ignored it with a smile.
"Hey, what's up, Bee?" Bella flushed at the nickname.
"Uhm, I was wondering if you were free tonight," Bella started, looking at the ground. "I told my dad I'd go to Port Angeles with some friends to watch a movie." Her face heated up even more at her admission. Why'd she have to go and explain that?
"Actually, yeah, that sounds fun," Lucy replied. Bella looked up in mild surprise. She hadn't really expected the shorter senior to agree with any plans. Maybe that was stupid, considering Lucy had asked about the same thing just the day before but Bella felt rusty with her communication skills. It was disgusting.
"Thank you. I have your number. I'll make sure to call you," she said awkwardly and began walking to her class.
Lucy grinned the rest of the day.
True to her word, Bella called Lucy a couple of hours after school. Lucy was sitting at the shabby table in her kitchen, flipping through random pages of her English book when a buzz on the tabletop startled her. She quickly swiped her vibrating phone off the table and answered with a lazy 'hullo.'
"Hi, this is Bella Swan. Is Lucy there?"
Lucy straightened up. "Yeah, yeah, hey Bee! What's up?" she asked excitedly. She felt relieved that Bella actually called because she had been a little worried. What if Bella had only said that to make Lucy shut up? Or what if Bella changed her mind?
Ugh, she was starting to sound like a school-girl with a crush.
"I was actually calling to see when you wanted to leave for the movies. I figured we could carpool, if that's alright." Lucy could hear the uncertainty in Bella's voice. Honestly, it was totally misplaced where the redhead was concerned. Not that she could blame Bella for her hesitance. To hear Jessica Stanley tell it, Bella had been pretty comatose for four months. She must feel like interacting was something foreign at the moment.
"That's a good idea, yeah, let's do that. My ride or yours? Mine might be better on gas- no offense," Lucy babbled, stretching her bent elbows across the table. Which was true. She had seen Bella's truck and it was monstrous. It was probably a glutton for gas and the gas prices were skyrocketing.
"Your ride is fine," Bella conceded lightly.
"I can pick you up, then," Lucy said, leaning back in her chair in fake nonchalance- in reality, a shock of excitement had run through her at the prospect.
Bella agreed hesitantly and sprouted off her address, which Lucy scribbled down quickly in the corner of a text book page. "I don't know what movies are playing so we could just show up," she suggested. "Do you want to leave in about an hour?" she asked, to which Lucy glanced at the stove's clock. It was 4:35.
"Yeah, that's fine. If we get there early, we can get a bite to eat," the redhead replied thoughtfully. "Well, I need to put pants on, so I'll call you when I'm fixing to leave here. See you, Bee, and take care."
"Uhm, thanks? Bye, Lucy."
When the call ended, Lucy tore the address's corner out of her text book before slamming the book closed. Upon standing, she stretched, then was off to her room to slip a pair of jeans with worn knees over her small shorts. It only took two minutes to be presentable in a pair of ratty shoes and a black Kingdom Hearts tee-shirt. Just as she was grabbing the black-and-gray flannel shirt she wore earlier, a loud knock resonated through the house. That was strange.
The redhead poked her head out of her bedroom in surprise. Who the hell would be visiting? Her dad was at work, so it couldn't have been for him. Maybe it was a Jehovah's Witness or a salesperson with a vacuum cleaner…
It was neither.
"Hey, just the girl I wanted to see," Eric said pleasantly after she swung the door open. She blinked before letting her mouth contort into a grin.
"Did you really expect someone else?" she asked as she stepped to the side. He walked in and she shut the door.
He scoffed. "I know your dad's never home. But! In this case, this is good," Eric was quick to amend at the sight of Lucy's sudden frown. He dug into his pocket and brought his fist out with a wicked grin. At first, Lucy didn't understand- but then her dear friend opened his hand to reveal the best thing Lucy ever saw.
Two tiny little bags, each the size of a nickel, filled with green substances. It was all she could do to stop herself from throwing herself at him.
"How much," she asked with wide eyes. Jesus, was she drooling?
"Consider it a 'welcome home' present," Eric replied. If possible, his grin widened and Lucy finally did throw herself into his arms.
"I do believe I love you, you magnificent human being! But how did you know?" the redhead asked, pulling back a little to search his face. His face was a little pink and his arms were slightly tightening around her waist.
"Well," he started, "you kind of look like a stoner. Mike said your eyes were a little red yesterday and if you suddenly started smoking cigarettes, what's to stop you from pot?"
"I forget how smart you are," Lucy commented. She pulled away but then grabbed his hand to drag him to her bedroom. After closing the door behind them, she turned around to face Eric with a grin. "You're gonna fire it up with me, right?"
His face flushed a little more. He didn't expect to be able to do it with her and had, in fact, only thought to do something nice for the redhead since, well, he was kind of smitten with the girl. He watched as she rummaged through her drawers, mumbling excitedly to herself. When she turned around, she had a small hand-held bowl decorated with little pink stars.
