Disclaimer: All Twilight characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. I own nothing of Twilight.

Chapter 1

My life could've been better but that didn't happen.

My mother and I went through many hardships when I was a child. Renee, my mother, worked as a waitress in a diner while I was growing up. She worked while I was at school, and would pick me up, take me home, and go straight to bed, tired from her days work.

I would help out by cleaning the house and cooking dinner. I became used to having Renee sleep the whole day. Whenever she was awake, she would either take a shower or eat. Very rarely would she be awake for another reason.

Then everything changed. My mom met Phil.

My mom took a night shift one night and said she wouldn't be home to later then midnight. Renee told me everything that had happened. She said it was love at first sight. She had been cleaning a table, when Phil walked right behind her and asked," Is this seat taken?".

She had fallen in love right then.

That night she packed her bags and mine. She was leaving with Phil and they were going to travel around the country with his minor league baseball team.

She was going to drop me off at Charlie's in Forks, Washington. He was my dad. My mom left him when I was only one years old. I visited him every summer and winter breaks. She didn't even say I love you when she dropped me off at the airport. Apparently, I was in the way of her being with her one true love.

I was only ten years old.

I haven't heard from Renee in a while. She sends postcards when it's my birthday or on Christmas. One day Renee sent me a postcard that said she eloped with Phil. She even included information on where I could reach her.

I don't even try to reach her. I also do not acknowledge anything she sends to me.

Charlie's my only biological family.

Over the years we have gotten closer, you could say I was a Daddy's girl.

We spent all our holidays and free time in La Push. I made friends with all the guys there, and some of the girls. I had a couple of best friends: Jacob, Leah, Embry, and Quil.

Charlie and the people in La Push were my only real family.

Today was my seventeen birthday. I was going to celebrate it with a big bonfire in La Push.

"Bella, are you ready to head down to La Push?" Charlie hollered out from down the stairs.

"I'll be right there!" I yelled back.

I looked at myself in the mirror to asses my outfit. Converse. Check. Skinny jeans. Check. Tank top. Check.

All set to go. I rushed down the stairs. Charlie looked at me.

"Ok, let's head out."

BBBBB

"Bella, it's good to you again! How long has it been? Two days, maybe?" Embry joked at me.

Charlie had headed towards the elders who were several yards away from us. All the teenagers were surrounding the bonfire. I sat in between Leah and Jacob. I looked across to see Embry smiling at me behind a drink that was most likely spiked.

"Ha-ha," I smirked at him."I knew you missed me, so shut it. I also know you are still bitter about the fact that I was laughing hysterically while you were getting chased by two dogs. Still got that bite on your ass?" Everyone laughed.

Two days ago, Embry and I had been walking around the beach waiting for the rest of the gang to come over when Embry spotted two dogs lying on the rocks sleeping. He thought it would be funny to throw rocks at them and see them get upset. What he hadn't expected was that the dogs to wake up and catch him in the act. They growled at him and started chasing him around the beach. I hid behind the trees so that the dogs wouldn't assume that I was in on the act. I laughed so hard that day. That's how Jacob, Leah, and Quil found us that day; me laughing my ass off, while Embry was running from the dogs screaming for help.

"That's what happens when you mess with cranky Chihuahuas." Leah said with a wry smile. She was already informed of what happened that day.

"Chihuahuas? They were as big as wolves! And how was I supposed to know they would catch me? Forget all of ya'll!" Embry exclaimed back. He threw his hands at us and stood up to get another hot dog.

Later, Leah and I were talking quietly while the rest of the guys were playing football, when a familiar, beat up, black Chevy came by and parked nearby. The driver came out and started walking towards us. Crap, I thought, Paul's here. Can it get any more awkward?

Paul and I had been going out with each other since we were fifteen. Our dad's fished together, and they had introduced us. When I first met him I thought he was the son of Paul Bunyan. We were each other's first everything. First love, first kiss, first time. I started drifting apart from him after my sixteenth birthday. I broke up with Paul weeks after my birthday. He didn't take the break up well. He became depressed and moody, and would call me at home all the time. I had to go down to La Push and talk to him about the fact that we weren't going to get back together, ever. Talk about awkward.

"So, Bella, how are you doing?" Paul looked at me with a glare. He was in his angry phase, which he has been in quite a while. Like, since when we broke up.

"I'm doing great Paul, and you?" I smiled at him nervously. You could cut the tension with a knife.

"Hey, I heard that there's going to be new students arriving at you're school tomorrow Swan." Quil interrupted. Thank you Quil, but I'm still not going to sleep with you.

Yeah I had heard about that. Charlie had mentioned that yesterday evening during dinner. He told me that the hospital at Port Angeles had hired a new Chief of Surgery a few weeks back. The new Chief of Surgery and his family were going to move here in Forks because they didn't like living in the city and thought that this town looked peaceful. What a mistake. Of course, I didn't tell that to Charlie.

Leah smirked. "Don't you hope there's going to be any cute guys Bella?" Paul frowned at me. Don't think of her bursting into flame! Don't!

"Who knows? Who cares?" I looked at her murderously. "As long as they're not stuck up and cause drama everything is great for me." The last thing I needed was Charlie complaining about any misfits in this town. He was the Chief of Police in Forks you know.

Not that anything happened here, but still.

"Ok guys!" Jake hollered out. "It's time to sing happy birthday to Bella."

Everybody surrounded me. I was surrounded by beautiful Native American skin with only two pale faces in the mix. Me and my dad. I smiled happily at everyone, even at Paul, who I hoped one day he will get over me and fine some wonderful girl to be with.

This was my family, this felt right.

Thank you for reading.