This is a story that has been begging me to write...that's only funny because it's about me. Well, very loosely based on my life. All names will be changed, some locations, and some incidents. But the gist of the story is me. I hope you enjoy it. It will NOT be all pretty. Please don't get discouraged when there are several, and I mean several, Edward free chapters. I love him just as much as the next person, but he isn't an immediate main character. I would really like feedback on this, I have no beta. I also tend to write a chapter, read through it looking for grammar mistakes, and then post it. I don't hesitate, because I'm impatient like that. Also, I am not a post every day kind of girl. I will post as often as I can, probably two or three times a week...Reviews are greatly appreciated. If you have any questions or comments about anything I've written, ask in a review (or PM) and I will answer. I don't like it when you review a chapter because the author begged for one and you don't get a response...I will respond to EVERY review. Thanks. :)

Oh, and I don't own Twilight...or McDonald's...or BMW...or any other brand name thing in this story. I do, however, own a VERY spectacular coffee mug that says, "Can I have a human moment, please?" on it...

All the characters in my story will be human, the vampire world is in my imagination and cannot be incorporated into my real life...damn.

--Emmy

"Are you sure, Bella?"

"Yes, Alice, I am. Please don't worry about me. Emmett will be back around twelve or so to pick you up. I'll probably go home and crash. I have to get up early, remember?"

Alice gave me one last look of longing, but climbed out my car and slammed the door. She waved and turned to walk away. She got about ten steps away when she squealed, ran ahead and started talking rapidly with a group of girls. One of them passed her a plastic red cup and they walked off into the yard.

'Wow,' I thought, 'I just got out of going to a party with Alice Brandon.' Not just any party, either, our graduation party. I am no longer a senior. I am an adult and no longer have to abide by rules. Scratch that. I'm only seventeen. I'm a year younger than everyone in our class, and I still live with my parents.

Seeing Alice get safely in the house, I turned my car around and headed back to the highway. The windows were rolled down...not because I was cruising or anything, but because my air conditioner had gone out the week before and it was May in the south.

Alice and I have been best friends since the seventh grade. I moved here in sixth grade, but it was a full year before Alice started at my school. She'd lived in New York before moving to Chalmette, Louisiana. Talk about a culture shock for my shopaholic-pixie-best friend. She moved here about two months after my parents split up. She found me crying in the girls' room one day, walked over, hugged me, and we've been inseparable since. I don't know what I would have done without her.

Driving down the highway, I still couldn't believe I had talked her into going to the grad party at Ben Cheney's house while I didn't. My mother, Renee, was graduating college in the morning, at eight. That was WAY to early for me to be going partying, getting home, and getting up and to the college just north of New Orleans (about an hour away) by eight a.m. Not happening. My mother decided after she remarried the summer after my freshman year, she'd go back to school and get her teaching certificate. She worked really hard for it, and I'm prouder of her than any daughter should be. Renee has always had a problem finishing commitments. She'll get infatuated with something, start it headstrong, and fizzle out after a few weeks or months. Knowing she's spent the last four years studying and working hard, I would go anywhere in the world to see her finish something in the morning.

Driving through Chalmette's main road, Pine street, I realized my stomach was growling. I had not eaten anything for dinner. Graduation made me nervous. Bella in public means Bella gets nervous enough. Bella in public having to walk up stairs, across a stage, and back down stairs without falling means Bella wants to crawl in a hole and die of embarrassment. Somehow, I managed to stay on my feet and did fine. That was a relief. So now I was hungry.

Seeing the famous Golden Arches on the left side of the highway, I flipped my blinker on and waited for a line of cars coming in the opposite direction. There were a lot. Oh, well, at least when they fly by, I'll get a bit of air circulating in my stifling car.

I turned my head into the parking lot, trying to find a spot before I was actually in the parking lot. I noticed an empty spot next to where the employees park. A car sitting at the end of the row caught my eye. It was an old, maybe late 70's or early 80's BMW. It was black, shiny, with chrome accents and bumpers.

It was beautiful.

I heard a horn blare behind me and realized the road was clear for me to turn. I pulled my little car into a spot, grabbed my purse, and got out. I lingered as I passed the BMW.

I could see the owner took care of the antique-y car. The body shined like a result of spit-polish, the leather seats gleamed like they were wet. The glass was spotless, not even a mosquito splatter. I knew it was a high school-er who owned this car, because of the Biology book sitting in the passenger's seat. I immediately wanted to know this person, to find out where they got such a beautiful baby. There was a small collection of CD cases in the door of the car and my eyes flashed over to the radio. In the place of an old radio was a brand new sound system. My jaw dropped. I had, myself, tried to install a new CD player in my car, and now a heavy boom box complete with eight "D" size batteries sat in my back seat until I could afford to have someone professionally install it, while my factory radio sat in the back of my closet, hoping not to be seen by my mother.

I wanted this car. I lived for this car. I was always jealous of everyone else's vehicles. It didn't matter what they drove, because mine was worse. It was a maroon 1992 Geo Prism. The door handles broke off frequently, on the inside and outside. I had to keep a key duct taped to the back of my license plate because sometimes the key would get stuck in the door as well. Someone had snapped off the antenna, which didn't matter anymore, since I was using a body sized piece of junk for a sound system. I kept a case of oil in the trunk because it would leak out that fast. My horn only worked on intermittent days. The seat belt in the backseat on the driver's side was latched, never again to be unlatched. It was lucky it was only Alice buckled in back there, we would have never gotten anyone bigger out of it.

I looked at the BMW one more time, with a longing look in my eyes, I'm sure, before glaring at my Geo, sure it was it's fault I couldn't have this beautiful car. I crossed the parking lot and pulled open the door.

Air conditioning. Wow, I just realized how awesome air is. I dug through my purse to pull out a well used headband. I pulled my hair off my sticky neck into a ponytail high on my head. Alice would have a cow, but she wasn't here now, was she?

There was a low buzz of conversation around the restaurant and the smell of salt permeated the air. I love salted french fries. I inhaled deeply, looking to see who was working tonight. I saw several people from the junior class, and two of the managers. I sighed.

I got in line behind a couple that couldn't decide what they wanted. As they mumbled back and forth to each other, I watched a girl in front of them order a soda and fries. The girl at the register, who I knew had been here several weeks now, was having some trouble with it. I rolled my eyes and sighed loudly. How hard could it be to push buttons, take cash, and give change? (A/N...I worked at a fast food joint for two years, so I am totally justified in this sentence...)

As I sighed impatiently again, I heard a chuckle behind me. I turned to see an employee picking up trays from the counters to take back into the kitchen. He turned to me and winked.

Edward.

(A/N: My car in high school really was just like the one I described...flaws and all. I loved it though. I hope this peaked your interest enough to come back for more! Thanks again, Emmy)