DISCLAIMER: STEPHENIE MEYER OWNS TWILIGHT...YEE-AA-UH.

RATED M FOR ADULT LANGUAGE, AND ADULT CONTENT.

___ChapterOne_____________________________________________

It all seems so far away now.

My dreams, my hopes, and my future is gone. My life of wandering was over.

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I'm a nomad. My mother and I drive her beat up Trans Am up and down California's coastline, doing nothing but what we want to do. Some kids might hate the instability, but it gives me a freedom they could only dream of.

"Bells? Come on, girl! I'm talkin' to you! Pay attention..."

That's my mother. A true child of the sixties. Her deep brown eyes gaze at me from under her chocolate bangs.

"Sorry, Mom. I'm just takin' it all in." I pause and breathe in all the green around me.

"I thought you would like it here." A sly smile creeps onto her face. It was my favorite of her smiles. The one that's formed from her memories, it's kinda like she's smiling just for herself. "You know, Charlie and I met at this place?" I am taken aback by this. She never mentions my 'sperm donor'-and if she does, she calls him my 'sperm donor'.

I suppose my mom saw this and chuckled under her breath. I had to laugh back, because hers was just so infectious. It lasted only for a second, because she swallowed her laughter somehow. It seemed a little off to be laughing by myself, so I stopped quickly...and awkwardly.

We've been weird with each other lately. Normally, I'd say she'll get over it, but since she caught me at a frat party her vigilance has been starting to piss me off.

"We used to have so much fun here. Bon fires, jewelry making, our own little concerts...Bella, do you know why I think so fondly of this place?"

"Because you had rockin' parties. And me...duh..." I laugh, so does she. She's always gotten my sense of humor. In all honesty, she brought me here because this was a major part of her life, and I completely love that she wants to share it with me.

I look around to really look at this place before she could interrupt me again. It is a sight to behold. An adobe bungalow was sitting smack dab in the middle of an ivy yard. The house was obviously not in use anymore, the roof was beginning to cave in, and kid's had tagged the outer walls.

I tried to see past all of it's modern flaws to see my mother in tapestry skirts, and flowers in her hair, while dancing around with all of her drugged out friends. I liked imagining her just enjoying life.

Not having any obligations to anyone.

"Bella...sweetie...I need to tell you something. It's very important that you listen to me right now." She looks down at her hands. I follow her line of sight and see her wringing her fingers.

Oh. No.

This is bad. She's stammering about something...was it because of the party? She's a hippie...she can't be angry at me for experimenting...oh God, how do I fix this?

"Mom...I know that whole party thing was bad...but I'm seventeen!" I let out a high pitch giggle, which sounded completely ridiculous. "I mean, my age is no excuse, I know that...there is no excuse. Not at all..." I'm trying to make her happy, ya know? Make her see that I am fully aware of the mistake I've made. "I want you to know that I am ready for any kind of punishment you wanna throw at me."

"Can you promise me that?"

"Promise you what? That I know the mistake I made? Oh, totally. I promise. Swear on your life?" I'm slouching trying to look into my mom's eye's. I can't see them, and it's becoming increasingly frustrating.

"No, honey, I mean can you take any punishment?"

Uhhh...hmmm....

"Yeah...totally. I'm tough. Give it to me..." I sound like I'm waiting for someone to set the date for my injection. Whatever she was planning couldn't be that bad, I can handle it. I've been through...

"I'm sending you to live with Charlie."

...What?....

My jaw hung slack, and my eye's were getting wet. How could...when...Oh my God.

"Honey, it's for your own good. You know I love you, that's why I'm doing this. Do it for me, baby." Her voice is shaking, I could here the pain in her voice.

"Why are you doing this to me? Because I went to a party? Mommy..." I swallowed hard, trying to keep it all in. "What if I said I'm sorry? I'll never, ever do it again." I would beg if I had to. There is no way in hell that I would be living in that god forsaken, armpit of a town. Especially not with Charlie.

"Yes you will, baby. You know you will." I knew I would, too. But why all of this over a party? "I think it's all because of this life we lead. Floating around, nowhere to really call home. I think it's time you had somewhere to go at the end of the day."

"We are a team, momma." My voice was betraying me; starting to wobble. "We stick together, ya know? I mean...the sperm donor? Seriously? I don't know him! I don't want to! Please, momma? Please, don't do this? Keep me..." There it went. I let one little tear go. How stupid of me. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid!

Of course, leave it to my mom to make this moment even harder by reaching her dainty, little hands over to gently wipe away my tear. She lifted my chin so I could see her face and she was crying, too.

"We'll always be a team, baby. That's never, ever gonna change. But, I need to know I gave you a chance at a normal life. I want you to have that choice, baby." She pauses, trying to configure her words. "I had that chance. I chose the non conventional way, and maybe you will too, but you need to see the other way."

I didn't know what to say. I know when she makes her mind up, it's made. I could fall on the ground, screaming and kicking, but it wouldn't do any good. I am going to live there.

"I'm gonna miss you, Momma."

"I'm gonna miss you, too, Baby."

We stood there for a long time. I don't know what she was thinking, her eyes were too far away. I was just trying to envision my life away from her. No spontaneity, no adventure. Everything will be the same. Every day will be exactly alike, just one after the other.

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We were sitting inside the bus station. We were in Redding, California. It is March thirteenth. And in ten minutes I'll be on bus 1420, heading to Port Angeles, Washington.

I keep telling myself that she's trying to be a mom, instead of my road trip buddy for once. It feels kinda good, knowing that she cares about me like this. It gives me the strength to get onto the bus, and hide how I really feel about this whole thing until I'm on the bus.

I wave from my seat, and she dramatically blows kisses. It gets me to smile a little. I mentally take a picture of my mom in that moment. It'll be the last time I see her for a long time.

After my bus is out of my mother's sight, my mind turns on again. All of the bad ideas that were suppressed by the presence of my mom , are now let loose. I hug my little yellow suitcase and let a few tears go.

I wanted to live like that forever. Never give in to the majority, always do things my way, and make changes along the way. I wanted my life to mean something, and by traveling all the time, I was seeing more than most. I felt that by constantly seeing things out there, instead of trusting Anderson Cooper, I was really seeing things.

My mom always said if you had the power of truth, you had the power to change the world. I wanted that.

It all seems so far away now.

My dreams, my hopes, and my future is gone. My life of wandering is over.

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Hey y'all! This is my first attempt at this, and I feel like I did a pretty okay job! **yay!!**

I have so many more idea's brewing in my head, and if anyone out there in fanfic world has any idea's to build onto this, I would absolutely love to hear them!

-Reviews are always welcome!