"I have about half an hour," Lucy said before taking one of the offered bags. "Then I have a former engagement. I'm sorry, Eric," she apologized, looking up at him. He shrugged with an easy smile.
"It's all good."
Bella paced the living room anxiously, only stopping to glance at her watch. It wasn't that Lucy was late. But Bella was beginning to regret making these plans in the first place. She didn't feel ready to venture out into the 'real' world again quite yet. Cancelling was out of the question, however, since every time she headed towards the phone, Charlie gave her a warning look. It looked like she was going to have to tough this out. She glanced at her watch again.
A knock at the door made the brunette freeze in her footsteps. It wasn't until Charlie sighed and made a move to get up that she jerked back to life and dove for the door after scooping up her purse.
"Bye, Dad!" she called, then swung the door open just wide enough to slip outside. When the door closed, she looked at a startled Lucy before she sheepishly smiled. "Hello, Lucy."
"Hello Isabella."
Bella grimaced at her full name. Somehow, it felt like a light scolding. Before she could worry about if she had somehow offended her potential friend, Lucy laughed.
It was a warm sound, the kind that came from the belly and was accompanied with a snort here and there. Bella frowned. What was funny? Was she laughing at her? She shifted uncomfortably as she waited for Lucy to calm down.
"Ah, shit, Bee, you're a hoot. C'mon, let's go."
Bella followed obediently with a pink face. When they got into the car, which smelled of tobacco and something smelly-sweet, she buckled up, the same as Lucy, then turned to look at her in the dimming car light. Lucy's blue eyes were slightly drooped and a little pink around the edges. Her smile was almost dopey looking, like she found something mildly amusing. Vaguely, Bella wondered if it was safe for her to drive, but brushed the thought away.
"Honestly, Bee? I kind of hope we get there early. I'm starving," Lucy complained, revving up the engine. Bella nodded, though Lucy didn't see it on account of her being focused on reversing back onto the road.
"We could go ahead and get something on the way if you want."
Lucy shrugged, then for the CD player's eject button. "Can you check what CD that is?" she asked. Bella swallowed but complied, slipping the disc out to read the sloppy handwriting on its surface.
"It says… Road Clowns?"
"Swag. Oh, what kind of music do you like, Bee?" she asked in a way that sounded like a last-second thought.
Bella shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I… I don't really like music. That much, I mean."
Lucy snapped her head to look at the brunette with what could only be described as an appalled expression. It was borderline offended. Bella flinched.
"How the hell do you not like music?" she demanded. "I- I'm sorry, Bee. I mean, no judgment, but damn." She readjusted her hand on the steering wheel, which made Bella really worry that she offended her. Sensing this, Lucy sighed. It wasn't her intention to make her friend uncomfortable.
"Sorry, Bee. You just took me by surprise. Please don't think I'm mad."
Bella shrugged half-heartedly. "It's alright. It just… reminds me of my ex, I guess."
She didn't know why she felt like she needed to explain that. It was embarrassing and she doubted that Lucy would understand and 'no judgment' would be flushed down the toilet.
Instead of laughing, however, Lucy looked at Bella again with an expression she could see even in the dying light of the day. "I get you," she replied in a way that was so understanding and somber that Bella had to blink back sudden tears. "I understand, Bee. But I think music isn't something you should avoid. Music isn't there to hurt you, Bella, it's there to heal. And, honestly, if you find the right kind, I'm sure it could have that potential, even with you.
"But take your time, alright? We can just talk, if you want. Or stay silent."
Something was shaken inside Bella at the end of Lucy's speech. In a way, she felt a little ashamed of herself- though she had no idea why. All she could think of was the beautiful melodies that he had written and played. All the songs they listened to together. She would never be able to hear them without feeling his hole grow even bigger inside her. And she hated to even think of what love songs would do to her. Believe it or not, Bella wasn't a masochist. She didn't necessarily want to forget him, but… the pain had to end. Didn't it?
True to her word, the rest of the ride was silent between them.
"Alright, so what movie do you want to watch, Bee?" Lucy asked as the two peered onto the list playing movies. There were a couple of romance movies that Lucy had heard good reviews about, but she pointedly ignored them. "I'm kind of in the mood for some gore. What about you?"
"Yeah, anything but romance, please," Bella responded quietly. She was still mulling over their short talk in the car. Still thinking of him.
"Awesome, c'mon."
They bought their tickets, then headed to concession, where Lucy bought nachos, two drinks, and popcorn, whining about being hungry. By the time they were seated in the middle row and Lucy's legs were propped up on the seat in front of her, Bella's pondering sadness was slowly ebbing away. It was mostly gone at the end of the movie, thanks to the boisterous distraction Lucy provided with snide comments and her warm laughter.
"Pretty good," the redhead said as they filed out of the theater. She sipped on her drink and glanced at her quiet friend.
"I'm surprised with all those jokes you were making," Bella commented with a slight smile, to which Lucy returned with a full-blown grin.
"Everything's funny at the moment, I'm afraid. Oh, thank God we can get some real food now! Where do you wanna go?" she asked, dumping her soda in a trashcan next to the exit. Cold air greeted them upon opening the doors. Lucy held it open for Bella.
"I'm okay with anything," Bella replied, not actually feeling all that hungry.
Suddenly, Lucy moaned when her glassy eyes skimmed over Bella. Bella turned around to be greeted by the golden arches. McDonald's.
"I'd give my left tit for a burger," she groaned. "Or chicken nuggets, oh dear me."
The brunette chuckled dryly. "Are you always this hungry?"
"Sometimes," the redhead returned absently, her mind being focused solely on the McDonalds' menu. "I like eating more than I like being skinny, so…"
Lucy might have continued what she was saying, if not for the catcalls suddenly coming their way. At the sound, both of the girls turned their heads to glance across the street, where a group of ragged, creepy men stood with motorcycles outside a bar. Lucy made a face at them, unappreciative of the street harassment, then faced forward, determined to not pay any attention to them. However, Bella remained rooted to her spot on the sidewalk with furrowed eyebrows.
They seemed familiar to her, though she couldn't place why. She stepped closer to them without realizing it.
"What are you doing, Bee?"
"I…" Bella turned back to continue, looking quite confused. The men called again and she twisted back around. This time, she continued across the street, ignoring Lucy's growing alarm. "I think I know them," she called back.
Lucy watched, feeling helpless as her friend talked with one of the men. They were shady as fuck and while Lucy wasn't exactly known for preserving her wellbeing, she knew enough to avoid creeps. Bella was a smart girl- she should have known the same.
Deep down, Lucy knew a lack of good judgment wasn't why Bella was climbing on the back of the creep's motorcycle. She wasn't completely sure of Bella's reasoning, but she could recall her own sadness and the things it pushed her to do. Granted, she never rode away with a guy she didn't know.
Fuck, talk about 'blowing your high.' It had been a few hours since enjoying Eric's gift and she was slowly coming down, which was unfortunate. Agitation and nervousness paced through her forced languorous state. As she waited for her friend to come back, Lucy dug into her purse to pull out her pack of cigarettes. She hadn't planned on smoking around Bella, on account of being unsure of how she felt about that sort of thing, but Lucy damn well deserved it after this stunt.
The cigarette was almost burned out by the time Bella shuffled away from the group and back to the redhead. Bella glanced at the stick in Lucy's fingers, vaguely surprised by it, and watched as the girl brought it to her lips to inhale. She turned her head to blow it, so that the smoke stayed from Bella's direction, before opening her mouth.
"That was such a rush," Bella rushed out in hopes of avoiding the scolding she was sure to get. Lucy didn't really know Bella- at all. Why she was afraid of what she thought, the brunette didn't know? But the paler girl did care, strangely enough, and on top of what she discovered, her mind felt mushy.
"That's cool," Lucy started, surprising Bella. "I mean, it's not cool that you looked to a creep like that for a rush, but… Look, Bee, I'm not going to judge you. I get where you're coming from. And I would really like to be friends with you. So I care. If you want to be reckless, I obviously can't stop you," she said with a quirked eyebrow, then paused to take in another drag. "But please be smarter? People are the most dangerous form of recklessness there is, Bee. They're not something to be messed with. Especially creeps like that."
With the knowing blue eyes that bore into her brown ones, Bella almost revealed everything. For the second time that night, Lucy had made Bella want to cry- out of relief. The redhead seemed so oblivious at first, which was what Bella had initially wanted in a friendship. But the knowing and understanding that Lucy offered Bella gave her something she hadn't felt in a while: security.
Of course, she couldn't expect the same understanding from her new friend if she were to know everything. Like how she was now going to search for ways to hear his voice again. Because, at this point, her life was worth two seconds of that velvety smoothness that she had ached for, and for so long. How could she ever explain that without sounding crazy?
Lucy regarded Bella as her friend mulled over something. Hopefully the redhead's nugget of wisdom. She brought the cigarette to her lips for one last heavy drag, then dropped it to the ground, where she preceded to stomp it out.
"I'm hungry," she said, allowing the tension to leave her body. "You have any idea of what you want?"
With that, Bella's new friend headed determinedly down the road to the McDonald's. Lucy was strange. But she was starting to grow on her.
AN: So… thank you for giving this a shot. I really appreciate it. I'm not actually sure if this is an original or even good idea. Please let me know. I know that the general plot isn't going to be extravagant and adventurous, but this was something I wanted to see. Please review and judge kindly. Thank you.